Darek Fidyka, a 38-year-old Bulgarian, had been paralyzed (瘫痪的) from the chest down for four years after a knife attack. Scientists from Britain and Poland took cells from his nose, transplanted (移植) them into his back and re-grew his spinal cord (脊髓). Now he can walk and even drive a car. The doctors were delighted but said it was the first step in a long journey.
The breakthrough came after 40 years of research by Professor Geoff Raisman, who found that cells had the possibility to repair damage to nasal (鼻腔的) nerves, the only part of the nervous system that constantly re-grows. “The idea was to take something from an area where the nervous system can repair itself and put it into an area that doesn’t repair itself,” Professor Raisman said.
Polish doctors injected (注射) the nasal cells into Mr Fidyka’s spinal cord above the injury and used some nerves from his ankle to form a bridge across the damaged tissue. The nasal cells appear to have caused the spinal nerves to repair themselves.
Professor Raisman achieved this with rats in the late 1990’s, but this is his greatest success. “I think the moment of discovery for me was Christmas in 1997 when I first saw a rat, which couldn’t control its hand, put its hand out to me. That was an exciting moment, because I realized then that my belief that the nervous system could be repaired was true.”
Doctors chose the easiest case for their first attempt—it might not work for others. But there is a real sense of hope that an idea once thought impossible has been realized.
David Nicholls, who helped provide money for the breakthrough, said information about the breakthrough would be made available to researchers across the globe.
“What you’ve got to understand is that for three million paralyzed people in the world today, the world looks a totally brighter place than it did yesterday,” he said. Why did Professor Geoff Raisman choose cells from the nose?
A.The nervous system in the nose can repair itself. |
B.Cells from the nose can be easily transplanted. |
C.The nervous system in the nose has more cells. |
D.Cells in the nose are able to re-produce rapidly. |
How did the operation work for Darek Fidyka?
A.The nervous system in the spinal nerves can repair itself. |
B.The nerves from his ankle cured the patient of the injury. |
C.The nasal cells re-produced and spread over very quickly. |
D.The nasal cells helped the spinal nerves to repair themselves. |
What made Professor Geoff Raisman begin to believe the nervous system can be repaired?
A.His former study with other people. | B.His operation on a paralyzed patient. |
C.His sudden thought about Christmas. | D.His unusual experience with a sick rat. |
David Nicholls’ words suggest that _______.
A.the world will become a better and brighter place |
B.paralyzed people of today have the hope of recovery |
C.the report of the breakthrough will be published soon |
D.researchers across the world will carry out the operation |
Towards evening, Jennifer was walking on the beach with a gentle breeze blowing through her hair. Looking up at the golden red sun ball, she was surprised by its color, deep red in the middle, softly fading into yellow. She could hear nothing but the waves and the seagulls flying up above in the sky.
The atmosphere relaxed her. This was what she needed. “It’s getting late,” she thought, “I must go home. My parents will be wondering where I am.” She wondered how her parents would react when she got home after the three days she was missing. She kept on walking, directing herself to bungalow 163, where she spent every summer holiday. The road was deserted. She walked slowly and silently. Just in a few hundred meters, she would have been safe in her house.
It was really getting dark now. She wished she had her favorite coat on. It might keep her really warm. She imagined having it with her. This thought dissipated(消散) when she finally saw her front door. It seemed different. Nobody had taken care of the outside garden for a few days. She was shocked: her father was usually so strict about keeping everything clean and tidy, and now…
She entered the house. First, she went into the kitchen and saw a note written by her father, “Dear Ellen, there’s some coffee ready; I went looking.” But where was Ellen? On the right side of the hallway was her parents’ room. She went in and saw her. Her mother, lying on the bed, was sleeping. Her face looked so tired, as if she hadn’t slept for days. She was really pale. Jennifer would have wanted to wake her up, but she looked too tired. So Jennifer just fell asleep beside her. When Jennifer woke up something was different. She wasn’t in her mother’s room and she wasn’t wearing the old clothes she ran away in. She was in her cozy bed in her pajamas(睡衣).
It felt so good being back home. Suddenly she heard a voice. “Are you feeling better now, dear?
You know you got us very, very scared.”The author mentions the views of the beach in Para. 1 in order to __________.
A.tell us the time of the story |
B.show Jennifer’s eased mind |
C.show Jennifer’s loneliness |
D.indicate the beauty of nature |
Jennifer decided to go home because __________.
A.it was getting cold |
B.she realized her parents were worried |
C.she began to miss her parents |
D.she knew nobody would take care of the garden |
What can we infer from the passage?
A.Jennifer went home to fetch her favorite coat. |
B.Jennifer’s father was so worried that he couldn’t take care of the outside garden. |
C.Jennifer understood why the outside garden was left uncared for. |
D.Jennifer’s father used to be too strict with her. |
Which of the following shows the change of Jennifer’s feeling?
A.Relaxed→Lonely→Tired→Upset. |
B.Angry→Relaxed→Fearful→Comfortable. |
C.Fearful→Relaxed→Cheerful→Lonely. |
D.Relaxed→Anxious→Shocked→Comfortable. |
There is a problem discussed by people about whether parents should hit their children? Or should they ever beat them?
Research suggests many of us are likely to respond “no”, and public support for spanking(打屁股)has been falling over the years. But surveys also show that 75 percent to nearly 90 percent of parents admit to spanking their child at least once.
I was raised in a zero-tolerance home for disrespect, and my parents often turned to physical punishment. And, no, I don’t feel I was damaged by it.
Nothing is more annoying than watching ill-mannered behavior from children.
But there is data to suggest that a return to old-school spanking isn't the answer.
Two years ago, Newsweek reported that it had found data suggesting that teens whose parents used physical punishment were more likely to become aggressive.
Murray Straus, professor at the University of New Hampshire in America, has studied the topic of children and spanking for decades. He said that children who were physically punished have lower IQs than their peers. It may be that children with lower IQs were more likely to get spanked, but the punishment may have been counterproductive(反作用的)to their mental development, as well.
Some researchers make the argument that occasional open-handed smacks(用巴掌打)on the bottom are not only harmless but can have some benefit.
Last year, Marjorie Gunnoe, a psychologist at Calvin College, studied teens who have never been spanked. There are a greater number of children growing up without ever having been physically punished. Gunnoe’s research suggests they don’t turn out any better than those who were sometimes spanked.
There are some parents who simply cannot control their tempers(脾气). But I still believe that the best parents are the ones who are able to offer fair and firm discipline without ever turning to physical punishment.According to the first three paragraphs, the author was probably hit by her parents when __________.
A.they were dissatisfied with her grade |
B.they cannot control their temper |
C.she showed no respect for the elder |
D.their discipline turns out to be not strict enough |
According to Murray Straus, children who are physically punished __________.
A.are less aggressive toward others when they get older |
B.may develop lower IQs than their peers |
C.benefit from occasional spanking |
D.have slower physical development |
The author seems to agree that __________.
A.parents should determine whether a child needs to be smacked or not |
B.children who have been spanked tend to behave better than those who haven't |
C.physical punishment should be the last resort (手段)of any parent |
D.good parents discipline their children in a fair and reasonable way |
Perhaps Joe Cheng has become popular with thousands of fans and has been chased by girls and middles students. But do you know his resume(简历)?
Yes. Joe Cheng, who plays the most popular boy in high school in the popular Taiwanese drama “It Started with a Kiss.”
Although thousands of girls have fallen in love with him for his cute smile and strong body, Cheng, 27, doesn’t want to rest on his good looks. He made the move from modeling to acting six years ago, and now he is trying another career-this time, to be a singer. Cheng worked on his first album, “Joe Cheng’s Day”, for a year. It came out on September 7.
Apart from recording his CD, Cheng has been practicing dance moves for his music video. Given his height, 188cm, this was not an easy job. “I had bad dreams about dancing,” he said.
Cheng’s life has had many ups and downs. His parents divorced when he was in primary school and he has lived with his father ever since. After dropping out of high school, he took on all kinds of jobs before being spotted by a scout(星探)for a modeling agency. Cheng said his key to life is “keeping a positive outlook and making the most out of life.”
Cheng admitted that he got bad grades when he was in high school. But he was still very popular at school. “Being very active in the students union, I was elected president. I liked to organize parties and field trips, so many teachers and students knew me,” he said.
Cheng once dreamed of becoming a cartoonist, and he regrets that he never did it. Now he hopes his teenage fans can learn from his life. “When you are in school, just focus on studies,” Cheng said. “Every young heart is eager to explore the world outside. But take your time. Finish your studies first.”Which of the following can be the best title for this text?
A.Finish Your Study First. |
B.Life Is Full of Ups and Downs. |
C.He Has It All, but Still Has Regrets. |
D.The Key to Success. |
What career didn’t Joe Cheng try?
A.Acting in some dramas. | B.Dancing for an agency. |
C.Modeling for an agency. | D.Recording his own CDs. |
The underlined word “outlook” in Paragraph 4 means __________.
A.attitude | B.scene | C.fame | D.appearance |
Which of the correct order of these events?
a. Joe Cheng dropped out of high school.
b. Joe Cheng worked on his first album, “Joe Cheng’s Day”.
c. Joe Cheng’s parents divorced.
d. Joe Cheng played the most popular boy in “It started with a Kiss”.
e. Joe Cheng worked in a modeling agency.
A.acedb | B.caebd | C.caedb | D.Acebd |
I travel a lot, and I find out different “styles” of directions every time 1 ask “How can I get to the post office?”
Foreign tourists are often confused in Japan because most streets there don’t have names; in Japan, people use landmarks in their directions instead of street names. For example, the Japanese will say to travelers, “Go straight down to the corner. Turn left at the big hotel and go past a fruit market. The post office is across from the bus stop.”
In the countryside of the American Midwest, there are not usually many landmarks. There are no mountains, so the land is very flat; in many places there are no towns or buildings within miles. Instead of landmarks, people will tell you directions and distances. In Kansas or Iowa, for example, people will say, “Go north two miles. Turn east, and then go another mile.”
People in Los Angeles, California, have no idea of distance on the map; they measure distance in time, not miles. “How far away is the post office?” you ask. “Oh,” they answer, “it’s about five minutes from here.” You say, “Yes, but how many miles away is it?” They don’t know.
It’s true that a person doesn’t know the answer to your question sometimes. What happens in such a situation? A New Yorker might say, ‘Sorry, I have no idea.” But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers “I don’t know.” People in Yucatan believe that “I don’t know” is impolite, They usually give an answer, often a wrong one. A tourist can get very, very lost in Yucatan!When a tourist asks the Japanese the way to a certain place they usually _________
A.describe the place carefully |
B.refer to recognizable buildings and places |
C.show him a map of the place |
D.tell him the names of the streets |
Which is the place where people measure distance in time?
A.New York. | B.Kansas. |
C.Los Angeles. | D.Iowa. |
People in Yucatan may give a tourist a wrong answer ________
A.in order to save time | B.as a test |
C.for fun | D.so as to be polite |
What can we infer from the text?
A.It’s useful for travelers to know how to ask the way properly. |
B.People have similar understandings of politeness. |
C.It’s important for travelers to understand cultural differences. |
D.New Yorkers are generally friendly to visitors. |
Can you imagine a world without the Internet? It’s surprising to think about it.
Now, China has more than 162 million Internet users, according to the China Internet Network Information Centre. This is the second highest number of user in the world after the United States. Today, 66%of Chinese “netizens (网民)” are teenagers. “They spend about thirteen hours every week online,” said Qian Hulin, an Internet expert(专家). Doctor Song in Beijing Xuanwu Hospital said about 14% of Chinese netizens who are teens often lasted over ten hours to play online games.
The main reasons why teenagers surf the Web are to search for information, to communicate with others and to have fun. On the Internet, teenagers can find out almost anything. And surfing the Web can help students with their homework and widen their knowledge.
Li Dong, a teacher at No. 41 Middle School in Shijiazhuang, likes her students to use the Internet. “When we talk in class, students who surf the Net usually know more background information than the others,” she said.
In addition, people can use the Internet to write letters or stories and send emails. Many teens keep in touch with their friends online. It is cheaper than phoning somebody far away and also much quicker._______ has the most Internet users in the world according to the article.
A.China | B.America | C.Canada | D.Russia |
There are about _______ Chinese netizens to surf about 13 hours every week.
A.107 million old | B.22.7 million old |
C.107 million young | D.22.7 million young |
Song said some teenagers continued _______ more than ten hours.
A.playing online games |
B.searching for information |
C.chatting with their friends |
D.sending emails to others |
Li Dong in No. 41 Middle School likes her students to use the Internet because she ______.
A.thinks surfing the net can help students spend less time on homework |
B.thinks her students can get more background information than the others |
C.wants her students to talk to her about their hobbies and interests |
D.wants to know what her students do and think about at home |
Which way is the cheapest and quickest to learn something about friends far away?
A.Giving them a call. |
B.Going to see them. |
C.Writing a letter to them. |
D.Sending emails to them. |