More than four decades ago British scientist Robert Edwards first witnessed the miracle of human life growing inside a test tube at his Cambridge lab. Since that ground-breaking moment, more than four million babies have been born through IVF and in 2010 his great contribution to science was finally recognized as he was awarded the Nobel Prize for medicine.
The prize for Dr. Edwards, who was given a Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Award in 2008, includes a £900,000 check. The Nobel Assembly described IVF as a “milestone in modern medicine”.
With the help of fellow scientist Patrick Steptoe, the Manchester-born physiologist developed IVF - leading to the birth of the world’s first test tube baby. Dr. Steptoe died 10 years later but their work has transformed fertility treatment and given hope to millions of couples.
It was a scientific breakthrough that transformed the lives of millions of couples. They said: “His achievements have made it possible to treat infertility, a disease which makes human unable to have a baby. This condition has been afflicting a large percentage of mankind including more than 10% of all couples worldwide.”
Louise Brown, the world’s first test tube baby, made international headlines when she was born in Oldham, Gtr Manchester, in 1978 to parents Lesley and John who had been fruitlessly trying for a baby since 1969.
Ivf-in-vitro fertilization is the process whereby egg cells are fertilized outside the body before being implanted in the womb. After a cycle of IVF, the probability of a couple with infertility problems having a baby is one in five—the same as healthy couples who conceive naturally.
Professor Edwards, who has five daughters and 11 grandchildren, began his research at Cambridge University in 1963, after receiving his PhD in 1955. He once said: “The most important thing in life is having a child. Nothing is more special than a child.” With the help of fellow scientist Patrick Steptoe, Prof. Edwards founded the Bourn Hall clinic in Cambridge shire, which now treats more than 900 women a year. Each year, more than 30,000 women in Britain now undergo IVF and 11,000 babies are born as a result of the treatment.
But his work attracted widespread criticism from some scientists and the Catholic Church who said it was “unethical and immoral”.
Martin Johnson, professor of reproductive sciences at the University of Cambridge, said the award was “long overdue”. He said: “We couldn’t understand why the Nobel has come so late but he is delighted - this is the cherry on the cake for him.”
Professor Edwards was too ill to give interviews but a statement released by his family said he was “thrilled and delighted”.
What is Robert Edwards’ contribution to science?
| A．Enabling millions of couples to live a better life. |
| B．Seeing the wonder of the first tube baby growing |
| C．Helping couples with infertility to have tube babies. |
| D．Challenging a disease which stops human having a baby. |
What does the underlined word “afflicting”(Paragraph 4)most probably refer to?
| A．Troubling | B．Developing |
| C．Improving | D．Confusing |
Why did Professor Edwards begin his research on tube baby?
| A．Because he thought it of great significance to have a child in life. |
| B．Because the birthrate around the world was unexpectedly low then. |
| C．Because a special child did make a difference to an ordinary family. |
| D．Because his fellow scientist wanted to give hope to the unlucky couples. |
It can be inferred from Paragraph 8 and Paragraph 9 that ___________.
| A．Professor Edwards deserved the prize for his breakthrough. |
| B．different opinions were voiced on Professor Edwards’ finding. |
| C．some people envied Professor Edwards for his being awarded. |
| D．the prize was late because the finding was first considered immoral. |
What might be the best title for the passage?
| A．Life Stories of Robert Edwards |
| B．Preparations for Having a Baby |
| C．Nobel Prize for IVF Expert Edwards |
| D．Treatment of Infertility in a Lab |
What should you think about when trying to find your career? You are probably better at some school subjects than others. These may show strengths that you can use in your work. A boy who is good at mathematics can use that in an engineering career. A girl who spells well and likes English may be good at office work. So it is important to know the subjects you do well in at school. On the other hand, you may not have any specially strong subjects but your records show a general satisfactory standard. Although not all subjects can be used directly in a job, they may have indirect value. A knowledge of history is not required for most jobs but if history is one of your good subjects you will have learned to remember facts and details. This is an ability that can be useful in many jobs.
Your school may have taught you skills, such as typing or technical drawing, which you can use in your work. You may be good at metalwork or cookery and look for a job where you can improve these skills. If you have had a part-time job on Saturdays or in the summer, think what you gained from it. If nothing else, you may have learned how to get to work on time, to follow rules and to get on with older workers. You may have learned to give correct change in a shop, for example. Just as important, you may become interested in a particular career you see from the inside in a part-time job.
Facing your weak points is also part of knowing yourself. You may be all thumbs when you handle tools; perhaps you are a poor speller or cannot add up a number of figures. It is better to face any weakness than to pretend they do not exist. Your school record, for instance, may not be too good, yet it is an important part of your background. You should not be apologetic(认错的) about it but instead recognize that you will have a chance of a fresh start at work.What is the passage mainly about?
| A．The importance of working hard at school. |
| B．Choosing a career according to one’s strengths. |
| C．How to face one’s weakness. |
| D．The value of school work. |
The writer thinks that for a student to have a part-time job is probably __________.
| A．a good way to find out his weak points |
| B．one of the best ways of earning extra money |
| C．of great use for his work in the future |
| D．a waste of time he could have spent on study |
From the passage we learn that if a student’s school performance is not good, he _________.
| A．should pay more attention to learning skills and developing abilities |
| B．will be regretful about his bad results |
| C．may also do well in his future work |
| D．should restart his study in school |
The underlined phrase “be all thumbs” (in para. 3) probably means “_______”.
| A．be not good at doing things |
| B．be skillful in doing things |
| C．be not interested in certain things |
| D．be easily bored in doing things |
The spread of Western eating habits around the world is bad for human health and the environment. These findings come from a new report in the journal Nature.
David Tillman, a professor of ecology at the University of Minnesota, America, examined information from 100 countries to identify what people ate and how diet affected health. He noted a movement beginning in the 1960s. He found that as nations industrialized, population increased and earnings rose, more people began to adopt(采纳) what has been called the Western diet.
The Western diet is high in sugar, fat, oil and meat. By eating these foods, people began to get fatter and sicker. David Tillman says overweight people are at greater risk for non-infectious diseases like diabetes（糖尿病）and heart disease.
Unfortunately when people become industrialized, if they adopt this Western diet, they are going to have these health problems, especially in developing countries in Asia. China is an example where the number of diabetes cases has been jumping from less than one percent to 10 percent of the population as they began to industrialize over a 20-year period. And that is happening all across the world, in Mexico, in Nigeria and so on.
And, a diet bad for human beings, is also bad for the environment. As the world's population grows, more forests and tropical（热带的）areas will become farmland for crops or grasslands for cattle. We are likely to have more greenhouse gas in the future from agriculture than that coming out of all forms of transportation right now.
Mr. Tillman calls the link between diet, the environment and human health, "a trilemma": a problem offering a difficult choice. He says one possible settlement is leaving the Western diet behind.According to the passage, more greenhouse gas might be given off in the future from ____________.
| A．transportation | B．developing countries |
| C．agriculture | D．developed countries |
David Tilman believes that__________.
| A．diet, the environment and human health are closely connected |
| B．the Western diet is the only choice as the nation industrializes |
| C．people in tropical areas are more likely to have heart disease |
| D．traditional diets are more balanced than the Western diet |
We can infer from the passage that ___________.
| A．Nigeria has the largest number of diabetes cases |
| B．overweight people are at higher risk of infectious diseases |
| C．the examined information comes from developing countries |
| D．industrialization contributes to the spread of the Western diet |
The main purpose of the passage is to___________.
| A．call on us to protect the environment |
| B．warn us of the danger of the Western diet |
| C．remind us of the importance of health |
| D．advise us to have a balanced diet |
The Gold Wax(蜡像) Museum is one of the Gold Coast's longest running attractions. It's a collection of famous figures. It's Australia's largest museum of its kind, featuring more than 110 life-size wax figures copies of British and Australian History.
The Wax Museum is visited by many thousands of people each year who are shocked at the amazing realism of the life-size figures in authentic costumes（真实的服装）. This is your invitation to wander through at your leisure and meet many important and famous people's figures on Queensland's Gold Coast.
Come face to face with such celebrities as Michael Jackson, President Obama, past President John F. Kennedy, King Hussein, members of the Royal Family, and many others whose lives have all left a great mark on our world. Information cards are located alongside each figure.
The Gold Coast Wax Museum contains figures which have been made by leading local and overseas sculptors （雕塑家） to international standards, equal in quality to the world's best, as seen in Europe, the United Kingdom, and U. S. A. The detail in the figures is amazing and includes hair applied one strand（一缕） at a time, requiring many working hours for one hand, and the eyes are so real that they seem to follow the viewer around.
Price
Child (1-3yrs) free
Child (4-12yrs) $ 22. 00
Adult $ 29. 00
Family (2 Adults + 1 Child) $68.00
Opening hours
Open 7 days a week, 10 a. m. to l0 p. m.
Closed at Christmas Day (25 Dec.) and Anzac Day (25 Apr.)
Location
Ferny Ave, Surfers Paradise ( Gold Coast ) QLD
How to get there
You can choose any of the Gold Coast airport transfers, car rentals, shuttles and private transfers to/from your hotel. Many coach operators also offer Gold Coast transfers to surrounding attractions, beaches, and the more distant destinations, throughout the day.
What to bring
Bring your sense of adventure and your camera and see something exciting and quite unique.
For further information, please click here to see more about the Gold Coast Wax Museum.If you visit the Gold Coast Wax Museum, you can___________.
| A．talk with many members of the Royal Family face to face in the Museum |
| B．enjoy some world-class max-works in the Museum |
| C．meet many leading local and international sculptors in the Museum |
| D．come at any time of the year except at Christmas Day |
If a couple and their l0-year-old son visit the Gold Coast Wax Museum, they may pay__________.
| A．$87 | B．$80 | C．$68 | D．$58 |
You will most probably find this passage ____________.
| A．in a guidebook | B．in a magazine |
| C．in a text book | D．on a webpage |
Raised in a motherless home, my father was extremely tightfisted towards us children. His attitude didn’t soften as I grew into adulthood and went to college. I had to ride the bus whenever I came home. Though the bus stopped about two miles from home, Dad never met me, even in severe weather. If I grumbled, he’d say in his loudest father-voice, “That’s what your legs are for!”
The walk didn’t bother me as much as the fear of walking alone along the highway and country roads. I also felt less than valued that my father didn’t seem concerned about my safety. But that feeling was gone one spring evening.
It had been a particularly difficult week at college after long hours in labs. I longed for home. When the bus reached the stop, I stepped off and dragged my suitcase to begin the long journey home.
A row of hedge（树篱）edged the driveway that climbed the hill to our house. Once I had turned off the highway to start the last part of my journey, I always had a sense of relief to see the hedge because it meant that I was almost home. On that particular evening, the hedge had just come into view when I saw something gray moving along the top of the hedge, moving toward the house. Upon closer observation, I realized it was the top of my father’s head. Then I knew, each time I’d come home, he had stood behind the hedge, watching, until he knew I had arrived safely. I swallowed hard against the tears. He did care, after all.
On later visits, that spot of gray became my watchtower. I could hardly wait until I was close enough to watch for its secret movement above the greenery. Upon reaching home, I would find my father sitting innocently(天真地) in his chair. “So! My son, it’s you!” he’d say, his face lengthening into pretended surprise.
I replied, “Yes, Dad, it’s me. I’m home.”What does the underlined word “grumbled” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?
| A．Accepted happily. | B．Explained clearly. |
| C．Agreed willingly. | D．Spoke unhappily. |
What made the author feel upset was ______.
| A．the tiredness after long hours in labs |
| B．the fear of seeing something moving |
| C．the feeling of being less than valued |
| D．the loneliness of riding the bus home |
The author’s father watched behind the hedge because ______.
| A．he was concerned about his son’s safety |
| B．he wanted to help his son build up courage |
| C．he didn’t want to meet his son at the doorway |
| D．he didn’t think his son was old enough to walk alone |
Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
| A．My Father’s Secret. | B．My College Life. |
| C．Terrible Journey Home. | D．Riding Bus Alone. |
News that Microsoft made a $44.6 billion bid to buy Yahoo resulted in heated discussions made by many Internet users. Here are some responses:
Diane Burke of Weeks bury, Kentucky
I think it would definitely be an interesting combination. Everyone recognizes the names Yahoo and Microsoft, but everyone also says, “Did you Google it?” Such a catchphrase (时髦话) is going to be hard to beat.
Shaun Carney of Laurelville, Ohio
I think the merger (合并) will provide more competitions for Google. I don’t think the merger will allow Microsoft to develop faster than Google, though. I believe the increased competition this merger brings will force Google to stay on top of its game by offering more fresh and original Internet tools and expanding on the tools it already offers.
Toni Suarez of Hacienda Heights, California
I view the merger as a necessary element in preventing a monopolization (垄断). Perhaps it would bring better high technology innovations to e-mail and help in researching and developing a better Internet!
Rick R. of Edgewater, Florida
It sounds like a disaster to me. If this were to happen, I would stop using my Yahoo e-mail account because I don’t like the feeling of Microsoft spying upon my business. I will sign up for Google.
Antonio Glosser of Kansas City, Missouri
Right now, Yahoo offers a lot of features and tools at no cost for all different levels of Internet users. Microsoft seeks nothing but profit. Undoubtedly, they’ll do nothing other than find ways to start removing Yahoo’s formerly non-priced features. Microsoft’s greed will ruin the great thing that Yahoo currently is.How many companies are mentioned in the passage?
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Shaun’s attitude towards Google is passive. |
| B．Toni believes the Internet will have a promising future. |
| C．Rick will support Google after the merger. |
| D．Antonio is afraid that the merger will cost Yahoo’s free features. |
The passage is mainly about ______.
| A．the future of Yahoo and Microsoft |
| B．the strengths of Yahoo and Microsoft |
| C．the strengths and weaknesses of large companies |
| D．opinions on the merger of Yahoo and Microsoft. |