Researchers Jose Cordova and Erich Astudillo have discovered a new molecule(分子) that kills the bacteria Streptococcus Mutans, long known to be responsible for breaking down sugars in food in the mouth, which damages tooth leading to decay(腐烂). The new molecule they call “Keep 32” has been found to kill the bacteria.
The two have applied for a patent(专利) on their discovery and have also begun a marketing strategy aimed at both oral care products and food products. They say either product, if left in the mouth for just 60 seconds ,will kill all the harmful bacteria in the mouth and keep them at bay for several hours. If the new molecule passes health and safety tests, the two believe products using their new molecule should be on the market in as little as a year and a half. They expect the market for such a product to reach $300 million in just the first year.
The two have been working together since 2005 using money from the Founder Institute and say the aim is to approve the process for creating the molecule they’ve discovered for big companies like Procter & Gamble, Colgate even candy companies such as Hershey’s. In interviews, Astudillo has suggested that the two researchers are already heavily into discussion with several companies, some of which are interested in buying the patent once it is approved.
Over the years many products have come on the scene with announcement of reducing tooth decay and even the loss of teeth, but other than the introduction of fluoride(氟化物) into drinking water, not much progress has been made. If the announcement made by this new team proves true however, it could foresee a mark in saving the world of tooth decay as well as helping to improve the health for millions of people as tooth decay has been linked to many other health problems throughout the body including heart attacks.The underlined word “them” in Para. 2 refers to _________.
| A．oral care products | B．food products |
| C．new molecules | D．the harmful bacteria |
The phrase “come on the scene” in Para. 4 is closest in meaning to __________.
| A．performed | B．occurred |
| C．existed | D．arrived |
What has been a way to reduce tooth decay and even the loss of teeth over the years?
| A．Using the molecule “Keep 32”. |
| B．Killing the bacteria Mutans. |
| C．Introducing fluoride into drinking water. |
| D．Cooperating with some big companies. |
This passage mainly tells us that ___________.
| A．many health problems are closely connected to tooth decay |
| B．the discovery of a new molecule will greatly benefit health care |
| C．two researchers are discussing their patent with companies |
| D．researchers discover a molecule that can kill tooth decay-causing bacteria |
The word “sport” first meant something that people did in their free time. Later it often meant hunting wild animals and birds. About a hundred years ago the word was first used for organized games. This is the usual meaning of the word today. People spend a lot of their time playing football, basketball, tennis and many other sports. Such people play because they want to. A few people are paid for the sport they play. These people are called professional sportsmen. They may be sportsmen for only a few years, but during that time the best ones can earn a lot of money. For example, a professional footballer in England earns more than 30,000 dollars a year. The stars earn a lot more. International golf and tennis champions can make more than 500,000 dollars a year. Of course, only a few sportsmen can earn as much money as that.
Perhaps the most surprising thing about sportsmen and money is that the stars can earn more money from advertising than from sports. An advertisement for sports equipment does not simply say “Buy our things”. It says “Buy the same shirt and shoes as …”. Famous sportsmen can even advertise things like watches and food. They allow the companies to use their names or a photograph of them and they are paid for this. Sport is no longer just something for people’s spare time.From the passage we can learnt that_______.
A. people spend too much money on sports
the development of sport is slower than any other activity
most people enjoy sport because they can earn money
nowadays sport is not merely a pastime for peopleNowadays, the word “sport” means “________” .
| A．what people do in their spare time | B．hunting wild animals and birds |
| C．organized games | D．something people are paid to do |
People play sports for ________.
| A．fun | B．different | C．money | D．keeping fit |
What surprises people most is that ________.
| A．the stars get more money from advertising |
| B．the word “sport” meant hunting animals |
| C．professional sportsmen are paid for what they do |
| D．only a few sportsmen can earn ＄500,000 a year |
After giving a talk at a high school, I was asked to pay a visit to a special student. An illness had kept the boy home, but he had expressed an interest in meeting me. I was told it would mean a great deal to him, so I agreed.
During the nine-mile drive to his home, I found out something about Matthew. He had muscular dystrophy (肌肉萎缩症). When he was born, the doctor told his parents that he would not live to five, and then they were told he would not make it to ten. Now he was thirteen. He wanted to meet me because I was a gold-medal power lifter, and I knew about overcoming obstacles and going for my dreams.
I spent over an hour talking to Matthew. Never once did he complain or ask, “Why me?” He spoke about winning and succeeding and going for his dreams. Obviously, he knew what he was talking about. He didn’t mention that his classmates had made fun of him because he was different. He just talked about his hopes for the future, and how one day he wanted to lift weights with me. When we had finished talking, I went to my briefcase and pulled out the first gold medal I had won and put it around his neck. I told him he was more of a winner and knew more about success and overcoming obstacles than I ever would. He looked at it for a moment, then took it off and handed it back to me. He said, “You are a champion. You earned that medal. Someday when I get to the Olympics and win my own medal, I will show it to you.”
Last summer I received a letter from Matthew’s parents telling me that Matthew had passed away. They wanted me to have a letter he had written to me a few days before:
Dear Dick,
My mum said I should send you a thank-you letter for the picture you sent me. I also want to let you know that the doctors tell me that I don’t have long to live any more, but I still smile as much as I can.
I told you someday that I would go to the Olympics and win a gold medal, but I know now I will never get to do that. However, I know I’m a champion, and God knows that too. When I get to Heaven, God will give me my medal and when you get there, I will show it to you. Thank you for loving me.
Your friend,
MatthewThe boy looked forward to meeting the author because.
| A．he was also good at weight lifting |
| B．he wanted to get to the Olympics and win a medal |
| C．he was one of the author’s fans |
| D．he admired the author very much |
The underlined sentence in the third paragraph probably means that_______.
| A．the boy never complained about how unlucky he was to have this disease |
| B．the boy never complained about not being able to go to school |
| C．the boy never complained why the author had never come to see him before |
| D．the boy never complained about not getting a medal |
Matthew didn’t accepted the author’s medal because .
| A．he thought it was too expensive |
| B．he was sure that he could win one in the future |
| C．he thought it was of no use to him as he would die soon |
| D．he would not be pitied by others |
What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．A sick boy. | B．A special friend | C．A real champion. | D．A famous athlete. |
Imagine the following scenario(情景): A woman buys her lunch every day from a fast food outlet near her job. After some years, she finds herself 30 pounds overweight, and feeling unhealthy. So what does she do? She chooses to bring a lawsuit against the fast food outlet, claiming that the food served there was the cause of her being overweight and in poor health.
Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t? The only thing more absurd than the story itself is the fact that is not fiction. There are people who have sued（控告）fast food chains for causing their weight problems.
This is an example of one of the ways in which many of us spend enormous amounts of energy trying to deny the undeniable and universal fact that we are all ultimately responsible for our own choices and our own lives.
How much easier would we make it for ourselves if we could accept this fact rather than resist it? But how can we embrace the truth, that we are living the lives we choose to live, that we are enjoying or suffering the consequences(结果) of our own choices, and that blaming others for our problems and shortcomings is nothing more than a comfortable fantasy?
We must acknowledge the truth of our lives, however unpleasant this may be. If we are overweight, in a bad relationship, in a dead end, we need to accept that this is where we are, at this moment in time.
Imagine that woman decided that she was unhappy with the extra pounds she’d gained after many years of eating fast food on a regular basis. Imagine that this woman took the time to really understand and accept that she and no one else was responsible for her eating choices. Having acknowledged this fact, she then decides to make the changes in her lifestyle to become the healthier, slimmer person she wants to be.What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Be responsible for Our Own Choices. |
| B．Overcome the Challenges in Our Life. |
| C．Acknowledge the Truth Rather than Deny It. |
| D．More than a Comfortable Fantasy. |
Why is the woman mentioned twice in the passage?
| A．To show the right way of dealing with weight problems. |
| B．To describe a familiar scenario in life. |
| C．To give support to the author’s viewpoint. |
| D．To compare the consequences of different choices. |
What can we learn from the first paragraph?
| A．Fast food chains contribute little to people’s overweight problems actually. |
| B．Fast food outlets are responsible for many people to become overweight. |
| C．Many people tend to blame others for their own problems. |
| D．The author himself is a supporter of fast food chains. |
What should a person do if he is in a bad relationship with his roommates, according to the author?
| A．Acknowledge the truth of his life and let it be. |
| B．Think about what’s wrong with himself and then put it right. |
| C．Accept that this is where we are and wait for things to improve. |
| D．Do whatever he likes regardless of what others think and say. |
Buying a house for most of the people is a once in a lifetime decision, which means people decide to do so only after coming across the ideal house. Surprisingly, eight in every 10 home buyers are unhappy with their houses.
A survey conducted by the Beijing Consumers’ Association (BCA) recently shows about 80 percent of the 2,315 respondents in 23 residential complexes of Beijing are dissatisfied with the soaring house prices.
They think the reasonable price in Beijing should be between 3,000 yuan and 7,000 yuan per square meter.
The quality of the buildings, the surrounding environment and traffic and property management(物业管理)are the other factors that play a role in people’s decision to buy a house.
The BCA has suggested strict sales regulations and contracts to ease house-owners’ sufferings. It has urged the authorities to impose severe punishment on developers found violating building and other rules and joining hands with others to bid up property prices, About 41.2 percent of the respondents have complained that their house have defective designs, while nearly 40 percent say the lighting and ventilation(通风)are far from satisfactory.
The landscapes in the residential areas are a source of unhappiness for 43.2 percent of the respondents, and about one-third say they were “bluffed” into buying “third grade” house. And more than half are not satisfied with the sport and entertainment facilities in their neighborhood.
Property management in the buildings, 56.5 percent of the respondents say, is way below standard compared to the high fee charged by the complexes.
60 percent of the consumers doubt the contents of developers’ advertisements, with only 6.3 percent being satisfied.
Experts have suggested consumers gather thorough knowledge about a developer and their work before deciding to buy a house from it. They should check the day-light conditions and ventilation in different weather conditions in advance, if possible. According to the passage________ of the buyers are NOT content with their houses.
| A．80％ | B．60％ | C．56.5 ％ | D．41.2％ |
Which is the best title of the passage?
| A．Most Home Buyers Are Unhappy with Their House. |
| B．Buying a House Is an Important Decision. |
| C．Thinking Carefully Before Buying a House. |
| D．The Environment Is Important When Making a Decision. |
The meaning of the underlined word probably means “_______”.
| A．fooled | B．cheated | C．asked | D．forced |
If you want to buy a flat, according to the survey, you will consider the following EXCEPT_______.
| A．property management | B．the surrounding environment |
| C．the quality of the buildings | D．the height of the building |
Cultural rules determine every aspect of food consumption. Who eats together defines social units. For example, in some societies, the nuclear family is the unit that regularly eats together. The anthropologist Mary Douglas has pointed out that, for the English, the kind of meal and the kind of food that is served relate to the kinds of social links between people who are eating together. She distinguishes between regular meals, Sunday meals when relatives may come, and cocktail parties for relatives and friends. The food served symbolizes the occasion and reflects who is present. For example, only snacks are served at a cocktail party. It would be inappropriate to serve a steak or hamburgers. The distinctions among cocktails, regular meals, and special dinners mark the social boundaries between those guests who are invited for drinks, those who are invited to dinner, and those who come to a family meal. In this example, the type of food symbolizes the category of guest and with whom it is eaten.
In some New Guinea societies, the nuclear family is not the unit that eats together. The men take their meals in a men’s house, separately from their wives and children. Women prepare and eat their food in their own houses and take the husband’s portion to the men’s house. The women eat with their children in their own houses. This pattern is also widespread among Near Eastern societies.
Eating is a metaphor that is sometimes used to signify marriage. In many New Guinea societies, like that of the Lese on the island of New Ireland in the Pacific and that of the Trobriand Islanders, marriage is symbolized by the couple’s eating together for the first time. Eating symbolizes their new status as a married couple. In U.S. society, it is just the reverse. A couple may go out to dinner on a first date.
Other cultural rules have to do with taboos against eating certain things. In some societies, members of a family group, arc not allowed to eat the animal or bird that is their ancestor. Since they believe themselves to be children of that ancestor, it would be like eating that ancestor or eating themselves.
There is also an association between food prohibitions and rank, which is found in its most extreme form in the caste (social class) system of India. A caste system consists of ranked groups, each with a different economic specialization. In India, there is an association between caste and the idea of pollution. Members of highly ranked groups can be polluted by coming into contact with the bodily secretions, particularly saliva（唾液）,of individuals of lower-ranked castes. Because of the fear of pollution, Brahmans and other high-ranked individuals will not share food with, not eat from the same plate as, not even accept food from an individual or from a low-ranking class.According to the passage, who will NOT eat together?
| A．The English during regular meals. |
| B．Americans on their first date. |
| C．Men and women in Near Eastern societies. |
| D．Newly-married people on the island of New Ireland. |
In Paragraph 4, the underlined word "taboos" means _____________.
| A．favors | B．prohibitions | C．hatred | D．gossips |
According to the passage, eating together indicates all the following EXCEPT .
| A．the type of food | B．social relations. |
| C．marital status | D．family ties. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Different kinds of food in western countries. |
| B． Relations between food and social units. |
| C． Symbolic meanings of different kinds of food. |
| D．Food consumption in different cultures. |