People's answers vary greatly. For British scientist Robert Edwards, the answer is having a child. "Nothing is more special than a child," he told the BBC.
Edwards, the inventor of the In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) technology—more commonly known as "test-tube (试管) baby" technology—passed away on April 10, 2013 at the age of 87.
"Edwards changed the lives of millions of ordinary people who now rejoice (高兴) in the gift of their own child," said Peter Braude, a professor at King's College London. "He leaves the world a much better place."
Edwards started his experiments as early as the 1950s, when he had just finished his PhD in genetics. At that time, much of the public viewed test-tube babies as "scary", according to Mark Sauer, a professor at Columbia University, US.
Edwards and his colleague Patrick Steptoe faced opposition from churches, governments and media, not to mention attacks from many of their fellow scientists. "People said that we should not play God and we should not interfere with nature," Edwards once told Times. He said that he felt "quite alone" at the time.
"But Edwards was a fighter, and he believed in what he was doing," said Sauer. Without support from the government, the two struggled to raise funds to carry on. And in 1968 they finally developed a method to successfully fertilize human eggs outside the body.
The first test-tube baby was born on July 25, 1978. Her name was Is Louise Brown. Despite people's safety concerns, Brown was just as healthy as other children.
"IVF had moved from vision to reality and a new era in medicine had begun," BBC commented.
Ever since then, public opinion has evolved considerably. Couples who were unable to have babies began thronging (拥向) to Edwards' clinic. Nowadays, Reuters reports, some 4.3 million other "test-tube" children exist. Edwards received a Nobel Prize in 2010 and was knighted (封为爵士) by Queen Elizabeth in the following year.
Before his death, Edwards was still in touch with Louise. "He is like a granddad to me," she said in an interview with the Daily Mail.
He is a granddad to millions, in fact.
1. What’s the article mainly about?
| A．The first test-tube baby. |
| B．A new era in medicine. |
| C．The inventor of IVF technology. |
| D．The changes IVF technology has brought. |
| A．show how difficult it was for Edwards to do his work |
| B．describe what kind of person Edwards was |
| C．explain why he is loved by all children |
| D．comment on his achievement |
| A．attack | B．support | C．test | D．influence |
a. He received a Nobel Prize.
b. He struggled to raise funds.
c. The first test-tube baby was born.
d. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.
e. He succeeded in fertilizing human eggs outside body.
f. He started his experiments on IVF technology.
| A．f-e-b-c-a- d | B．f-b-e-c-d-a |
| C．f-b-e-c-a-d | D．f-e-d-a-c-b |
2 . Salvador Dali (1904-1989) was one of the most popular of modern artists. The Pompidou Centre in Paris is showing its respect and admiration for the artist and his powerful personality with an exhibition bringing together over 200 paintings, sculptures, drawings and more. Among the works and masterworks on exhibition the visitor will find the best pieces, most importantly The Persistence of Memory. There is also L’Enigme sans Fin from 1938, works on paper, objects, and projects for stage and screen and selected parts from television programmes reflecting the artist’s showman qualities.
The visitor will enter the World of Dali through an egg and is met with the beginning, the world of birth. The exhibition follows a path of time and subject with the visitor exiting through the brain.
The exhibition shows how Dali draws the viewer between two infinities (无限). “From the infinity small to the infinity large, contraction and expansion coming in and out of focus: amazing Flemish accuracy and the showy Baroque of old painting that he used in his museum-theatre in Figueras,” explains the Pompidou Centre.
The fine selection of the major works was done in close collaboration (合作) with the Museo Nacional Reina Sofia in Madrid, Spain, and with contributions from other institutions like the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg.
1. Which of the following best describe Dali according to Paragraph 1?| A．Optimistic. | B．Productive. |
| C．Generous. | D．Traditional. |
| A．One of his masterworks. | B．A successful screen adaptation. |
| C．An artistic creation for the stage. | D．One of the beat TV programmes. |
| A．By popularity. | B．By importance. |
| C．By size and shape. | D．By time and subject. |
| A．Artworks. | B．Projects. |
| C．Donations. | D．Documents. |
Danielle Steel, America’s sweetheart, is one of the hardest working women in the book business. Unlike other productive authors who write one book at a time, she can work on up to five. Her research before writing takes at least three years. Once she has fully studied her subjects, ready to divide into a book, she can spend twenty hours nonstop at her desk.
Danielle Steel comes from New York and was sent to France for her education. After graduation, he worked in the public relations and advertising, industries. Later she started a job as a writer which she was best fit for. Her achievements are unbelievable: 390 million copies of books in print, nearly fifty New York Times best-selling novels, and a series of “Max and Martha” picture books for children to help them. Deal with the real-life problem of death, new babies and new schools. Her l998 book about the death of her was shot to the top of the New York Times best-selling list as soon as it came out. Twenty-eight of her books have been made into film. She is listed in the Guinness Books of World Records for one of her books being the Times best-seller for 381 weeks straight.
Not content with a big house, a loving family, and a view of the Golden Gate Bridge, Danielle Steel considers her readers to be the most important resource and has kept in touch with them by e-mail. While she is often compared to the heroines of her own invention. Her life is undoubtedly much quieter. But if she does have anything in common with them, it is her strength of will and her inimitable style. There is only one Danielle Steel.
1. Danielle Steel is different from other writers in that .| A．she is one of the most popular American women writers |
| B．she often does some research before writing a book |
| C．she can write several books at the same time |
| D．she can keep writing for quite a long time without a break |
| A．her picture books attracted a lot of young men |
| B．one of her books became a best-seller in 1998 |
| C．some TV plays were based on her books |
| D．she wrote the Guinness Book of World Records |
| A．lives an exciting life |
| B．is pleased with her achievements |
| C．writes about quiet women |
| D．values her readers a lot |
| A．hardworking | B．attractive |
| C．strange | D．unique |
Faced with angry criticism for playing more golf than most previous occupants of the White House, he explained that the sport was simply the best way of getting away from it all. "It's the only excuse I have to get outside for four hours in a row, he told Hearst Magazines.
Though he said he enjoyed his life in the White House, he felt disappointed with some of the ways of Washington, which he has failed in his pledge(保证) to change, such as the "kabuki dance( 日本歌伎舞)" among political parties before serious policy discussions begin. His comments may be seen as vindication(证实) by critics who have accused him of appearing too detached (超然的), and being slow to engage in vital issues such as Libya and the near shutdown of the US government last week.
Since arriving at the White House in January 2009, Mr Obama has already racked up (得分)60 rounds of golf in office, more than George W. Bush did in his eight years.
In terms of ability, Golf Digest magazine has ranked Mr Obama eighth out of the 18 presidents who played the game since it became established in the early 20th century.
1. What can be inferred from the first paragraph about Barack Obama after he became the US president?
| A．He liked living a busy life. |
| B．He used to wash his car himself. |
| C．He used to spend most of his time with his family. |
| D．He is unhappy with being too frequently watched by the public. |
| A．to keep fit | B．to enjoy life |
| C．to release his pressure | D．to balance his work |
| A．The president is really a great golf player. |
| B．There are always unnecessary procedures among political parties. |
| C．The president lost a lot privacy, but he loves the life in the White House. |
| D．The president seems to have no interest in some really important issues. |
| A．He regrets to become the US president. |
| B．He has lost privacy ever since he became president. |
| C．He couldn't play too much golf' because of people being angry with him. |
| D．He is not good at playing golf compared with the other presidents who played golf. |
The famous composer (作曲家), Albert Roussel, didn’t have a good start in this career. However, he achieved a great deal of success as a result of a
Roussel's parents died when he was eight and he went to live with his
Three years later. Roussel’s grandfather died, and his mother’s sister decided to
In the French Navy, he and two friends found the time to
That success
Not long
| A．joke | B．1ie | C．guess | D．hope |
| A．neighbor | B．aunt | C．teacher | D．grandfather |
| A．taught | B．chose | C．improved | D．asked |
| A．among | B．between | C．within | D．before |
| A．miss | B．catch | C．raise | D．1eave |
| A．paid | B．applied | C．1ooked | D．waited |
| A．page | B．1ove | C．wish | D．job |
| A．an | B．English | C．dance | D．music |
| A．deal with | B．make for | C．set up | D．take away |
| A．teachers | B．professors | C．composers | D．singers |
| A．perform | B．produce | C．study | D．publish |
| A．found | B．encouraged | C．forbade | D．wanted |
| A．came | B．brought | C．refused | D．offered |
| A．went | B．returned | C．1eft | D．ran |
| A．give up | B．keep to | C．begin with | D．focus on |
| A．however | B．therefore | C．afterwards | D．then |
| A．repeat | B．change | C．correct | D．follow |
| A．became | B．replaced | C．improved | D．grasped |
| A．will | B．request | C．order | D．advice |
| A．school | B．navy | C．music | D．work |
Lena Horne was born in New York. At sixteen, Lena became a dancer at the famous club in New York City in 1933. After taking voice lessons, she soon became a singer. In 1940, Lena Horne became the first African-American to perform with an all-white jazz hand. After performing at a club in Hollywood, California, she caught the attention of filmmakers. She soon began making movies. Her films became very popular. In the 1940s, Lena Horne was the first African-American in Hollywood to sing a long -term contract with a major movie studio. Her deal with MGM stated that she would never play the role of a servant. She refused to play roles that represented African-Americans disrespectfully.
Lena Horne once said that World War II helped make her a star. She was popular with both black and white soldiers. She sang on army radio programs and traveled to perform for the troops. These experiences led to Lena Horne’s work in the civil rights movement.
Lena Horne sang at rights gatherings. She took part in the march on Washington protest in 1963. It was during this event that Martin Luther King gave his “I have a dream” speech. She protested racial separation at the hotels where she performed. She took action so that she and her musicians would be allowed to stay in those hotels. B1ack musicians at the time generally stayed in black neighborhoods.
At the age of eighty, she said she did not have to act like a white woman that Hollywood hoped she would become. She said: “I’m me, and I’m like nobody else.”
Lena Horne died in New York in 2010.
1. How old was Lena Horne when she died?
| A．93 years old. | B．98 years old. |
| C．86 years old. | D．88 years old. |
| A．black women were forbidden to perform in the film in the 1940s |
| B．Lena Horne didn’t make any films in the 1960s |
| C．Lena Horne liked staying at hotel very much |
| D．black actresses often played roles of servants in the film in the 1940s |
| A．Lena Home became the first African-American in Hollywood in her forties. |
| B．Dena Horne was a friend of Martin Luther King. |
| C．Lena Horne was involved in civil rights activities in the 1960s. |
| D．Lena Horne took an active part in sports activities. |
| A．by space | B．by time |
| C．by process | D．by comparison |
It was a lonely job, but Mo was a smart boy. He enjoyed the green, open land of Shandong. He enjoyed looking up at the blue sky and the white clouds, To pass the time he talked to the goats. He told them his thoughts and some stories. It was the beginning of his life as a storyteller.
During the Cultural Revolution（文化大革命），Mo had to leave school and work for a company. This was difficult for Mo, because he loved books and he loved reading. Luckily, he found a friend who would lend him books. Later, Mo became a soldier and to continue his education. In the end he graduated from Beijing Normal University. This is where he began to write.
Although Mo had left Gaomi, Gaomi never left him. Many of his books talk about rural life and the people of Gaomi, For Mo, all of man nature can be seen in the village life of Gaomi. Mo is famous now, but he remains a true son of soil.
1. Mo Yan won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2012.
2. As a young boy Mo Yan took care of his family’s goats and he hated the job.
3. Mo Yan continued studying in a middle school during the Cultural Revolution.
4. Mo Yan graduated from Beijing Normal University and this is where he began to write.
5. Gaomi never left Mo Yan because many of his books talk about rural life and the people of Gaomi.
8 . An 11-year-old boy who has been compared to Spanish Impressionist (印象派画家), the great Pablo Picasso, is holding his first exhibition at Llangollen’s Gardening Show this weekend.
Hamad al-Humaidhan, who was born in Kuwait but now lives in Bath, Britain, had no previous knowledge of art history when he first picked up a brush.
But he began to paint his favourite football player, Cristiano Ronaldo, using Picasso’s trademarks (标志) —bright colours and impressionistic forms.
His father said, "I’ve got lots of books about Picasso and I showed them to Hamad but he didn’t know anything about Picasso—it’s just naturally the way he sees it and he just loves to paint."
His first painting of Ronaldo, done when he was just nine, was sold at auction (拍卖) in Bath for ￡650, which drew the attention of local art businessman Steve Turner. "A colleague sent me some pictures of Hamad’s work and I just couldn’t believe the size of it and how the colours blended (融合) together," he said. "He had talent and I thought Picasso had been reborn." "I’ve shown his work to private art collectors. They liked them very much and everyone was eager to buy, so the first six paintings have been snapped up. I bought two of them myself. The next set of his works will go on show for the first time at Llangollen, which will be the first opportunity for the public to see his amazing talent."
Hamad enjoys maths at school but ranks painting higher. "I think I prefer painting! It makes me relaxed and when I feel tired I just pick up a paint brush," he said. "I just close my eyes and see how it’s going to look and then I just paint it —I paint every day. I just love the colours and I want people to enjoy my paintings."
Now Hamad is nervously waiting for the opening of his exhibition.
1. What is the text mainly about ?| A．Hamad’s father. |
| B．Hamad and his talent for painting. |
| C．Hamad’s first painting. |
| D．The similarities between Hamad and Picasso. |
| A．began to learn painting when he was a boy |
| B．has read many books about art history |
| C．likes Cristiano Ronaldo very much |
| D．knows a lot about Picasso |
| A．has bright colours and impressionistic forms |
| B．was bought by Steve Turner |
| C．was completed five years ago |
| D．is his favourite work |
| A．Shown to the public. |
| B．Bought very quickly. |
| C．Cleaned up. |
| D．Hung up. |
| A．Steve Turner speaks very highly of Hamad. |
| B．Hamad prefers maths to painting. |
| C．Hamad’s works will be sold after the show. |
| D．The public can see all Hamad’s paintings at the show. |
9 . The writer Margaret Mitchell is best known for writing Gone with the Wind, first published in 1936. Her book and the movie based on it, tell a story of love and survival during the American Civil War. Visitors to the Margaret Mitchell House in Atlanta, Georgia, can go where she lived when she started composing the story and learn more about her life.
Our first stop at the Margaret Mitchell House is an exhibit area telling about the writer’s life. She was born in Atlanta in 1900. She started writing stories when she was a child. She started working as a reporter for the Atlanta Journal newspaper in 1922. One photograph of Ms. Mitchell, called Peggy, shows her talking to a group of young college boys. She was only about one and a half meters tall. The young men tower over her, but she seems very happy and sure of herself. The tour guide explains: “Now in this picture Peggy is interviewing some boys from Georgia Tech, asking them such questions as ‘Would you really marry a woman who works?’ And today it’d be ‘Would you marry one who doesn’t?’ “
The Margaret Mitchell House is a building that once contained several apartments. Now we enter the first floor apartment where Ms. Mitchell lived with her husband, John Marsh. They made fun of the small apartment by calling it “The Dump”.
Around 1926, Margaret Mitchell had stopped working as a reporter and was at home healing after an injury. Her husband brought her books to read from the library. She read so many books that he bought her a typewriter and said it was time for her to write her own book. Our guide says Gone with the Wind became a huge success. Margaret Mitchell received the Pulitzer Prize for the book. In 1939 the film version was released. It won ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
1. The book Gone with the Wind was _________.| A．first published on a newspaper |
| B．awarded ten Academy Awards |
| C．written in “The Dump” |
| D．adapted from a movie |
| A．be very pleased with |
| B．show great respect for |
| C．be much taller than |
| D．show little interest in |
| A．Because she was rich enough. |
| B．Because she was injured then. |
| C．Because her husband didn’t like it. |
| D．Because she wanted to write books. |
| A．Gone with the Wind: A Huge Success. |
| B．Margaret Mitchell: A Great Female Writer. |
| C．An Introduction of the Margaret Mitchell House. |
| D．A Trip to Know Margaret Mitchell. |
1．袁隆平, 1937年9月7日出生在重庆的一个贫困农民家庭。
2．1953年毕业于西南农学院，毕业后被分配到湘西农校任教。
3．1964年开始从事水稻研究。1981年荣获我国第一个国家发明特等奖，被国际上誉为“杂交水稻之父”。
4．生活简朴，不计名利。
注意：
1. 词数120左右；2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；3. 文中不得透露个人姓名和学校名称。
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