【推荐3】Cameroon (喀麦隆) is experimenting with Africa’s first mobile system to send a heart signal over a wireless network. The system will give much needed medical aid to heart patients in poor areas. Arthur Zang invented the device called the Cardiopad. He was just 24 years old when he invented it. The Cardiopad allows heart examinations to be performed. The results of the tests are sent wirelessly to experts in other parts of the country who can interpret (诠释) them.

Simplice Momo is a 55-year-old heart patient in a poor area of the country. He says the device saves his time and money. It is too costly and difficult for him to see a heart expert in the city.

Cameroon has a population of about 22 million. But it only has40 heart surgeons (外科医生). Most are in the cities of Douala or Yaounde. Sometimes the heart experts needed can only be found outside the country. Now the device allows doctors to send patients’ medical information to experts in Europe. Arthur Zang started the Cardiopad project five years ago. Then, the young computer engineer needed more training and $ 45,000 to develop the device. His family did not have the money. Banks would not give him loans. So he shared his idea on social media. The president of Cameroon, Paul Biya, provided him with money for the project. Mr. Zang also received free online training from an engineering school in India.

The Cameroon scientific community considers the Cardiopad extremely effective. The device costs about $ 4,000. The government of Cameroon has not been able to provide the device for hospitals in need.

Mr. Zang says he has had private investors to contact him. But he is more interested in investors who share his vision. That vision is not of money, but of better ways to help improve people’s lives.

1. From Paragraph 1, we can know that ________.

A．Cameroon has put the mobile system into practice

B．the Cardiopad is a medical device to kill pain

C．Arthur Zang is a wireless and heart expert

D．the Cardiopad can send the results of heart examinations to faraway experts

2. How does Simplice Momo like the Cardiopad?

A．Fashionable and smart.

B．Cheap and convenient.

C．Easy to carry.

D．Hard to use.

3. In Paragraph 3, what is implied about heart patients in Cameroon?

A．They no longer worry about their health.

B．They often go abroad to receive treatment now.

C．They no longer totally rely on heart experts in Cameroon.

D．They used to receive treatment from heart surgeons outside Cameroon.

4. Arthur Zang shared his idea on social media to ________.

A．tell people about his creative idea

B．look for higher-skilled computer engineers

C．draw the attention of the president of his country

D．ask for more support to develop the Cardiopad

5. Arthur Zang is looking for investors who ________.

A．share his dream

B．give him advice

C．have a lot of money

D．know about heart disease

【推荐1】Batteries can power anything from small sensors to large systems. While scientists are finding ways to make them smaller but even more powerful, problems can arise when these batteries are much larger and heavier than the devices themselves. University of Missouri(MU) researchers are developing a nuclear energy source that is smaller, lighter and more efficient.

“To provide enough power, we need certain methods with high energy density (密度)”，said Jae Kwon, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at MU. “The radioisotope (放射性同位素) battery can provide power density that is much higher than chemical batteries.”

Kwon and his research team have been working on building a small nuclear battery, presently the size and thickness of a penny, intended to power various micro/nanoelectromechanical systems (MNEMS). Although nuclear batteries can cause concerns, Kwon said they are safe.

“People hear the word ‘nuclear’ and think of something very dangerous,” he said, “However, nuclear power sources have already been safely powering a variety of devices, such as pace-makers, space satellites and underwater systems.”

His new idea is not only in the battery’s size, but also in its semiconductor(半导体). Kwon’s battery uses a liquid semiconductor rather than a solid semiconductor.

“The key part of using a radioactive battery is that when you harvest the energy, part of the radiation energy can damage the lattice structure(晶体结构) of the solid semiconductor,” Kwon said, “By using a liquid semiconductor, we believe we can minimize that problem.”

Together with J. David Robertson, chemistry professor and associate director of the MU Research Reactor, Kwon is working to build and test the battery, In the future, they hope to increase the battery’s power, shrink its size and try with various other materials. Kwon said that battery could be thinner than the thickness of human hair.

1. Which of the following is TRUE of Jae Kwon?

A．He developed a chemical battery.

B．He teaches chemistry at MU.

C．He made a breakthrough in computer engineering.

D．He is working on a nuclear energy source.

2. Liquid semiconductor is used to ________.

A．reduce the damage to lattice structure

B．test the power of nuclear batteries

C．decrease the size of nuclear batteries

D．get rid of the radioactive waste

3. According to Jae Kwon, his nuclear battery ________.

A．uses a solid semiconductor

B．will soon replace the present ones

C．could be extremely thin

D．has passed the final test

4. The text is most probably a ________.

A．book review

B．science news report

C．newspaper ad

D．science fiction story

【推荐2】It was in the archives(档案室) of the Archbishop of York that Matthew Collins had a sudden insight: He was surrounded by millions of animal skins.

Another person might say they were surrounded by books and manuscripts written on parchment, which is made from skins, usually of cows and sheep. Collins, however, had been trying to make sense of animal—bone fragments from archaeological digs, and he began to think about the advantages of studying animal skins, already cut into rectangles and arranged neatly on a shelf. Archaeologists consider themselves lucky to get a few dozen samples, and here were millions of skins just sitting there.

In recent years, archaeologists and historians have awakened to the potential of ancient DNA extracted from human bones and teeth. DNA evidence has enriched—and complicated—stories of prehistoric human migrations. It has provided clues to epidemics such as the black death. It has identified the remains of King Richard III, found under a parking lot. But Collins isn't just interested in human remains. He’s interested in the things these humans made; the animals they bred, slaughtered, and ate; and the economies they created.

That’s why he was studying DNA from the bones of livestock—and why his lab is now at the forefront of studying DNA from objects such as parchment and beeswax. These objects can fill in gaps in the written record, revealing new aspects of historical production and trade. How much beeswax came from North Africa, for example?

Collins splits his time between Cambridge and the University of Copenhagen, and it’s hard to nail down exactly what kind of -ologist he is. He has a knack for gathering experts as diverse as parchment specialists, veterinarians, geneticists, archivists, economic historians, and protein scientists (his own background). “All I do is connect people together,” he said. “I’m just the ignorant one in the middle.”

However, it didn’t take long his group to hit their first culture conflict. In science and archaeology, destructive sampling is at least tolerated, if not encouraged. But book conservators were not going to let people in white coats come in and cut up their books. Instead of giving up or fighting through it, Sarah Fiddyment, a postdoctoral research fellow working with Collins, shadowed conservationists for several weeks. She saw that they used white Staedtler erasers to clean the manuscripts, and wondered whether that rubbed off enough DNA to do the trick. It did: the team found a way to extract DNA and proteins from eraser pieces, a compromise that satisfied everyone. The team has since sampled 5,000 animals from parchment his way.

Collins is not the first person to think of getting DNA from parchment, but he’s been the first to do it at scale. Studying the DNA in artifacts is still a relatively new field, with many prospects that remain unexplored. But in our own modern world, we’ve already started to change the biological record, and future archaeologists will not find the same treasure of hidden information in our petroleum - laden material culture. Collins pointed out what we no longer rely as much on natural materials to create the objects we need. What might have once been leather or wood or wool is now all plastic.

1. How is Collin’s study different from the study of other archaeologists?

A．He studies human skins and bones.

B．He is the first person to study animal skins.

C．He studies objects related to humans and their lives.

D．His study can provide clues to previous epidemics.

2. The word “-ologist” in paragraph 5 most probably refers to ________.

A．a subject covering a wide area

B．an area to explore

C．a person with special expert knowledge

D．a method to carry out research

3. Collin thinks of himself as ignorant because ________.

A．his major doesn’t help his research

B．he can’t connect experts of different fields

C．he finds it hard to identify what kind of -ologist he is

D．his study covers a wide range of subjects beyond his knowledge

4. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．Destructive sampling is not allowed in the field of science and archeology.

B．Collin made a compromise by only studying copies of books made of animal skins.

C．Book protectors were opposed to Collin’s study because his group tracked them for several weeks.

D．It is difficult for future archeologist to study what society is like today due to plastic objects.

5. What may be the appropriate title of this passage?

A．A new discovery in archaeology

B．A lab discovering DNA in old books

C．Archaeology on animals seeing a breakthrough

D．Collin's contributions to the identification of old books

【推荐1】When international aid is given,steps must be taken to ensure（确保）that the aid reaches the people for whom it is intended. The way to achieve this may not be simple. It is very difficult for a nation to give help directly to people in another nation. The United Nations Organization （UNO） could undertake to direct the distribution of aid. Here however rises the problem of costs. Also tied with this is time. Perhaps the UNO could set up a body of devoted men and women in every country who can speedily distribute aid to victims of floods and earthquakes.

More than the help that one nation can give to another during a disaster,it would be more effective to give other forms of help during normal times. A common proverb says,"Give me a fish and I eat for a day,teach me to fish and I eat for a lifetime. "If we follow this wise saying,it would be right to teach people from less developed nations to take care of themselves. For example,a country could share its technology with another. This could be in simple areas like agriculture or in more complex areas like medical and health care or even in building satellites. Even a small country is able to help less developed nations. Sometimes what is taken for granted,like the setting up of a water purification plant or the administration of a school,could be useful for countries which are looking about to solve common problems. It does not cost much to share such simple things. Exchange students could be attached for a number of months or years and learn the required craft while on the site. They can then take their knowledge back to their homelands and if necessary come back from time to time to clear doubts or to update themselves. Such aid will be truly helpful and there is no chance of it being temporary or of it falling into the wrong hands.

Many countries run extensive courses in all sorts of skills. It will not cost much to include deserving foreigners in these courses. Besides giving effective help to the countries concerned,there is also the build-up of friendships to consider. Giving direct help by giving materials may be effective in the short run and must continue to be given in the event of emergencies. However,in the long run what is really effective would be the sharing of knowledge.

1. According to the author, how could international aid reach the victims in time?___

A．By solving the cost problems.

B．By solving the transportation problems.

C．By relying on the direct distribution of the UNO.

D．By setting up a body of devoted people in every country.

2. What does the author try to express in the underlined sentence?___

A．Providing food is vital.

B．Teaching skills is vital.

C．Learning to fish is helpful.

D．Looking after others is important.

3. The second paragraph is developed mainly___.

A．by comparison	B．by contrast
C．by example	D．by process

4. Which aid is likely to fall into the wrong hands?___

A．A water plant	B．Financial support.
C．A medical team	D．An exchange program.

【推荐1】Downshall Primary School based in the London Borough of Redbridge is trying a new project called “Bringing Together, Learning Together, Growing Together” that brings elderly people living alone or having certain mental illnesses into the classrooms.

This is the first time a school has hosted a day centre for the elderly who came three days a week with their carers and support workers. Across three classrooms, they spent 20-minute periods with the school’s four-and five-year-olds, doing activities that fit within the national curriculum.

Pam Abner, 71, used to be a primary school teacher. “It can be a little bit boring sitting in the house on your own. It’s nice to come out and meet people and children,” she said.

The projects was brought up by Dr David Hinchcliffe. The early signs are good. “It’s fantastic. Just the looks on everybody’s face,” said Hinchcliffe. “One lady said she could not remember being so happy. She wakes up in the morning and can’t wait to go to school!”

The children taking part in the project at Downshall also benefit. The headteacher, Ian Bennett, said, “We thought it would be a great idea to try this. We’ve had some amazing moments.”

One little boy, who had not spoken since joining the school, spoke for the first time while taking part in the project. “For these children, to have the experience of building a relationship with these elderly members of our community, as well as the opportunity to speak with them and develop their language skills is important,” said Maria Zgouralis, head of early years.

Stephen Burke, a director of United for All Ages, which promotes the development of shared places to bring generations together, said “It’s a win-win for the children and the older people, sharing activities and experiences, and thereby improving health, learning and understanding for all,” and he hoped there would be more such chances for more people.

1. How does the project bring two generations together?

A．By bringing kids to care homes.

B．By building shared places for them.

C．By inviting elderly people to classrooms.

D．By organizing activities for both generations.

2. Who first came up with the idea for the project?

A．Pam Abner.	B．Ian Bennett.
C．Maria Zgouralis.	D．David Hinchcliffe.

3. What does the underline word “their” in Paragraph 6 refer to?

A．The teachers’.	B．The children’s
C．The elderly people’s	D．The community members’.

4. What does Stephen Burke think of the project?

A．It’s especially helpful for shy kids.

B．It helps kids better plan for the future.

C．It should be more widely introduced.

D．It’s more beneficial to the elderly than to kids.

【推荐2】A black hole is created when a large star burns out. Like our sun, stars are unbelievably hot furnaces (熔炉) that burn their own matter as fuel. When most of the fuel is used up, the star begins to die.

The death of a star is not a quiet event. First, there is a huge explosion. As its outer layer is blasted off into space, the dying star shines as brightly as a billion suns.

After the explosion, gravity pulls in what’s left of the star. As the outside of the star sinks toward the center, the star gets smaller and smaller. The material the star is made of becomes tightly packed together. A star is so dense that a teaspoon of matter from it weighs billion of pounds.

The more the star shrinks, the stronger the gravity inside it becomes. Soon the star is very tiny, and the gravity pulling it in is unbelievably strong. In fact, the gravity is so strong that it even pulls light into the star! Since all the light is pulled in, none can flee. The star becomes black when there is no light. Then a black hole is born!

That’s what we know about black holes. What we don’t know is this: What happens inside a black hole after the star has been squeezed into a tiny ball? Does it keep getting smaller and smaller forever? Such a possibility is hard to imagine.

But if the black hole doesn’t keep shrinking, what happens to it? Some scientists think black holes are like doorways to another world. They say that as the star disappears from our universe, it goes into another universe. In other words, a black hole in our universe could turn into a “white hole” in a different universe. As the black hole swallows light, the white hole shines brightly — somewhere else. But where? A different place, perhaps, or a different time — many years in the past or future.

Could you travel through a black hole? Right now, no. Nothing we know of could go into a black hole without being crushed. So far the time being, black holes must remain a mystery.

Black holes are a mystery — but that hasn’t stopped scientists from dreaming about them. One scientist suggested that in the future we might make sure of the power of black holes. They would supply all of Earth’s energy needs, with plenty to spare. Another scientist wondered if a black hole could someday be used to swallow earthly waste — a sort of huge waste disposal in the sky!

1. What do we know about stars in the universe?

A．When a star begins to die, there’s no fuel left in it.

B．After the explosion, a star gets as small as a teaspoon.

C．A star explodes when it dies and then becomes smaller and smaller.

D．A star gets smaller and smaller because the outer layer of a star sinks toward the center.

2. Which of the following doesn’t help produce a black hole?

A．The dying star shines very brightly.	B．The light can’t go out of the star.
C．The gravity inside the star is very strong.	D．The star becomes very tiny and dense.

3. What can we know from the passage?

A．A star will blast and die when it lacks fuel to support its burning.

B．Man can never travel through a black hole but can make use of its power.

C．A black hole can swallow everything because it becomes smaller all the time.

D．Scientists have found that a black hole goes into another universe and becomes a white hole.

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．A New Scientific Discovery: Black Holes	B．How Do Black Holes Come into Being?
C．What Are Black Holes?	D．Travel Through A Black Hole

【推荐3】A drug used to treat severe bleeding could save thousands of lives for mothers giving birth. A global trial of the drug found it reduced the risk of bleeding deaths during childbirth by nearly one-third. The study involved 20,000 women in 21 countries, mainly in Africa and Asia. The trial was carried out by London's School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The drug is called d tranexamic acid (氨甲环酸). It is low-cost and researchers said it does not cause serious side effects for mothers or babies.

The drug is used to treat mothers for severe bleeding during childbirth, also known as postpartum hemorrhage (产后出血).It is the leading cause of mother’s death worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.

Haleema Shakur is the project director of the trial. She says despite medical advances in many countries, severe bleeding after childbirth remains a big problem in some parts of the world. “It's one of the biggest killers of mothers. In Africa and Asia. about 10 percent of women will end up with severe bleeding. " The drug works by stopping blood clots(血凝块) from breaking down after a mother gives birth. The treatment can prevent the need for doctors to perform surgery to find the source of bleeding.

Shakur said the best results were reported when the drug was given to women as soon as possible after childbirth, “The earlier you give it- so within the first three hours of giving birth—the better the effect is. ”

The next step will be to get the drug where it is needed provide training for doctors and nurses on how to use it. During the trial, women were given the drug in a hospital. But researchers are looking for easier ways to administer the drug so it can be more widely used in small clinics and rural areas.

1. Tranexamic acid is a drug that________ .

A．should be used for every mother

B．helps mothers before giving birth

C．ensures most new-born babies’ health

D．can help mothers giving birth stop bleeding

2. What is the reachers’ next plan?

A．To know how much the drug is.

B．To get permission to use the drug.

C．To let more people know the drug.

D．To make medical staff know how to use the drug.

3. What can we learn from the text?

A．The more mothers use the drug, the better its effect is.

B．African and Asian countries made great progress in medicine.

C．There is a long way to go before the drug can be used more widely.

D．Postpartum hemorrhage is the leading cause of women’s death.

4. What may be the best title for the text?

A．Care for the Health of Mothers

B．How Can We Use Tranexamic Acid Well?

C．Childbirth Drug Greatly Reduces Bleeding Deaths

D．What's the Biggest Killer of Mothers?