【推荐2】AIDS-related illnesses have killed more than 30 million people since 1981. That's half as many deaths as in World War II. And it's not over. An estimated 1.1 million Americans are among the 33 million people worldwide who are now living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Between 1884 and 1924, somewhere near modern-day Kinshasa in West Central Africa, a hunter kills a chimpanzee. Some of the animal's blood enters the hunter's body, possibly through an open wound. The blood carries a virus harmless to the chimp but deadly to humans: HIV.

In June, 1981, the CDC publishes a report from Los Angeles of five young homosexual men with fatal or life-threatening PCP pneumonia. First cases recognized. In 1985, Rock Hudson dies of AIDS. Larry Kramer's AIDS play, "The Normal Heart." shocks New York audiences.

In 1986, for the first time, President Reagan publicly utters the word "AIDS." In 1987, Princess Diana is photographed hugging people with AIDS. Reagan makes his first speech on AIDS. Liberace dies of AIDS. Three years later, Photographer Robert Mapplethorpe dies of AIDS.

In 1988, the first World AIDS DAY is held on Dec. 1. During 1991-1992, the red ribbon is introduced as a symbol of AIDS solidarity(团结一致). But AIDS becomes the leading cause of death in U.S. men aged 25-44 and ten years later, AIDS becomes the leading cause of death worldwide for people aged 15 to 59.

In 2008, for the first time, global AIDS deaths decline. UNAIDS calculates that the global spread of AIDS peaked in 1996 at 3.5 million new infections. Deaths peaked in 2004, at 2.2 million. Yet AIDS Day 2009 brings surprising figures: 2.7 million new HIV infections and 2 million AIDS deaths in the previous year.

Researchers have discovered more than a dozen antibodies that target the HIV virus. They hope that these discoveries will lead to a vaccine that offers long-term protection against AIDS. One antibody in particular, PGT 128, is considered among the most potent and promising—preventing about 70% of viruses from infecting cells in laboratory tests.

1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?

A．HIV: from monkeys to humans.	B．A hunter's killing caused HIV.
C．HIV is harmless to the chimpanzee.	D．HIV is deadly to humans.

2. How many famous people died of AIDS mentioned in the passage between 1985 and 1991?

A．2.

B．3.

C．4.

D．5.

3. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A．The red ribbon and the World AIDS Day are both the symbols of AIDS solidarity.

B．In 2008, AIDS caused most deaths since 1981 and the death began to go down.

C．In 1986, President Reagan used the word "AIDS" and made a speech on it.

D．During 2001-2002, AIDS is the leading cause of death in the world aged 15 to 59.

4. What attitude does the author have towards the treatment to AIDS in the future?

A．Pessimistic.

B．Optimistic.

C．Objective.

D．Uncertain.

【推荐3】Patients with light or moderate depression can be successfully treated by swimming with dolphins, researchers said on Saturday.

The study was carried out in Honduras, including patients who were thought by the doctors with light of moderate depression coming from the United States and Honduras.

For two weeks, half of the group swam and snorkeled (潜泳) with dolphins for an hour a day. At the same time the other half group carried out the same type of water activities, but with the absence of dolphins. Researchers want to find out the influence of water and the natural setting.

All the study volunteers didn’t continue to take any drugs or psychotherapy ( 心理治疗) at least for weeks before the start of the study and did not take any drugs during the study, said the researchers from the division of clinical Psychiatry at t e the University of Leicester Medical School.

By the end of the study, those people who swam with the dolphins had a greater average reduction in their depressive symptoms than those who did not.

The researchers noted that the study supports the theory of biophilia, which thinks that human health and well-being depends partly on the human connection with the natural world. The findings appeared in the issue of the British Medical Journal.

Coming from the Greek, biophilia means “love of life”, and it has been developed by biologists to reflect the humans’ natural tendency to connect with nature and animals, leading to interactions and positive emotions that result in psychological treatment.

1. Why didn’t the volunteers take drugs before and during the study?

A．Because the drugs had no effect at all.

B．Because they didn’t want to take drugs.

C．Because the result of study might be affected.

D．Because they wanted to make the study easier.

2. What can we infer from the text?

A．We should often swim with dolphins.

B．Nature and animals are important to human beings.

C．Dolphins need to be protected by human beings.

D．There are no effective drugs to treat depression.

3. Which of the following statements about biophilia is TRUE?

A．The English word means “love of life”.

B．The biologists understand it in a new way.

C．Actually we don’t use the word any longer.

D．It’s a new way to swim with dolphins.

4. What’s the main idea of the text?

A．Swimming with dolphins can treat depression.

B．Patients with depression like swimming with dolphins.

C．What’s the relationship between dolphins and people.

D．Dolphins are smarter than other animals.

【推荐1】About the Scottish Portrait Gallery

The Scottish National Portrait Gallery is one of Edinburgh’s most extraordinary buildings—a great red sandstone neo-gothic palace which sits proudly on the city’s skyline. Following a dramatic three-year redecoration, completed in December 2011, the Gallery now offers 17 new displays. Each of these explores different aspects of the story of Scotland and her people.

The Building

The Scottish National Portrait Gallery was designed by Sir Robert Rowand Anderson as a holy palace for Scotland’s heroes and heroines. A detailed Arts and Crafts decorative scheme, both inside and outside, with its glittering friezes, evocative murals and extensive sculptural embellishment, makes it a very special visitor experience.

The Collection

The Portrait Gallery’s collection is an exceptional national resource of over 30,000 fascinating images containing a rich variety of media and including many internationally outstanding works of art. The portraits depict(刻画) the men and women whose lives and achievements helped shape Scotland and the wider world. The Gallery is also home to the NGS’s outstanding collection of photographs which includes around 6,000 works by the early Scottish pioneers of the medium, Robert Adamson and David Octavius Hill as well as new works by leading-edge contemporary photographers.

Visitor Facilities

The new Portrait Gallery cafe serves a delicious menu of fresh dishes and classic recipes, using the very best local ingredients and seasonal produce. Our new shop offers a fresh twist on design-led gifts and souvenirs. The gallery now has all the facilities which today’s visitors expect, including a fantastic new lift, an Education suite and disabled access throughout the building.

1. What do we learn about the Scottish National Portrait Gallery?

A．It is well-known for its building.	B．Every display reflects Scotland.
C．There are about 6,000 works in it	D．It has a comparatively short history.

2. Its visitor facilities can be described a ______.

A．rare and user-friendly	B．modern and all-round
C．characteristic and attractive	D．beneficial and conventional

【推荐2】Philadelphia's Magic Gardens makes up a folk art center, gallery space, and a nonprofit organization showcasing the works of mosaicist（镶嵌设计师）Isaiah Zagar.

Zagar devoted himself to beautifying the South Street neighborhood in the late 1960s, when he moved to the area with his wife Julia. The couple helped the area by purchasing and repairing some old buildings, often adding colorful mosaics on both their private and public walls. The first such project was Julia's still-busy folk art store, the Eyes Gallery at 402 South Street.

Zagar started working on the Magic Gardens in 1994 in the deserted parking lot near his studio. He spent the next fourteen years sculpting multi-layered walls and decorating the 3, 000 square foot space. The installation（装置艺术），primarily consisting of found objects and contributions from the community, finally covers half a city block with countless patterns and colors. It shows Zagar's many artistic influences, as well as the events and experiences of his life.

In 2002，the owner of the once-unused parking lot decided to sell the land in response to rising South Street property values. Unwilling to witness the destruction of Zagar's neighborhood art environment, the community rushed to support the artist. His creation, newly titled Philadelphia's Magic Gardens, turned into a nonprofit organization with the intention of preserving and promoting Zagar's works at the site of the Magic Gardens and throughout the South Street region.

The Magic Gardens is now a permanent art institution that is open to visitors throughout the year. Trained guides are available to lead tours of the Magic Gardens and Zagar's surrounding public wall paintings. In addition, it offers monthly mosaic workshops led by Zagar himself, and regularly hosts concerts, dance performances, and other public events.

1. How did Zagar help the South Street neighborhood?

A．He moved to the area with his family.

B．He worked to improve its surroundings.

C．He opened a folk art store with his wife.

D．He managed to buy all the old buildings.

2. What does Paragraph 3 intend to tell us?

A．Great achievements of Zagar.

B．Special skills of installing art.

C．Location of the Magic Gardens

D．Early history of the Magic Gardens.

3. What do the local residents think of Zagar's works?

A．They harm environment.

B．They can bring in profits.

C．They should be removed.

D．They are precious treasures.

4. What can tourists do in Philadelphia's Magic Gardens?

A．Paint the walls on the spot.

B．Put on music performances.

C．Enjoy some Zagar's works.

D．Attend some dance courses.

【推荐3】The AWF is one of my heroes because it helps the animals in Africa stay alive and keeps them from dying out. They are trying to conserve wildlife by saving animals whose mothers were killed by poaching（偷猎）or from lack of food and water or loss of homes. They are also trying to conserve land by making it a protected area.

The AWF helps animals and the environment. AWF's task is as follows: “The African Wildlife Foundation, together with the people of Africa, works to ensure the wildlife and wild lands of Africa will exist forever.” They save their land through research and protecting wildlife habitat.

My fiend Erin feels it isn't the organization that is heroic but the people working for the organization. The people of the AWF risk their lives working in war zones and dangerous jungle environments to save African animals that are at risk of extinction. Each of these “heroes” is working to save a specific African animal that is at risk. The most famous was Diane Fossey who was working with gorillas（大猩猩）in the early 1980's and was murdered in the war. They made a movie about her devotions called Gorillas in the Mist. There are many other heroic people working with different animals that didn't get so much publicity.

The AWF's headquarters is in Nairobi, Kenya. The countries where it works include Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and many others. The AWF was founded in 1961 to increase awareness of the problems with different programs in the 1970's as well as continuing the more hands on aspects of saving the animals to this day.

The biggest task of the AWF is to bring back all of the animals from hear dying out. The foundation cannot do this by itself; it needs the global help to save the animals. For example, Starbucks has agreed to help but much more is needed. There is little the foundation can do by itself without financial support.

1. Which can best describe the people working for the AWF?

A．Brave.	B．Energetic.
C．Generous.	D．Humorous.

2. Why was a film made about Diane Fossey?

A．To honor her devotion to education.

B．To honor her generosity to poor people.

C．To honor her great work of gorillas protection.

D．To honor her contributions to the environmental protection.

3. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．The animals in Africa have been far from extinction.

B．Starbucks is an organization of environmental protection.

C．The majority of animals in Africa are dying out.

D．The financial support of the AWF is far from enough.