【推荐1】According to a study published last week in the journal Science，scientists have found a way to change a plant's genes（基因）in order to make it use sunlight more quickly. Someday，the results could increase the amount of food produced around the world.

By changing a plant's genes，the scientists were able to increase leaf growth on plants by 14-20 percent. Specifically，scientists changed the plant's protective（保护的）system. “Normally，this system is activated when a plant gets too much sunlight，”said scientist Krishna Niyogi，co-author of the study. “When the plant senses the light，it gets rid of extra energy and creates more leaves. When the plant is in the shade，the protective system is turned off. But the process is slow.”

Stephen Long is the lead author of the study. He compared a plant's protective system to light-adjusting glasses.“When a person wears the glasses outside during the day，the lenses（镜片）darken and lighten depending on how sunny it is. Plants do the same thing，”he said.“But in plants the adjustment can take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour. This makes it hard for plants to get the right amount of sunlight needed to create food.”

The new study sped up the process. By changing the plant's genes，it's more quickly than normal to turn on and turn off the protective system. As a result，leaf growth on the plants scientists used in the study increased. Leaf growth on two plants increased by 20 percent, while leaf growth on a third plant increased by 14percent. Scientists conducted the study on tobacco plants. But they thought the genetic modification would produce the same results in corn or rice.

1. What does the plant's protective system need to keep activated?

A．Mild shade.	B．Leaf growth.
C．Genetic changes.	D．Enough sunlight.

2. What does the underlined word“modification”in Paragraph 4mean?

A．Development.	B．Decoration.
C．Change.	D．Copying.

3. What can we infer from this text?

A．Changing how a plant uses sunlight could mean more food in the future.

B．When the plant is in the shade, its protective system is turned off slowly.

C．Too much sunlight will damage plants' protective system.

D．It is hard for plants to create food without enough sunlight.

【推荐2】Are GM（转基因的) foods safe for people? Can they help solve the poverty problem? They have been the subjects of a hot debate.
This debate is related to increasing challenges from rising climatic change, population growth, urbanization（城镇化), and natural resource consumption. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, food production needs to increase by 60 percent by 2050 in order to feed 9 billion people. Scientists and policymakers are searching for effective ways to gain nutritious food, for today and future. Unlike previous agricultural methods (such as the Green Revolution), GM crops are to fight food safety and poverty challenges.
The great expansion of GM crop varieties over the last two decades can be seen easily. The total area devoted to GM crops has increased 100 times from 1.7 million hectares in 1996 to 170 million hectares in 2012. Developing countries now grow more GM crops than developed countries (in terms of area), largely driven by Brazil’s rapid adoption of GM crops. China is home to about 4 percent of the total global area devoted to GM crops. Beans, corn, and cotton are main global GM crops, while China’s focus is on cotton, papaya, and poplar.
Recently, a scientific study shows that GM crops are safe for people and the environment. According to a 2010 report on the safety of GM crops by the EU, “the main conclusion to be drawn from the efforts of more than 130 research projects, covering a period of more than 25 years of research, and involving more than 500 research groups, is that biology methods, are not more risky than traditional planting technologies, for example.” Other international and national scientific bodies, such as the World Health Organization, have reached the same conclusion.
1. Nowadays, people are developing GM foods mainly to fight against______.

A．urbanization

B．population growth

C．rising climatic change

D．natural resource consumption

2. As for GM crops, what do people mainly focus on ?

A．Food production.	B．Food nutrition.
C．Food safety.	D．Food variety.

3. What does Paragraph 3 talk about?

A．More GM crops in developing countries.

B．Less GM crops in developed countries.

C．Rapid adoption of GM crops in Brazil.

D．The expansion of GM crop varieties of the world.

4. From a recent scientific study, we can infer that______.

A．traditional planting technologies are more risky

B．the safety of GM crops has been proved in many ways

C．the safety of GM crops was reported by the EU in 2010

D．present GM crops are safe for people and the environment

5. What’s the writer’s attitude towards GM crops?

A．Supportive.	B．Opposed.
C．Unknown.	D．Indifferent.

【推荐3】So many things can keep you from seeing your loved ones in person, from busy schedules to long distances to a rather unexpected pandemic.     1     But if you're someone who's more prone(倾向于)to typed out messages than verbal ones, you may want to reconsider.     2    

A new study, published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, found that communication interactions that included voice, like a phone call or video chat, created stronger social bonds than communication through typing, like text messaging or email. In the study, researchers used various experiments to estimate connectedness. In one, they asked 200 people to make predictions about what it would be like to reconnect with an old friend by email or by phone and then assigned people at random to do one or the other.     3     "People reported they did form a significantly stronger bond with their old friend on the phone versus email, and they did not feel more awkward,“ study co-author Amit Kumar, an assistant professor of marketing at the McCombs School of Business, said in a statement.

    4     They found that both forms of voice communication-whether video or audio only-made the strangers feel significantly more connected than when they communicated via text.

Sabrina Romanoff, a Harvard trained clinical psychologist based in New York City, says     5     “A phone call is actually more convenient when considering the net effects of the message,” she explains. “Each party is more present, and therefore, able to gauge the meaning behind the content without ruminating on the endless possible meanings behind words and punctuation.”

A．“Texting corresponds information exactly in the way people intend.”

B．“In reality, texting can make it hard to determine the true meaning behind a conversation.”

C．People held the view that a phone call was really awkward and reconnected with their friends by email.

D．Fortunately, thanks to modern technology, the people we miss are often only a phone call or text message away.

E．According to science, if you want to feel more connected to the people you're talking to, you should call them instead of texting.

F．In another experiment, the researchers had strangers connect by either texting, talking over video chat, or talking using only audio.

G．Although people anticipated that a phone call would be more awkward, hearing someone's voice actually made the experience better.

【推荐1】A young British sailor was missing at sea yesterday in similar circumstances (情况) to the way his father died five years ago.

The dinghy (救生橡皮船), used to take Richard Smith, 21, to his yacht (快艇), was discovered empty, floating in seas off the Caribbean island. An air and sea search was carried out but he has still not been discovered.

Richard’s mother, Bicknell, said from her home in Hampshire, “It’s so much coincidence. Richard always carried a photograph of his father attached to a poem, which included the date of his disappearance.”

Now, it’s very strange because all they have found is Richard’s dinghy. We need to know this time what has happened one way or another. If you know at least you can go through the grieving process.

In November 1996, Mr Smith’s father, Charlie, was sailing in the Tasmen sea between the Australian mainland and the island of Tasmen with his new wife. They lost radio contact with the shore and they, together with their yacht were never seen again, and their disappearance remains a mystery.

Richard is described a talented and experienced sailor who has crewed for the champion ocean racer. He had sailed to the Caribbean in November to crew ocean racing yachts for entertainment. He ended the evening drinking in the Abracbabra bar but left after local police closed it for being too noisy.

About 2 am the following day Richard headed back for his dinghy. He started its outboard motor before giving an elderly woman a lift to her yacht after her dinghy had gone missing. It was the last time he was seen.

1. Richard Smith was ________in 2000.

A．ten

B．fifteen

C．twenty

D．eighteen

2. People searched for Richard using ________.

A．ship only	B．ship and radio
C．ship and plane	D．yacht and car

3. According to the passage, we know Richard disappeared because ________.

A．he was a green hand in sailing

B．some unknown animal attacked him

C．there was a maze in the area he was sailing

D．of something we don’t know

4. The writer mainly tells us ________.

A．a story about two heroes

B．a piece of news about a merchant ship

C．a coincidence

D．the dying process of Richard

【推荐2】It is reported in the national press that a letter written by Charles Darwin in 1875 has been returned to the Smithsonian Institution Archives (档案馆) by the FBI after being stolen twice.

“We realized in the mid-1970s that it was missing,” says Effie Kapsalis, head of the Smithsonian Institution Archives. “It was noted as missing and likely taken by an intern (实习生), from what the FBI is telling us. Word got out that it was missing when someone asked to see the letter for research purposes,” and the intern put the letter back. “The intern likely took the letter again once nobody was watching it.”

Decades passed. Finally, the FBI received a tip that the stolen document was located very close to Washington, D.C. Their art crime team recovered the letter but were unable to press charges because the time of limitations had ended. The FBI worked closely with the Archives to determine that the letter was both authentic and definitely Smithsonian’s property.

The letter is in fairly good condition, in spite of being out of the care of trained museum staff for so long. “It was luckily in good shape,” says Kapsalis, “and we just have to do some minor things in order to be able to unfold it. It has some glue on it that has colored it slightly, but nothing that will prevent us from using it. After it is repaired, we will take digital photos of it and that will be available online. One of our goals is to get items of high research value or interest to the public online.”

It would now be difficult for an intern, visitor or a thief to steal a document like this. “Archiving practices have changed greatly since the 1970s,” says Kapsalis, “and we keep our high value documents in a safe that I don’t even have access to.”

1. What happened to Darwin’s letter in the 1970s?

A．It was recovered by the FBI.

B．It was put in the archives for research purposes.

C．It was stolen more than once.

D．It was purchased by the Smithsonian Archives.

2. What did the FBI do after the recovery of the letter?

A．They pressed criminal charges in vain.	B．They kept it in a special safe.
C．They arrested the suspect immediately.	D．They proved its authenticity.

3. What will the Smithsonian Institution Archives do with the letter according to Kapsalis?

A．Reserve it for research purposes only.	B．Make it available online.
C．Keep it a permanent secret.	D．Turn it into an object of high interest.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．A Letter by Charles Darwin Returns to the Smithsonian

B．The Smithsonian Tightens Security Measures

C．The Smithsonian Charges an Intern with Theft

D．The FBI Cracks a Criminal Case

【推荐1】While there are a few ways to make use of your old smartphone, one of the better ways is to convert into a dash cam（行车记录仪）that you can use on your bicycle. With the camera, you can record your rides, which is especially helpful if you are involved in a crash with another vehicle.

To use your smartphone as a dash cam on your bike, you will need to make sure it is properly secured to your bike. To do this correctly, you must take two strips of heavy-duty Velcro (a kind of cloth used as fastening) along with two pipe Clamps（管夹）and a flat corner brace（角撑）to properly attach it. You will start by attaching the comer brace to your smartphone.

Next, attach a Velcro strip to your phoned back. You will put the second strip on the end of the brace comer and cut any extra Velcro off and away from the brace. By using heavy-duty Velcro, you shouldn’t have to worry about the camera brace must be attached to the bicycle directly.

Take two pipe clamps so you can attach the part of the corner brace so the phone can be held up and used. The pipe clamps must be positioned near the center of the handlebar, which will enable you to get a better picture when videotaping.

To run a dash camp app on your old phone, you will just need to download a dash cam app onto the old phone. You will then just start the app at any time you head out on the road. There is always the chance of flaws, but you will be giving yourself a way to protect yourself in a friendly, eco-fiendly manner that is much less expensive than purchasing a dash cam.

1. What is the purpose of building a dash cam on your bike?

A．To make full use of an old smartphone.

B．To record the scenery while travelling

C．To reduce an unexpected crash on the road.

D．To avoid unnecessary arguments in an accident.

2. What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A．The bike.	B．The pipe clamp.
C．The smartphone.	D．The flat corner brace.

3. What can we learn about a Velcro strip?

A．It will fix the camera firmly.

B．It is better to keep it as long as possible.

C．It is important for the flat comer brace.

D．It is best put in the center of the smartphone.

4. What can be inferred about the DIY dash cam from the last paragraph?

A．It is a perfect alternative to a purchased one.

B．It is beneficial to environment in some way.

C．It is a much more demanding job for the user.

D．It makes its owner friendly to other people.

【推荐2】San Francisco has its cable cars. Seattle has its Space Needle. And, Longview has its Nutty Narrows Bridge. The bridge has attracted visitors from many different parts of the world, and is now regarded as a symbolic landmark of Longview.

The bridge was built in 1963 by a local builder named Amos Peters, and it was originally built to help the local squirrels move between the Park Plaza office building and a city park across the street without being hit by the rushing cars.

Before the bridge was built, local squirrels had to cross the busy road between the two places for the nutty feast thrown for them by the staff in the building. Working around the neighborhood, Peters often witnessed squirrels being hit or run over.

One day, he found a dead squirrel with a nut still in its mouth, and the topic of that day s coffee break discussion was changed to squirrel safety. Peters and his colleagues came up with the squirrel bridge idea and formed a committee to ask the permission of the city council (市议会). The council approved, and the bridge was named “Nutty Narrows”.

It didn't take long before reports of squirrels using the bridge started. Squirrels were even seen guiding their young and teaching them the ropes. The story was picked up by the media, and Nutty Narrows became known on newspapers.

In 1983, after 20 years of use, Peters took down the worn-out bridge. Repairs were made and crosspieces were replaced. The faded sign was repainted and in July 1983, hundreds of animal lovers attended the completion ceremony of the new bridge.

Peters passed away in 1984, and a ten-foot wooden squirrel sculpture was placed near the bridge in memory of its builder and his devotion to the project.

1. The Nutty Narrows Bridge was built in order to______.

A．offer squirrels a place to eat nuts	B．set up a local landmark
C．help improve traffic	D．protect squirrels from being hit by cars

2. What happened over the coffee break discussion?

A．The committee got the council's permission.	B．The squirrel bridge idea was born.
C．A councilwoman named the bridge.	D．A squirrel was found dead.

3. What does the underlined expression"teaching them the ropes"in paragraph 5 probably mean?

A．Passing them a rope.	B．Directing them to store food for winter.
C．Teaching them a lesson.	D．Showing them how to use the bridge.

4. Which of the following statements is true about the Nutty Narrows Bridge?

A．It was replaced by a longer one.	B．It was built from wood and metal.
C．It was repaired after years of use.	D．It was ten-foot long.

【推荐3】Remember switching the radio channels, hoping a tune you liked would pop out? You never had to listen too long to know you’d landed on a hit. Maria Chait, an auditory cognitive neuroscientist （听觉认知神经学家）at London University, and her team recently studied how quick that reaction is. They started by asking 10 volunteers to name a feel-good, familiar song.

Then the researchers selected a second tune that sounded similar but was unfamiliar to the volunteers. They divided both songs into tiny bits — each less than a second long and then randomly inserted them into a six — and — a — half — minute — long track of song pieces. As the pieces played, the scientists measured the volunteers' brain activity and monitored changes in pupil, too — a sign of excitement. And the researchers found that the listeners‘ pupils widened more rapidly when they heard familiar versus （与......对比）unfamiliar tunes — within just a tenth to a third of a second! Familiar tunes also caused a two-step pattern of brain activity where the brain first recognizes something as familiar and then brings back more detailed information about it. That pattern was absent for unfamiliar songs.

The study does have limitations：it used a small number of songs; it was hard to mask the purpose of the study from the participants; and the control group ended up being primarily international students from Asia —since they had to be unfamiliar with every single song — so their native languages and music backgrounds differed from the experimental group from a European background.

Still, for doctors who want to use music as a helpful tool for patients with memory loss, for example, that might be useful in the situation, for participants are not required to indicate anything. They just listen passively. Doctors simply have to observe the neural（神经的） fingerprints of hearing that same old song.

1. How did the researchers conduct the study?

A．They asked volunteers to sing along.

B．They separated songs for comparison.

C．They observed the listeners’ expressions.

D．They took two steps to draw the conclusion.

2. What does the author think of the study?

A．It proves to be persuasive.	B．It is based on practical theory.
C．It needs further research.	D．It should use Asian language.

3. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．The research is helpful in some medical way.

B．Doctors are delighted with the research result.

C．It's easy to cure patients with memory loss.

D．Patients need treating with music like songs.

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．How Gan We Use Familiar Songs

B．Music Is Good for Our Brains

C．Familiar Tunes Awake Brains Quickly

D．Doctors Practice Musical Treatment

【推荐1】Tom Savage has quit his job as a research analyst and found a perfect new start sting up his own social enterprise in Madagascar. He tells readers of the UK newspaper the Guardian that they can do likewise and follow their dream.

Every day dozens of Toms are reported in newspapers and magazines and on career websites and blogs. Their real-life tales aren't there to surprise or shock, as a result, many readers are taking on board.

Sophie Collins, 23, is a biology graduate from London. But before starting her course at university in Edinburgh, Scotland, she took a year out and enrolled in an Art Foundation course. “Art makes me happy, even if it won't pay my bills for a couple of years.” said Collins.

The idea that you should be free to follow your dream, whether as a young person or as a middle-aged adult with a well- established career, is on the upgrade.

In schools, students are taught that they can do whatever they want and can be whoever they choose so long as they work hard enough at that dream. People in the public eye, such as Italian classical singer Andrea Bocelli, have given up positions in admirable professions to take their chance on fame. Bocelli was a lawyer before he made it as a singer, selling 70 million albums worldwide.

The media and reality TV talent shows have also played their part in encouraging young people to follow their heart.

In 2006, 18-year-old Ray Quinn, barely out of school, finished second in the British TV talent show The X Factor. He later secured a record deal with Sony.

Each year since then, hundreds of thousands of people have applied to the show, hoping, and expecting, that the chance to realize their ambitions will soon come.

Even if they don't have a particular dream in mind, many young people are encouraged to take a year or two to find where their interests lie, instead of jumping into a job which they may later tire of.

George Evans, 24, is determined to find a job which interests him. “I think most of us recognize that it is happiness and not money that is the ultimate goal,” said the Cambridge University graduate. “Unless you are passionate about your career, you won't truly succeed.”

1. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．Sophie Collins took an art course before entering university to pursue her interest.

B．Andrea Bocelli, who used to be a lawyer, enjoys great success as a classical singer.

C．Ray Quinn achieved his career success though he had performed poorly at school.

D．George Evans thinks happiness counts more than money when choosing a career.

2. What does the underlined phrase mean?

A．sharing the same boat	B．accepting the idea
C．rejecting the concept	D．ignoring the fact

3. What is the main idea of this passage?

A．Choose a career that truly appeals to you.

B．Make efforts to be interested in your job.

C．Make attempts to seek a meaningful career.

D．Build up confidence when seeking a job.

【推荐2】While you may be doing everything right, ignoring just one or two steps in the process may keep you from getting a job, especially in this fierce market. Here is a checklist that covers some of the major links in the job-search chain.

THE RESUME—Make sure it is up-to-date and tailored to the types of jobs you are seeking for. Have someone else look at your resume. If you cannot afford a career coach，give your resume to friends or family members to scrutinize. Have copies of your resume printed so that you are ready to hand them out at interviews.

COVERING LEITERS—Maybe you've set up a few basic styles in advance, but that's not enough. Each covering letter should be designed to suit the job for which you are applying.

THE WARDROBE (衣橱)—Check your wardrobe to ensure that you have the appropriate professional dress, including shoes，ready for interview.

NETWORKING—Don't isolate yourself from others. Network through e-mail messages, phone calls, appointments and meetings keep you in touch with the outside world and prevent you from becoming depressed.

APPLICATION—A glance at huge online job sites isn't usually the best way to find a job. You are more likely to succeed through the people you know via networking.

INTERVIEWS—If you've got plenty of interviews but no return calls or job offers, take a look at your interviewing skills. This is one area where investing in a career coach may pay off. But if you can't afford one, try to find a job group or service that conducts free mock (模拟) interviews.

SUPPORT SYSTEMS—Finally, recognize that looking for job is rather difficult. Even at the best of times, a job hunt is often about rejection, and that can be hard to endure. Staying in touch with family, friends, professional networks and fellow job seekers can help you to maintain a positive attitude and a sense of perspective.

1. The author's purpose of writing this text is to ________.

A．suggest graduates should find suitable jobs

B．give people some tips on searching for jobs

C．tell people how to improve their interview skills

D．teach people how to get ready for an interview

2. The underlined word ''scrutinize'' in Paragraph 2 can be replaced by ''________''.

A．check	B．use
C．rewrite	D．criticize

3. Which of the following methods is NOT true according to the text?

A．You should have your resume read by your friends after finishing it.

B．You should create different covering letters for the different jobs you apply for.

C．Searching online is the most effective way to look for a job.

D．You should wear appropriate professional clothes and shoes for the interview.

4. What should you do if you don't receive any calls after lots of interviews?

A．Carefully review your interviewing skills.

B．Ask a fellow job seeker to help you.

C．Rewrite your resume as soon as possible.

D．Go to the managers' offices to find out why.

5. It is implied in the text that ________.

A．people often pay no attention to writing their resume

B．the interview is the most difficult step for interviewees

C．a career coach often offers free mock interviews to interviewees

D．your social network may help you a lot in your job hunt

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1. Where can you take the class?

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C．On computers.	D．On any phone.

2. If you take the 5-hour class and you fail it, how much would you pay?

A．$0

B．$25

C．$35

D．$40

3. Which of the following statements is true?

A．You can take the class only on a fixed device.

B．You can get your money back if you get the certificate.

C．You should contact a salesman before buying the course.

D．You can suit your own learning process while taking the class.