【推荐1】

A．The great impact and progress in genetic engineering B．Worries about privacy protection C．Worries about medical use of genetic engineering D．Genetic knowledge helps to predict diseases E．Genetic knowledge may not be properly used F．The application of genetic engineering in the medical fields

1. __________
Current research into the human gene system is helping us understand why people have predispositions（易患某病倾向）to certain diseases．Knowing our genetic makeup can help us to judge whether or not we may be stricken by particular illness, such as cancer．Even before birth, we are able to do genetic screenings to determine what a child's genetic disorder will be．Scientists have already isolated and identified the genes responsible for the more than 4,000 genetic diseases that affect human beings．
2. __________
The implications of this knowledge are astonishing. In addition to predicting genetic predisposition towards diseases, gene therapies may provide new treatments or cures for serious diseases．Millions of people already use genetically engineered drugs to treat heart disease, cancer, AIDS, and strokes （中风）. But with the research that is now being conducted, we may find cures to many more diseases．In the near future, genetic experimentation will also allow parents to select the traits of their children. Genetic traits that determine height, weight, eye and hair color will be able to be controlled, and many parents are excited about this potential.
3. __________
Many people, however, are unwilling to accept the possibilities genetic research allowsFor example, one reason some women do not use the largest genetic testing for breast cancer is because they are afraid they will be discriminated against．Another problem is that many people do not want to discover their weakness．What if they learn that they have a disease for which there are no medical cures? How will such knowledge affect their lives? Do people really want to know what they will die of?
4. __________
Many people believe that history has not always shown human decision-making to be bright when it comes to ethical（道德的）choices. Jeremy Rifkin is probably the most well known opponent of genetic engineering. He believes that humans are not responsible enough to experiment with genes and should not “play God” He asks, “Just because it can be done, does that mean it should be done?” He points out that our society will eventually look and act the same if parents select the traits of their children, and he questions the desirability of such a society．
5. __________
One of the fears expressed about genetic experimentation involves privacy. Already blood sample taken from patients in hospitals have been used for genetic research without the patients’ permission. Most people would agree that one’s health and genetic makeup are private concerns. But if insurance companies gain access to this information, it could have a large impact on insurance coverage or costs; if employers gain access to the information, it could have a large impact on hiring or promotion decisions. The possibilities for discrimination are obvious．

【推荐3】Now satellites are helping to forecast the weather. They are in space, and they can reach any part of the world. The satellites take pictures of the atmosphere, because this is where the weather forms. They send these pictures to the weather stations. So meteorologists（气象学者）can see the weather of any part of the world. From the pictures, the scientists can often say how the weather will change.

Today, nearly five hundred weather stations in sixty countries receive satellite pictures. When they receive new pictures, the meteorologists compare them with earlier ones. Perhaps they may find that the clouds have changed during the last few hours. This may mean that the weather on the ground may soon change, too. In their next weather forecast, the meteorologists can say this.

So the weather satellites are a great help to the meteorologists. Before satellites were invented, the scientists could forecast the weather for about 24 or 48 hours. Now they can make good forecasts for three or five days. Soon, perhaps, they may be able to forecast the weather for a week or more ahead.

1. Why do we use the weather satellites to take pictures of the atmosphere? Because __________.

A．the weather satellites can do it easily	B．clouds form there
C．the weather forms there	D．the pictures can forecast the weather

2. Meteorologists forecast the weather __________.

A．when they have received satellite pictures

B．after they have compared new satellite pictures with earlier ones

C．before they received satellite pictures

D．during they study satellite pictures

3. Maybe we’ll soon be able to forecast the weather for ___________.

A．one day	B．two days
C．five days	D．seven days or even longer

4. The main idea of this passage is that satellites are now used in _________.

A．taking pictures of the atmosphere

B．receiving pictures of the atmosphere

C．weather forecasting

D．doing other work in many ways

【推荐1】Canals have to be built on a level, otherwise the water drains out of them and the canal becomes useless. This was the great problem facing the early canal builders, and they overcame it in different ways. The early engineers like James Brindley simply followed the outlines of the countryside and kept their canals level though it often meant choosing very roundabout routes.

Later engineers, such as Thomas Telford, developed a new technique known as “cut and fill”in which they fixed a level through very accurate surveying. This allowed them to fill in the hollows on a route with the exact amount of soil they took from the higher ground. By this method, very direct routes could be taken, which cut down the time of a journey very considerably. A good example of this type of canal is Telford's Liverpool and Birmingham Junction Canal, which he began in 1826 to provide a direct route from the Midlands to the River Mersey.

It was seldom possible to build a completely level canal, of course, whichever method was used, and most canals were provided with locks in which barges were raised or lowered to new levels. If you look at the diagram on the right, you can see a barge being raised in a lock by means of water which was allowed into the lock basin, or pound, from the upper level of the canal. When a barge had to be lowered, water was allowed out of the pound into the lower level of the canal.

1. Brindley's canals were less efficient, most likely because ________.

A．he was not a good canal engineer

B．the techniques and skills available at the time were useless

C．his canals were built to keep the water drains out

D．they had too many roundabout routes

2. According to this passage, why was the“cut and fill”technique designed?

A．The outlines of the land could not be followed directly.

B．It could make travelling distances shorter and save journey time.

C．New surveying techniques had been invented successfully.

D．The distance between the Midlands and River Mersey is great.

3. Locks are needed in canals to ________________.

A．help boats to travel in both directions

B．keep water levels changing all the time

C．allow large ships to travel in canals

D．transfer boats across differing water levels

【推荐2】In America, when people say “man’s best friend”, they don’t mean another person. Instead, they are talking about a lovely animal：A dog! These words show the friendship between people and animals. Dogs and other pets can give happiness to people’s lives. Some people think of their pets as their children. A few even leave all their money to their pets when they die!
Animals can help people, too. Dogs can be taught to become the “eyes” for a blind person or “ears” for a deaf people. Scientists have found that pets help people live longer! They make people happier, too. Because of that, animals are brought into hospitals for “visit”.
Americans hold “Be-Kind-to-Animals Week” in the first week of May.
Pets shows are held during the week. Even if you don’t live in America, you, too, can do this. How? First, think about how animals make your life richer. If you have a pet, take more time this week to play with it. Remember to give it delicious food. Also, be sure to keep your pet from those unwanted babies.
If you don’t have a pet, be kind to animals around you. For example, if you see a street dog, don’t kick it or throw things at it. Instead, just leave it alone, or better yet, make friends with it. If others around you do bad things to an animal, try to stop them. As people, we must protect animals who can’t speak for themselves.
1. “A few even leave all their money to their pets when they die!” means that__________

A．pets have the right to inherit (继承) money.

B．money can give pets happiness.

C．it’s the best way to spend money.

D．some pets are taken as children.

2. Why are dogs brought to hospitals?

A．Because they are ill and need to see doctors.

B．Because they can make the patients happier.

C．Because they can find out the problems of the patients.

D．Because doctors can do experiments on them.

3. What’s the most popular activity in the “Be-Kind-to-Animals Week”?

A．Holding a pet show in the week.

B．Playing with pets the whole week.

C．Cooking delicious food for pets.

D．Making friends with other people’s pets.

4. What’s the passage mainly about?

A．A lot of people are interested in dogs.

B．Dogs can help people do many things. Z+X+X+K]

C．Pets are lovely and need care and protection.

D．We have done a lot of things for pets.

5. The words “man’s best friends” shows____________.

A．the friendship between people.

B．the friendship between people and animals.

C．the friendship between animals.

D．the friendship between men and women

【推荐3】Brian arrived at the San Francisco airport two hours before the flight to Paris. He was wearing three shirts, a jacket, two pairs of socks, a pair of shorts, and two pairs of jeans. He was carrying one small backpack, which was very full, but he didn't have any other luggage(行李). Brian needed to meet a man named Tony before he checked in (办理乘机手续) for his flight. He found Tony near the Air France counter. Tony gave him a round-trip ticket and a small package.

"Give this package to Jean Paul at the airport in Paris. He will have a sign with your name on it. I think you can find him easily," Tony said, "You don't have any luggage, right?"

"Only this backpack," Brian answered. "You said I could bring one carry-on bag."

"That's right. One carry-on bag is fine. Have a good trip."

"Thanks."

Is Brian a criminal (罪犯)? Not at all. He is an air-courier. And he paid only $110 for the round-trip ticket to Paris. Air-couriers get cheap airline tickets because they take important packages and papers to foreign countries. Businesses sometimes need to get packages and papers to people in foreign countries by the next day. Often, the only way they can do this is to use an air-courier company. It is not cheap for a business to send a package with an air-courier, but it is quick.

Every year about 80,000 people worldwide travel as air-couriers. The number of tickets for the air-courier travel is growing by about 10 percent a year. However, air-courier travel isn't for everyone. But if you have very little money, you can be flexible (灵活的) about your travel plans, and don't mind wearing the same clothes for a week, it can be a great way to take a vacation!

1. Why was Brian wearing so many clothes for his travel?_________

A．Because his backpack had no room for his clothes.

B．Because that made him easier to be recognized.

C．Because they were the uniforms for air-couriers.

D．Because he did not have any luggage with him.

2. An air-courier is a person who _____.

A．manages a business company in foreign countries

B．delivers papers and packages to foreign countries

C．travels around the world with cheap tickets

D．organizes international flights for tourists

3. Businesses choose the air-courier service because _____.

A．it is fast	B．it is not flexible
C．it is cheap	D．it is slow

4. The author of the text mainly _____.

A．describes the activities of a law-breaker	B．tells us about a developing business
C．argues against the air-courier travel	D．suggests an ideal way to free-travel