In a clinic room filled with medical staff lining up to get Covid vaccines (疫苗), a woman finds herself in tears. Yet, those are not tears of fear or sadness, but tears of joy and pride. It dawns on her that her decades of hard work have finally paid off. The mRNA vaccines she helped develop have saved millions of lives and helped the world find a way out of the worst of the pandemic.
That remarkable woman is Professor Katalin Karikó, a Hungarian-American biochemist, who together with her colleague American immunologist Drew Weissma, was awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their groundbreaking work on the development of mRNA-based vaccines.
Born in 1955 in Hungary, Professor Karikó had a childhood marked by hardship. In 1985 when the Biological Research Centre of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences lost its funding, she made a daring and risky decision to start a journey to the US. However, the American dream was hardly plain sailing, and the challenges facing Professor Karikó were only just beginning. Despite the promising results in RNA-related therapy trials, she was told her research was going nowhere. Her applications were repeatedly rejected, and in 1995 she lost her position in the University of Pennsylvania and was forced to retire.
Professor Karikó refused to give up easily. She persevered, forming a partnership with the university's immunology professor Drew Weissman, and eventually they made their big breakthrough, finding a way to modify mRNA so that it could trigger an immune response, laying the groundwork for what would become the Covid mRNA vaccines. When the Covid pandemic hit, the use of mRNA was the reason why vaccines were developed so quickly at unprecedented speed.
Professor Karikó’ s journey, from her humble beginnings to her groundbreaking research, stands as a testament to her unwavering perseverance and determination.
1. What challenges did Professor Karikó face during her career in the US?| A．She did have enough money. |
| B．She couldn't understand the language. |
| C．She didn't know how to carry out her research. |
| D．Her research was not accepted by other scientists. |
| A．Gave up. | B．Kept trying. | C．Changed her mind. | D．Put it aside. |
| A．Professor Karikó should retire earlier. |
| B．Professor Karikó's determination made all the difference. |
| C．American dream made everything easy for Professor Karikó. |
| D．The research of mRNA is only valuable when Covid pandemic hit. |
| A．Karikó's American dream. | B．Challenges in Karikó's research. |
| C．The development of the vaccine. | D．Karikó's life and her achievements. |
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【推荐1】I know what courage looks like. I saw it on a flight I took six years ago, and only now can I speak of it without tears filling eyes at the memory.
Our flight left the Orlando Airport one Friday morning. But immediately upon take-off, it was clear that something was wrong. The aircraft was bumping(颠簸) up and down. All the experienced travellers, including me, looked around with knowing smiles. If you fly much, you see these things and learn to act calmly about them. However, we did not remain calm for long.
Minutes after we were in the air, our plane began falling quickly. The pilot soon made a serious announcement. “We are having some difficulties,” he said. “Our indicators show that the control system has failed. We will be returning to the Orlando Airport. The flight attendants will prepare you for a bumpy landing. Also, if you look out of the windows, you will see that we are dumping fuel from the airplane. We want to have as little on board as possible in the event of a rough touchdown.” In other words, we were about to crash. Many travellers looked visibly frightened now. No one faces death without fear, I thought.
Then a couple of rows to my left, I heard a still calm voice, a woman’s voice, speaking in an absolutely normal conversational tone. I had to find the source of this voice. All around, people cried. Many screamed. Finally, I saw her. In this chaos, a mother was talking to her child. The woman, in her mid-30s, was staring full into the face of her daughter, who looked to be four years old. The child listened closely, sensing the importance of her mother’s words. The mother’s gaze held the child so fixed that she seemed untouched by the sounds of grief and fear around her.
Finally, I leaned over and by some miracle could hear this soft sure voice with the tone of comfort. Over and over again, the mother said, “I love you so much. Remember, no matter what happens, I love you always.” Fortunately, our landing gear held at last and our touchdown was not a tragedy.
However, the voice I heard that day never faded. That mom showed me what a real hero looks like.
1. What does the author imply by saying “some travellers’ knowing smiles” in Paragraph 2?| A．They were used to this kind of experience. |
| B．They were quite familiar with each other. |
| C．They were well-educated passengers. |
| D．They were pretending to be calm. |
| A．The plane met bad weather and had to return immediately. |
| B．The flight indicators showed the plane’s control system failed. |
| C．One of the passengers was badly ill and the plane had to turn back. |
| D．A flight attendant explained flight safety instructions to the passengers. |
| A．They asked for help. |
| B．They remained calm. |
| C．They cried and screamed. |
| D．They rejected the bumpy landing. |
| A．The shape of love. |
| B．The voice of courage. |
| C．The wisdom of a pilot. |
| D．The danger of a journey. |
【推荐2】Well-known author and Henrico resident Meg Medina, who won the 2019 Newbery Medal, today was named National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature for 2023~2024. Medina’s most recent book, Merci Suárez Plays It Cool, was published in August 2022, concluding her middle-school trilogy(三部曲). Medina, who has also written picture books and fiction for older teens, will travel throughout the USA, sharing her platform “Cuéntame!: Let’s Talk Books.”
Medina will meet with children at every grade level for conversations about the books they love to read, encouraging them to move beyond talking about a book’s title and basic plot points to how it made them feel or how it’s similar-or dissimilar-to their own lives.
The ambassador program is mainly sponsored by the Library of Congress. Clay Smith, director of library initiatives for the Library of Congress, says ambassadors have to be able to speak to others about reading and writing and to communicate with children in particular. That’s where Medina shines, he says. “She knows how kids think and how they talk,” Smith says. “She’s able to access what’s happening with kids today.”
Smith says that since the turn of the century, there’s been a surge in literature for children, first at the high school level and then during the middle school readers. Additionally, there’re also a larger diversity of authors writing for children, which leads to plotlines and characters that more accurately reflect the country as a whole. “There’s been a push for diversity”, Smith says. “The options should be out there for children to read stories about people who look like them”
Medina agrees children should be empowered to choose the books they want to read for pleasure. She hopes the conversations she has with children about books create the same satisfaction she felt as a child, while encouraging more discussion.
1. What are teens mainly expected to focus on during the talks about books?| A．The basic plot points of the books. | B．Their opinions on the books’ titles. |
| C．Their feelings about the books. | D．The main contents of the books. |
| A．She is able to relate to children. | B．She is gifted at writing. |
| C．She takes good care of children. | D．She knows a lot of authors. |
| A．Change. | B．Discovery. | C．Decrease. | D．Growth. |
| A．Kids’ trouble in choosing books. | B．More diverse books for children. |
| C．Children’s demand for good books. | D．More impacts of reading on children. |
【推荐3】O. Henry was a pen name used by an American writer of short stories. His real name was William Sydney Porter. He was born in North Carolina in 1862. As a young boy he lived an exciting life. He did not go to school for very long, but he managed to teach himself everything he needed to know. When he was about 20 years old, O. Henry went to Texas, where he tried different jobs. He first worked on a newspaper, and then had a job in a bank. When some money went missing from the bank, O. Henry was believed to have stolen it. Because of that, he was sent to prison. During the three years in prison, he learned to write short stories. After he got out of prison, he went to New York and continued writing. He wrote mostly about New York and the life of the poor there. People liked his stories, because simple as the tales were, they would finish with a sudden change at the end, to the readers’ surprise.
1. In which order did O. Henry do the following things?a. Lived in New York. b. Worked in a bank. c. Traveled to Texas.
d. Was put in prison . e. Had a newspaper job. f. Learned to write stories.
| A．e, c, f, b, d, a | B．c, b, e, d, a, f | C．e, b, d, c, a, f | D．c, e, b, d, f, a |
| A．they had surprise endings | B．they were easy to understand |
| C．they showed his love for the poor | D．they were about New York City |
| A．people thought he had stolen money from the newspaper. |
| B．he broke the law by not using his own name. |
| C．he wanted to write stories about prisoners. |
| D．people thought he had taken the money that was not his. |
| A．He was well-educated. | B．He was very good at learning. |
| C．He was devoted to the poor. | D．He was not serious about his work. |
| A．His life inside the prison. | B．The newspaper articles he wrote. |
| C．The city and people of New York. | D．His exciting early life as a boy. |
【推荐1】
If you have ever seen a snowflake design on jewelry or a bag, chances are it was based on one of Wilson Bentley’s more than 5,000 photomicrographs of snow crystals (晶体).
At first, though, Bentley did not have any way to share his enjoyment of the delicate hexagons (六边形) other than to draw them. He spent hours outside or inside his unheated storeroom with a microscope. He would pick up a snow crystal and transfer it to a microscope slide. There, he flattened it with a bird feather. Then, holding his breath, he observed the crystal and hurried to draw what he saw before it turned forever into thin air.
A few years later, Bentley began his pursuit to photograph a snow crystal. He attached a microscope to a camera. Time after time, his negatives appeared blank. The following winter, he finally figured out that too much light was reaching the camera. His solution was to place a metal plate with a tiny hole in the center beneath the stage of the microscope. It cut down the stray (杂散的) light and allowed only the light waves carrying the image to reach the camera.
On January 15, 1885, at the age of 19, Bentley finally photographed a snowflake! He spent many hours over the next 45 years in his tiny darkroom developing negatives.
Bentley lived his entire life on his childhood farm. He farmed for a living. To his friends and family, he was kind, gentle, and funny “Willie”. But to scientists, he was the untrained researcher who became a snow crystal pioneer. He wrote for science journals. He not only photographed snow crystals but also became an authority on dew (露水) and frost. He kept a detailed daily log of local weather conditions throughout his life. He developed a method to measure the size of raindrops too.
Bentley never made more than a few thousand dollars from his work. It had been a labor of love, and he was satisfied to be able to share the beauty of his snow crystals with the world. And today, he is remembered as Snowflake Bentley.
1. Why did Bentley draw the snow crystals?| A．To design products. | B．To become an artist. |
| C．To share his pleasure. | D．To research the weather. |
| A．improved the microscope | B．changed the negatives |
| C．turned down the light | D．invented a camera |
| A．He lived a successful but boring life. | B．He was laughed at for lack of training. |
| C．He earned a lot of money from his photos. | D．He was not only an artist but also a scientist. |
| A．Practice makes perfect. | B．Intelligence is the key to success. |
| C．Love and devotion makes a person. | D．Chances are for those who are prepared. |
【推荐2】Gary Koppelman, an award-winning science teacher, didn’t think he’d make it to college. In elementary school, he struggled with math and reading. Speaking in front of his classmates made him awkward. He was teased constantly. By the time he began high school, his instructor told him to forget about college.
Fortunately, Koppelman’s high school teacher, Doug Cline, frequently praised Koppelman’s strengths, and helped him handle incidents of teasing. In 1970, Koppelman got admitted into Eastern Michigan University to pursue a degree in teaching. There, his professor noticed his difficulty in reading and challenges with hearing. Following his professor’s advice, Koppelman started seeing his teachers after lectures to receive extra help and designing projects to understand theories better. In 1976, Koppelman graduated with a master’s degree in elementary education.
Koppelman’s discoveries about his own learning challenged him to design an alternative method to teach science to young children and create the Environmental Life Lab at Blissfield Elementary. He tries to provide opportunities for students to engage with natural world, ask questions, collect and analyze data, and work together to come up with answers. “In the science lab, every day feels like a field trip day,” a seventh grader said.
“At a young age, children are so attracted by animals and insects,” Koppelman said. “It’s hard to explain to people who are not teachers what it looks and feels when something in nature or science touches a child’s sense of awe and wonderment. But I see it every day.”
“Life science is a powerful springboard to get students interested in earth and physical science, and then extend that into math, geography, and social studies. There is nothing else like it,” claimed Linda Mueller, the school’s headmaster. “Blissfield consistently outperforms state averages on standardized science tests, and sometimes near the top of the state.”
1. What do we know about Koppelman’s elementary school life?| A．It was interrupted constantly. | B．It was unforgettable with joy. |
| C．It was filled with achievements. | D．It was depressing with difficulty. |
| A．By having daily field trips. | B．By getting them exposed to nature. |
| C．By giving standardized tests. | D．By seeking help from other teachers. |
| A．It is hard to explain science to people. |
| B．Science is different from other subjects. |
| C．Koppelman’s teaching method has paid off. |
| D．Blissfield tops the state’s elementary schools. |
| A．Devoted and creative. | B．Reliable and punctual. |
| C．Humorous and modest. | D．Disciplined and talkative. |
【推荐3】“What if we treat the ocean as if our lives depend on it? Or, what if we don’t?” World-famous marine biologist Sylvia Earle poses her famous “what if” questions to inspire people to reflect on how they can help save the ocean. In 1998, Time magazine named Earle its first “Hero for the Planet.”
Earle’s move to Florida’s west coast at age 12 is what started a lifelong passion. She says, “That’s where I first fell in love with the ocean.” In 1953, using newly developed equipment, the young scientist became one of the first in her field to scuba dive (水肺潜水). Her first long-term exposure to the ocean depths came in 1970 when she led an all-female research team to study the ocean. They lived under the sea in a submersible (潜水器) for two weeks. When they returned to the surface, world-wide cheer and praise were waiting, especially for Dr. Earle.
Sylvia Earle’s career includes many firsts. In 1979 she became the first woman to walk the ocean floor 381 meters below the surface. In 1990, she became the first female chief scientist of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Through the years, Earle has spent roughly 7,500 hours underwater. During that time, she has become increasingly alarmed by the significant changes she has observed.
The famous scientist fears that the ocean is dying. Climate change, overfishing, the dumping of trash and chemicals and oil spills are just some of the many causes. In order to tackle the problem, Earle formed Mission Blue in 2009. This organization promotes the legal protection and conservation of the world’s oceans. Her plan is to develop “Hope Spots,” protected areas large enough to reverse (逆转) damage and restore the ocean.
1. Why does Sylvia Earle put forward “what if” questions?| A．To call on people to protect the ocean. |
| B．To stress our dependence on the ocean. |
| C．To criticize people’s damage to the ocean. |
| D．To contribute an article to Time magazine. |
| A．She moved to Florida to learn diving. |
| B．She was the best in scuba diving. |
| C．She did not get much attention in 1970. |
| D．She became a chief scientist of NOAA in 1990. |
| A．Scientists’ fears. | B．Causes of the damage. |
| C．Efforts Earle made. | D．Bright future for the ocean. |
| A．Dr. Sylvia Earle — A Lover of Diving |
| B．Dr. Sylvia Earle — Pioneer of the Deep |
| C．The Ocean — A place in Urgent Need of Our Care |
| D．Scuba Diving — A Fantastic Way to Learn the Ocean |
【推荐1】“Please, mother, do sit down and let me try my hand ."said Fred, a bright , active boy twelve years old. A look of relief came over his mother's face as she seated herself who looked pale and worn. Fred washed the dishes, swept the kitchen, and then set out for school. After school, he hurried home, set the table and again washed the dishes.
He kept on in this way for several days till his mother was able to resume her usual work and he felt fully rewarded when the doctor, who happened in one day, said, "well, madam, it's my opinion that you would be very sick if you had not kept quiet"
The boys missed Fred because he had been in the habit of going early to school and staying to play after it was dismissed. Their curiosity was excited when he would give no other reason than that he was "wanted at home". One boy secretly detected Fred washing dishes from his kitchen window and reported this at school and various were the greetings poor Fred received during break. "Well, you are a brave one to stay at home washing dishes." “Girl boy!" "Pretty Bessie!" "Lost your apron, haven't you, Polly!"
Fred was not wanting either in spirit or courage, and he was strongly tempted to resent（对....气愤）these insults and to fight some boys. But his consciousness of right and his love for his mother helped him.
While he was struggling for self mastery, his teacher appeared at the door of the schoolhouse. Fred caught his eye, and it seemed to look, if it didn't say, "Don't give up! Be really brave!" He knew his teacher had heard the insulting remarks of his thoughtless schoolmates.
The hoys received notice during the day that Fred must not be teased in any manner. They knew that the teacher meant what he said.
1. How do we understand the doctor's words?| A．The mother was sick because she didn't keep quiet |
| B．Encourage more children to learn from Fred. |
| C．The mother recovered due to her remaining quiet |
| D．Hope the mother would exercise more than keep quiet. |
| A．Teases. | B．Admiring remarks. |
| C．Criticisms. | D．Sympathetic remarks. |
| A．Fred's courage enabled him to tight. |
| B．Fred's love for mother helped him fight. |
| C．Fred had neither spirit nor courage to fight. |
| D．Fred's a flection for mother stopped him fighting. |
| A．A considerate teacher helped Fred. |
| B．A strong-willed boy overcame himself. |
| C．A sick mother recovered finally. |
| D．A thoughtful boy helped a sick mother. |
【推荐2】My dad, Greg Newman, had wanted to be a race car driver, but things didn’t work out for him. So I guess having a son who could become a race car driver was the next best thing. Don’t get me wrong — Dad didn’t push me into racing. In fact, when I was about 10 years old, my dad was afraid that driving a car wasn’t my dream. So he took the racing away from me. I wasn’t very happy with that decision. It wasn’t long before Dad realized that racing was what I loved.
At four, Dad bought me my first Quarter Midget (袖珍赛车) and that’s really where it started for us. Back then, Dad coached me. He would stick out (伸出) his foot in the path of the race car, and then tell me to exactly hit his foot. By repeating this again and again, Dad believed that I would be faster and sharper on the race track.
Dad worked really long hours at his car repair business to make money so that I could race each weekend. I can remember that every night before he turned off the lights in the garage, Dad would tell me: “Don’t forget to kiss your race car good night.” He was trying to teach me that if I show respect, it’s returned. He wanted me to show thankfulness and respect for my race car and for all the hard work that we and many others had put into the dream.
My dad, my mom and my sister gave up a lot of things to help me race. For us, there was no better moment than winning the 50th running of the Daytona 500 in 2018. That evening in February 2018, I knew I had gotten a good push. I could hear the excitement. My father couldn’t speak a word, and when he got to Victory Lane (车道), he nearly knocked me over and gave me such a big hug.
1. Why did Greg Newman stop his son to race when his son was 10 years old?| A．Because he thought racing was dangerous. |
| B．Because he worried that his son didn’t like racing. |
| C．Because he didn’t want his son to fail like he did. |
| D．Because he couldn’t afford the money. |
| A．training his son to race |
| B．working hard to make money |
| C．buying his son a mini racing car |
| D．changing his job as a race car driver |
| A．To improve his son’s skill. | B．To help his son to be braver. |
| C．To have fun with his son. | D．To make his son more careful. |
| A．get help from his family |
| B．treat the race car as his son |
| C．feel grateful that he could follow his dream |
| D．develop a close relationship with his race car |
| A．disappointed | B．surprised | C．sad | D．excited |
【推荐3】I went online to check if my pay was in my bank account. To my amazement, I discovered that not only had I been paid, a company I’d never worked for had also paid me! I knew I’d have been beside myself if my own salary was not in my account, so I tried to get the money back to the right person. It is easier said than done.
The bank couldn’t help as it wasn’t a bank problem. The human-resource department as the company that paid me was unable to help as I didn’t have enough details. I rang the bank again. Thankfully I had sympathetic call operator who gave me a name, so I again rang the company “Daniel” worked for.
I expected the bank would contact me to arrange to take the money from my account and repay Daniel. I heard nothing for a month and the money remained in my account when Daniel called, explaining he’d tried to get back his money but had been unsuccessful as neither the bank nor his company felt it was their error. He had rung to ask if I could speak to the bank, but after chatting for a few minutes we realized we could probably fix this problem ourselves.
We decided I would take the money from my account and he would pick it up from me. Due to my busy job I was unable to meet Daniel personally but he left me a lovely bottle of wine in exchange for what was rightfully his. I never had any intention of keeping Daniel’s pay, but red tape (繁琐手续)made it difficult to do the right thing. It all came down to two people being able to do what a huge bank and a large company couldn’t do — admit a mistake has occurred and fix it.
1. The underlined phrase “beside myself” in paragraph I probably means ______.| A．very fortunate | B．very angry |
| C．really thankful | D．at ease |
| A．He didn’t know what to do with it. |
| B．He felt lucky to get it. |
| C．He thought of keeping it for himself. |
| D．He wanted to return it to the right place. |
| A．Daniel had been repaid when he called the author. |
| B．The author was to blame as he didn’t have enough details. |
| C．Neither the bank nor the company admitted their fault. |
| D．Daniel had the same name as the author’s. |
| A．The author and Daniel solved the problem themselves. |
| B．It cost Daniel a lovely bottle of wine to get back his money. |
| C．The author gave the money back to the company. |
| D．The call operator offered to solve their problem. |
