【推荐1】        There have always been laws against copying other people’s ideas. However, when copying was only limited to copying something by hand, problems were solved easily. The solution was always the destruction or removal of the copy. Nowadays, the rise of the Internet has made the issue of intellectual property (知识产权) more complicated.
        Almost every bit of information can be cut and pasted (粘贴) with a few clicks of a mouse. Many art forms such as writings, films, and music need new protection to ensure that people do not simply transfer them for free. Online illegal copying has been blamed for a huge reduction in the sales of many records because it is hard to convince people to buy something that they can get for free. Even the ideas behind traditional games, such as Scrabble, have been used without the owners’ permission.
        Old laws have been struggling to keep up. While music companies have been successful in persuading courts that action should be taken against people who illegally download music, the law is difficult to carry out. Furthermore, intellectual property rights vary widely from country to country, so it’s up for debate which laws apply. Finally, there is the fact that many people simply do not see the act as theft (盗窃), since once the work has been digitized there is no clear physical object to steal in the first place.
        All of these issues mean that companies involved with intellectual property — ideas or easily digitized information — are fighting desperately to get people to pay for the information they use, rather than paying for an object like a CD that they use. While the companies have sometimes been successful, the practical barriers to full protection seem insurmountable.
        Finally, all that concerned parties can do is hope that their few successes scare off others and try to find new ways of making money.
1. Why do writings, films, and music need protection？

A．They are very expensive.

B．They are impossible to copy.

C．It is easy to make CDs, books, and movies.

D．They are easily able to be transferred when in digital form.

2. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a problem of carrying out intellectual property rights?

A．Laws are not the same in all countries.

B．People do not see copying information as theft.

C．It is very hard to catch people who are breaking the law.

D．Internet service providers do not want to cooperate with the police.

3. The underlined word “insurmountable” in Paragraph 4 means “________”.

A．extremely expensive	B．impossible to overcome
C．against the law	D．hard to prove

4. What can be inferred from this passage?

A．Music and films will be unnecessary in the future.

B．New laws are necessary but difficult to put into practice.

C．The Internet is likely to become more important in the future.

D．Laws are just a way for greedy companies to control their products.

【推荐2】Under new rules posted by the Civil Aviation (航空) administration of China on Friday, pilots will have to pass a “level four” test of Mandarin Chinese, China’s official language. Those who speak with an accent that “often impedes” comprehension will not pass. These rules take effect in January 2016.

China’s 56 ethnic groups speak more than 80 languages and dialects. Even native Mandarin speakers can have trouble communicating with each other depending on the strength of their accents, which can be mutually unintelligible (难理解的).

One flight trainer illustrated the scope for linguistic confusion, especially when common English aviation terms are used. Asked if there is a problem on board, a Chinese pilot might answer in the negative with the words mei you, or “there isn’t.” But someone speaking with a heavy Sichuan accent would pronounce mei you as “May day” — unconsciously parroting the universally recognized distress call (遇难信号).

Like their international counterparts (对应物), Chinese aviators have developed codes to avoid confusion resulting from homonyms (同音异义字) or near-homonyms. They use the terms yao for one and guai for seven, which are otherwise pronounced yi and qi respectively and easily confused.

The new rule could affect all pilots, who must renew their license every six years, and adds to a growing list of burdens for the profession.

1. What does the underlined word “impedes” in Para 1 mean?

A．improves	B．helps
C．misleads	D．limits

2. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．Sichuan dialect has the contrary meaning to Mandarin.

B．Native Mandarin speakers can understand each other well.

C．It isn’t necessary for a pilot to pass the test before January 2016.

D．“May day” is a distress call in our everyday life.

3. What is the purpose of the Chinese aviators using the terms yao for one and guai for seven?

A．To avoid misunderstanding.

B．To communicate with their international counterparts.

C．To pass the test.

D．To avoid their accents.

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．Chinese Pilots Told to Get Rid of Regional Accents

B．Chinese Pilots

C．Rich Chinese Languages

D．Hard to Be a Chinese Pilot

【推荐3】The Occupy protests(抗议) in Hong Kong are approaching an end. Traffic on Mong Kok’s Argyle Street resumed in the late afternoon after the clearance of the barriers and tents by protesters, who remained largely calm, only resisting the clearance at several points.
Some 3,000 police officers were deployed(部署) in the operation, a much higher number than were used to assist in the clearance of a protest site in Admiralty District on November 18.
The operation in Mong Kok comes a week after the partial clearance of another protest site next to the local government headquarters in Admiralty, bringing an end to the months-long protest movement.
Some 3,000 police officers also stood guard at the former protest site in Admiralty on Tuesday.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying expressed on Tuesday his hope that business could resume for shops in the area. He also restated that the protest was an unlawful gathering, and called for the protesters to respect and obey the law.
“The common call of Hong Kong people has finally been answered. Now the protest is coming to an end which is necessary and unavoidable. The public has suffered enough,” Leticia Lee See-yin told the Global Times.
“Many people are living in Mong Kok or operating their businesses in the area. They are all angry at the protest for affecting their business. Two shop owners even shut down their stores because they can no longer afford losses caused by the protest,” said Lee.
It is believed that the successful clearance of the Mong Kok site has proven that the protests are decreasing as they approach an end.
“The authorities met with much less resistance compared to a month ago when protesters reacted violently when police tried to remove barriers in the same area in Mong Kok. Now the public has expressed a stronger desire than ever for the protest to end,” Tang Ka-piu, a lawmaker, told the Global Times.
1. The underlined word “resumed” in the first paragraph most probably means “_______”.

A．came to a stop	B．moved faster
C．returned to normal	D．piled up

2. It can be learned from the passage that the occupy protests _______.

A．have made the public suffer a lot

B．have lasted for two months

C．are supported by common people

D．have caused no loss for the citizens

3. Which of the following is True according to the passage?

A．Police officers didn’t meet with any resistance in the late afternoon clearance.

B．Many more than 3000 police officers took part in the clearance in Admiralty District.

C．The authorities are not capable of dealing with the resistance from the protesters.

D．The occupy protests are announced illegal and harmful for the business.

4. How do the Hong Kong public feel about the occupy protests?

A．Approval.

B．Annoyed.

C．Scared.

D．Desirable.

【推荐1】Three scientists who played central roles in the discovery of the hepatitis C virus(丙型肝炎病毒)have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2020. This prize will bed shared by Michael Houghton, from the United Kingdom, and United States scientists Harvey J. Alter and Charles M. Rice, who all made notable contributions toward the discovery of the blood-born virus that causes chronic(慢性的)liver problems.

Alter demonstrated in the 1970s that some people who received blood transfusions(输血)would develop cases of hepatitis that were not caused by the hepatitis A or B viruses, suggesting that another infectious agent was to blame. In the 1980s, Houghton managed to isolate(分离)the genetic sequence of the virus, while Rice proved that the pathogen(病原体)could replicate and cause infection. The World Health Organization estimates that around 71 million people worldwide live with hepatitis C, which can cause major liver complications(并发症)and, in some cases, death.

The Nobel Assembly said the three researchers had contributed to a “landmark achievement in the ongoing battle against viral diseases”. “The discovery of hepatitis C virus revealed the cause of the remaining cases of chronic hepatitis and made blood tests and new medicines that have saved millions of lives possible, ” the assembly said in a statement. ”“Thanks to their discovery, highly sensitive blood tests for the virus are now available and these have essentially eliminated post-transfusion hepatitis in many parts of the world, greatly improving global health.” The assembly said that the discoveries performed by the newly minted Nobel Laureates also allowed for the rapid development of antiviral drugs directed at hepatitis C. “For the first time in history, the disease can now be cured, raising hopes of eradicating hepatitis C virus from the world population,”the statement said.

The award for physiology and medicine is the first of the Nobel Prizes to be handed out this year, with prizes in physics, chemistry, literature, peace and economics to follow during the next seven days.

1. What was the important discovery of three scientists?

A．The hepatitis A virus.	B．The hepatitis B virus.
C．The hepatitis C virus.	D．The risk of blood transfusions.

2. Who succeeded in isolating the sequence of the virus?

A．Michael Houghton.	B．Harvey J. Alter.
C．Charles M. Rice.	D．The World Health Organization.

3. What’s paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．The significance of the discovery.	B．The course of the discovery.
C．The disadvantage of the discovery.	D．The harm of the hepatitis.

4. What does the underlined word “eradicating” in paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Discovering.	B．Knowing.
C．Reporting.	D．Destroying.

【推荐2】The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2020 was awarded jointly to Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer A. Doudna “for the development of a method for genome editing.”

Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer A. Doudna have discovered one of gene technology’s sharpest tools: the CRISPR/Cas9 genetic scissors. Using these, researchers can change the DNA of animals, plants and microorganisms with extremely high precision. This technology has had a revolutionary impact on the life sciences. It is contributing to new cancer therapies and may make the dream of curing inherited (遗传) diseases come true.

Researchers need to modify (修改) genes in cells if they are to find out life’s inner workings. This used to be time-consuming, difficult and sometimes impossible work. Using the CRISPR/Cas9 genetic scissors, it is now possible to change the code of life over the course of a few weeks.

“There is enormous power in this genetic tool, which affects us all. It has not only revolutionized basic science, but also resulted in innovative crops and will lead to ground-breaking new medical treatments,” says Claes Gustafsson, chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry.

As often in science, the discovery of these genetic scissors was unexpected. During Emmanuelle Charpentier’s studies of Streptococcus pyogenes (酿脓链球菌) , one of the bacteria that cause the most harm to humanity, she discovered a previously unknown molecule (分子) , tracrRNA. Her work showed that tracrRNA is part of bacteria’s ancient immune system, CRISPR/Cas, that destroys viruses by cleaving (断裂) their DNA.

In 2011, Charpentier started a collaboration with Jennifer Doudna, an experienced biochemist and they simplified the scissors’ molecular components so they were easier to use.

Since Charpentier and Doudna discovered the CRISPR/Cas9 genetic scissors in 2012, their use has exploded. This tool has contributed to many important discoveries in basic research, and plant researchers have been able to develop crops that resist mould, pests and drought. In medicine, clinical trials of new cancer therapies are underway, and the dream of being able to cure inherited diseases is about to come true. These genetic scissors have taken the life sciences into a new epoch and, in many ways, are bringing the greatest benefit to humankind.

1. Why is Charpentier and Doudna’s discovery revolutionary?

A．Because it shows that genome can be edited.

B．Because it can cure cancer and inherited diseases.

C．Because it can change the DNA however people want it

D．Because it can modify genes in a relatively shorter time

2. What can be inferred from paragraph 5?

A．Charpentier studied Streptococcus pyogenes to find the genetic scissors.

B．Scientific discoveries are always beyond scientists’ expectations.

C．The tracrRNA and CRISPR/Cas are the same thing.

D．CRISPR/Cas can cut DNA and thus kill viruses.

3. Which of the following may NOT be one of the possible fields where CRISPR/Cas9 can be used?

A．Geography

B．Medicine

C．Biochemistry

D．Agriculture

4. What is the main purpose of this article?

A．To tell about Charpentier and Doudna’s lives.

B．To introduce the history of The Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

C．To give readers some basic knowledge of genome editing.

D．To introduce Charpentier and Doudna’s discovery and its impact.