Bowhead whales (弓头鲸) can live 200 years or longer. How they do it is no longer among the secrets of the deep. Scientists have mapped the genetic code of this long-lived whale species. The international effort found unusual features in the Arctic whale’s genes. Those features likely protect the species against cancer and other problems related to old age.
“We hope to learn what is the secret for living longer, healthier lives,” says João Pedro de Magalhães. He is a gerontologist (a scientist who studies old age) at the University of Liverpool in England. He also is co-author of the study that appeared January 6 in Cell Reports. His team hopes, he says, that its new findings might one day be used “to improve human health and preserve human life.”
No other mammal is known to live as long as the bowhead. Scientists have shown that some of these whales have lived well beyond 100—including one that survived to 211. For perspective, if he were still alive, Abraham Lincoln would be turning just 206 this year. De Magalhães’ team wanted to understand how the bowhead can live so long. To study this, the experts analyzed the animal’s complete set of genetic instructions, called its genome (基因组). Those instructions are coded in the animal’s DNA. The team also compared the whale’s genome to those of people, mice and cows.
The scientists discovered differences, including mutations (突变), in the whale’s genes. Those changes are linked to cancer, aging and cell growth. The results suggest that the whales are better than humans at repairing their DNA. That’s important because damaged or flawed DNA can lead to diseases, including some cancers.
Bowheads also are better at keeping abnormally dividing cells in check. Together, the changes appear to allow bowhead whales to live longer without developing age-related diseases such as cancer, says de Magalhães.
1. What do we learn about bowhead whales?| A．Their average life is 100. | B．They are the longest-lived animals. |
| C．They don’t have aging problems. | D．They live in the Arctic Ocean. |
| A．To discover the secret of long life. |
| B．To find out a cure for cancer. |
| C．To prevent age-related diseases. |
| D．To lengthen human life. |
| A．To remind us of the time he lived. |
| B．To show the long life of the bowhead. |
| C．To compare him with the bowhead. |
| D．To express people’s respect for him. |
| A．Good DNA repair system. | B．Gene mutation. |
| C．Cell division. | D．Perfect living environment. |
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Orchids’ Secret
Orchids (兰花) are some of the most rare and delicate species in all of nature. For hundreds of years orchids have been prized discoveries of collectors and adventurers hoping to find new and diverse kinds of the flower. “Orchid hunters” went looking for the mysterious orchids and brought back new types to sell. However, many of them met with tragedy instead. Dozens of hunters were killed by accidents or diseases or murder. Others became food for horrible creatures.
While the plants have long been valued for their beauty, they may be even more important to science and our understanding of co-evolution. Unlike plants that can self-pollinate (自我授粉), orchids need very specific insects or birds to spread their pollen. The process by which insects, the wind, or birds spread the pollen of different flowers is called pollination. Pollen is a powder produced by plants that contains their genetic material. In order for the plants to reproduce, the pollen must be physically moved to the flower’s stigma (花的柱头), which contains an egg. Now the fertilized egg can become a seed. Birds and insects can pollinate plants by touching many different flowers and spreading the pollen around.
Orchids evolved to attract insects and birds. Because there are many different species of orchid, there are also many different ways the orchids attract their pollinators. Orlean explains that “many species look so much like their favorite insects that an insect mistakes them for its relatives, and when it lands on the flower to visit, pollen sticks to its body. Another orchid imitates the shape of something that a pollinating insect likes to kill... Other species look like the mate of their pollinator, so the bug tries to mate with one orchid and then another… and spreads pollen from flower to flower each hopeless time.”
Other orchids don’t use their shape at all, but rather produce specialized smells to attract specific insects, such as bees, beetles or flies. Some orchids smell like cake, some like chocolate, and some like rotting meat. All these smells may seem weird, but they exist to attract creatures to their pollen and help the orchids survive.
Orchids provide new angles for the research into plant and animal evolution on the earth. The strategies to attract insects and spread their flowers’ pollen go on and on. Each family of orchids has a unique kind of insect or bird that visits their flowers, as well as its own way of attracting them. It has worked, too. Orchid species number more than 25,000 worldwide, which is more kinds of species than any other flower on the planet, and new ones are still being found.
Orchids and the insects that pollinate them are one of the most amazing examples of evolution. By tricking the insects that collect its pollen, the orchid has survived since the time of the dinosaurs.
Main points | Supporting details |
Orchids are rare and delicate. | ● Orchid hunters consider their discovery of great ● Many orchid hunters |
Different types of orchids have different ways to spread pollen. | Pollination is a process where the pollen, containing the genetic material of the plant, is carried to the stigma of the flower, so that the plant can ● Some species attract insects to land on their flowers with ● Some species ● Some species ● |
The importance of the | Orchids and the insects that pollinate them are one of the most amazing examples. ● Orchids have the ● Nature has witnessed the |
【推荐2】If you have ever had a cat, or have watched one of the many funny cat videos online, you’ll know that cats have a mind of their own. A lot of the things they do are hard to understand---they like to climb up tall furniture, fit themselves in small spaces and attack small objects for no reason at all.
Now scientists have managed to figure out what exactly is going on in the brains of our little friends. According to Tony Buffington, a professor at Ohio State University in the US, cats’ strange behavior largely comes from their way of life back in the wild. “Cats today still have many of the same instincts(本能)that allowed them to live in the wild for millions of years.” he said in a TED Talk. “To them, our homes are their jungles.”
In the wild, cats are hunters. Their bodies and great balancing abilities allow them to climb to high spots to better look at the environment. Even though they don’t have to hunt any more in human houses, they still keep the old habit of viewing the living room from, for example, the top of the refrigerator.
Cats’ hunting instinct is also what makes them attack small things like keys and USB drives. In the wild, they hunt whatever they can get, and most of the animals they kill are small.
However, cats can also be prey. This explains why they like to stay in small spaces like drawers or washing machines---they are hiding, or they think they are hiding, from more dangerous animals. This is also why cats prefer a clean box: a smelly one could easily show enemies where they are.
Knowing how cats’ minds work is not only useful for better understanding them. It may also help cats’ owners to better meet cats’ needs. For example, owners could try to make climbing easier for cats by moving their furniture around. They could also use “food puzzles” to make eating feel more like hunting instead of just giving food to the cats.
1. According to Tony Buffington, ________.| A．cats’ strange behavior is hard for people to understand |
| B．cats are more used to living in the wild than in humans’ homes |
| C．cats behave strangely mainly because of some instincts in the wild |
| D．cats’ instincts are as helpful to them today as they were millions of year ago |
| A．Cats like to climb up high because they want to hide from dangerous animals. |
| B．Cats attack keys and USB drives because they have a habit of hunting small animals. |
| C．Cats enjoy staying in small spaces because they usually live in small caves in the wild. |
| D．Cats’ preference for a clean box probably has something to do with their hunting instincts. |
| A．an animal that is too lazy |
| B．an animal that likes hiding games |
| C．an animal that keeps itself clean |
| D．an animal that is hunted |
| A．explore the reasons behind cats’ strange behavior |
| B．describe cats’ past wild experience to readers |
| C．tell cat owners how to make life easier for cats |
| D．compare cats’ behavior in human homes with that in the wild |
【推荐3】Every summer, the Serengeti plains (平原) of Africa are worth visiting. Millions of wild animals begin their 1,800-mile journey northwards on their annual migratory (迁移的) route.
In the month of November, polar bears in their thousands cross the Canadian Arctic, as they head towards the ice sheets of Hudson Bay. The sea ice that forms every winter is the key to the bear’s managing to exist, for here they hunt for seals (海豹).
The Great Bustard, one of the heaviest flying birds, migrates each year across Europe and Asia to its wintering grounds. Unluckily, these and other migratory animals are in danger from human activity.
We have written several articles on climate change and the effect of rising ocean temperatures. Since 1979, ice sheets in the Arctic have gone down by 30 percent. What does this mean for polar bears? They are forced to stay on land for longer periods of time, which delays their search for food. As a result, bears today are 60 pounds lighter than what they were. Besides, smaller bears also produce weaker babies, and their chances of survival are at risk. In the plains of Africa, migratory animals like gazelles are traveling long distances for food, just to avoid falling prey (牺牲品) to humans who hunt them.
In an unusual step, experts from 120 countries have agreed to protect 31 migratory mammals, fish and birds. The United Nation’s 11th annual Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) was held in Quito, Ecuador. For the first time, 900 experts attended the conference, and the enthusiastic support shows the world is united in conservation (保护) efforts.
What does getting on a protected list mean? Countries that have signed the agreement will be required to pass laws locally and work with other countries that fall within the animal’s migratory path. Only one animal did not make the list. The African lion was rejected (拒绝) for lack of information of the countries where it lives.
1. What can we learn from the passage?| A．The Great Bustard is one of the largest flying birds. |
| B．The weight of polar bears today is lighter than what it was. |
| C．In the 1970s, ice sheets went down by 30 percent. |
| D．120 experts have agreed to protect 21 migratory animals. |
| A．We don’t know which countries it lives in. |
| B．It isn’t a migratory animal. |
| C．Experts were not interested in this animal. |
| D．It was not traveling long distances for food. |
| A．let us know about the animals |
| B．prevent the rare animals from dying out |
| C．inform us of the effects of climate change |
| D．draw our attention to helping the migratory animals |
| A．some human activity | B．the enthusiastic support from experts |
| C．rising ocean temperatures | D．climate change |
【推荐1】We are often reminded of Oscar Wilde’s saying that “sarcasm (讽刺) is the lowest form of wit” while forgetting the following “but the highest form of intelligence”. Parents or teachers of teenagers, in particular, may find it hard to believe that it is actually a sign of a flexible and inventive mind.
Yet that is exactly what psychologists and neuroscientists have been arguing. They have found that sarcasm requires the brain to jump through numerous hoops (圈) to arrive at a correct interpretation, requiring more brainpower than literal statements.
If you’re still not convinced that your teen’s love of sarcasm is a thing worth celebrating, consider a recent experiment from Li Huang, a psychologist at Insead’s business school in Fontainebleau, France.
In the experiment, participants were presented with a candle, a pack of matches and a box of tacks (图钉). Their task was to find a way to attach the candle to the wall so that it could burn without dripping wax on the floor. The correct answer is to empty the box of tacks, pin it to the wall, and then place the candle inside a solution that will only come to mind if you are prepared to think about the functions of each object.
Before working on the problem, some participants were asked to recall a sarcastic interaction, while others remembered a sincere or neutral exchange. Quite amazingly, the sarcastic memories more than doubled the participants’ success rate, from around 30% to more than 60%.
It may initially feel like a shock when parents notice their children using sarcasm——a sign, perhaps, of a more adult-like cynicism (愤世嫉俗) that conflicts with their impressions of their children’s youthful innocence. Parents may feel particularly helpless when dealing with a teenager who uses it in almost all interactions, as if they struggle. to express any sincere emotions.
But should we blame teens for applying this handy tool? Perhaps it’s better seen as the useful practice of a vital ability. Penny Pexman, a psycholinguist at the University of Calgary agrees and it is for this reason that she has produced Sydney Gets Sarcastic, a storybook that provides multiple examples of sarcasm and the reasons it was used. In a recent experiment on 5-to 6-year-olds, she showed that children who read and discussed the story found it easier to detect sarcastic statements in a following test.
1. Why does the author refer to Oscar Wilde’s words at the beginning of the text?| A．To give a definition of sarcasm. |
| B．To stress the significance of sarcasm. |
| C．To express his concern about sarcasm. |
| D．To show the misunderstanding of sarcasm. |
| A．They tended to stay long with participants. |
| B．They offered clues to the problem to be solved. |
| C．They could force participants to face problems. |
| D．They contributed greatly to participant’s success. |
| A．It shows their innocence. |
| B．It helps them express emotions. |
| C．It is not appropriate for their age. |
| D．It allows them to behave like adults. |
| A．To urge parents to learn from their children’s sarcasm. |
| B．To teach parents how to respond to their children’s sarcasm. |
| C．To show parents the positive side of their children’s sarcasm. |
| D．To remind parents to teach their children to use words properly. |
It is ten thirty in the morning in India. Two cafes are within meters of each other, near a college in New Delhi. And they are selling a lot of tea. Their main customers are undergraduate students.
“We have a lot of break between classes, so whenever we get time, we just go and we enjoy ourselves. It’s a lot of fun, especially when you are with people you enjoy spending time with.”
In the past ten years , cafes have become increasingly popular in India. The country’s huge young population have quickly taken to the coffee culture.
Coffee stores have spread from major cities like New Delhi and Mumbai to smaller towns. Coffee use has doubled in the last ten years. It is the success of this market that has gained the attention of companies like the American-based coffee chain Starbucks. The company will open its first store in India later this year. Other companies like Lavazza and Costa Coffee are already there.
Yet, the growth of coffee will not reduce the popularity of tea. Indians drink eight times more tea than coffee. They have been drinking tea for more than one hundred and fifty years. India is one of the world’s biggest producers of tea, which is known locally as “chai”. Outside homes and offices, it is mostly sold by small businesses on the street.
1. Why do international coffee companies consider opening businesses in India?| A．India consumes very little coffee. | B．India has a large population. |
| C．People in India now prefer coffee to tea. | D．Indians come to like the taste of coffee. |
| A．They only have tea in the cafes. |
| B．They are the main customers in the cafes. |
| C．They like enjoying coffee with friends in cafes. |
| D．They like to go to the cafes to escape lessons. |
| A．Coffee is consumed more than tea in India now. |
| B．Coffee is much more welcomed by young Indians than tea. |
| C．Coffee consumed today doubles that of ten years ago. |
| D．The growth of coffee will reduce the consumption. |
| A．Coffee stores have spread to small towns in India. |
| B．Some foreign coffee companies are trying to open Indian coffee market. |
| C．Local people worry about losing profit on tea. |
| D．Indians drink eight times more tea than coffee. |
| A．Undergraduate students are main coffee consumers in India. |
| B．Indians mainly consume both tea and coffee. |
| C．India is traditionally a tea-drinking country. |
| D．India is becoming a big new coffee consuming country. |
【推荐3】Joy Adamson (Jan, 20, 1910-Jan. 3, 1980) was a popular wildlife conservationist of the 1960s and an author, best known for her book, Born Free, which described her experiences in saving the life of a lioness, Elsa.
Mrs. Adamson was born as Friedericke Victoria Gessner in Troppau. Silesia, Austria-Hungary (now Opava, Czech Republic). In 1937 she moved to Kenya. then a British Colony. In 1944 she married George Adamson, a British game warden in Kenya. and adopted Kenya as her own country, living on the shores of Lake Naivasha. It was with George Adamson, her third husband, that her most crucial and well-known work was done. Their works were pivotal (关键的)for the foundation of modern conservation.
They acquired Elsa, a tame lion cub, in 1956, after George had killed the cub's mother in self-defense. For two years Joy and George trained the animal for a return to the wild, and the subsequent book about Elsa. Born Free (1960), was an international success. Adamson followed the book with Living Free (1961) and Forever Free (1962). These first two books were made into films. In addition to her books about lions, Adamson also wrote two books about Pippa. a cheetah (猎豹) she took on in 1964. as well as numerous other books about her life in Africa. She was also an accomplished artist and many of her paintings are displayed in a museum in Nairobi, Kenya.
Joy and George separated in the 1970s, though they never divorced. On January 3, 1980, Joy was found murdered in a remote region of Kenyn. George was murdered on August 20, 1989, in an isolated region of Nairobi. This was an ironic (讽刺的) end to the lives of two who had lived in such seemingly dangerous circumstances with wild animals; that their deaths were at, the hands of men.
1. What makes Joy Adamson's book Born Free so influential?| A．Her experience in Africa. | B．Her love affairs with George. |
| C．Her adventure in a wild world. | D．Its subject about conservation issue. |
| A．To keep her for company. | B．To make a film of her life. |
| C．To release her into the wild. | D．To show regret for killing its mother. |
| A．Confused. | B．Shameful. | C．Curious. | D．Humorous. |
| A．A biography. | B．A book review. | C．A news report. | D．A short story. |
【推荐1】We all want to be successful in our work. But what happens when our achievements come at the risk of losing important friendships? If your friends didn't receive what they were hoping for, your success could make them feel like they've been “left in the dust”. But does that mean that we shouldn't enjoy our achievements in case we displease someone or that we should feel sorry for being successful when others aren't?
Those of us who value friendships and close working relationships might feel embarrassed for achieving more than our friends. But we deserve our success, and nothing should take it away. Jealousy is only natural, but It’s often unreasonable, too. Your success is probably not connected with your friends' progress, so you shouldn't feel bad about achieving your goals. If your friends stay unfriendly, don’t be afraid to keep yourself away from them. You are not responsible for their weaknesses, and nor should they treat you sharply for furthering your work.
On the other hand, your friends may think highly of your recent success while hiding their real feelings. They could be jealous, angry or sad that they are not progressing at the same rate. So, be careful not to boast. It's a thin line between pride and self-importance, and by crossing the line, you may risk losing team support.
Next time you want to boast about your end-of-year win, or high-class new office, consider your listeners. Maybe your friends narrowly missed out on a position-raising, or experienced pay cuts which meant they didn't get what they were expecting. If your work is on a rising path, it doesn't mean that's the case for everyone.
Perhaps a step forward in your work has meant that you don't spend as much time with your friends as you used to. If you've changed a post or moved to a new office, take the time to stay in touch with old friends. Chances are that in the build-up to your success you've built strong relationships along the way. Don't let that hard work go to waste by losing touch with them.
1. From the first two paragraphs, it can be inferred that ________.| A．we should enjoy our deserving success |
| B．our success will certainly hurt our friends |
| C．friends will surely help us achieve success |
| D．our success is connected with our friends’ progress |
| A．Show up. | B．Stand out. |
| C．Talk big. | D．Keep silent. |
| A．Improve ourselves further. |
| B．Consider their feelings. |
| C．Help them make progress. |
| D．Make them proud of us. |
| A．How to share our success with friends. |
| B．How to enjoy our success to the fullest. |
| C．How to keep relationships between friends. |
| D．How to keep friendships while enjoying achievements. |
【推荐2】Round and Round They Go
Space is becoming more crowded. Quite a few low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites have been launched into the sky, which are designed to move around the Earth only a few hundred kilometres above its surface. SpaceX and OneWeb plan to launch LEO satellites in their thousands, not hundreds, to double the total number of satellites in orbit (轨道) by 2027.
That promises to change things on Earth. LEO satellites can bring Internet connectivity to places where it is still unavailable. This will also be a source of new demand for the space economy. Morgan Stanley, a bank, projects that the space industry will grow from $350 billion in 2016 to more than $1.1 trillion by 2040. New Internet satellites will account for half this increase.
For that to happen, however, three worries must be overcome. Debris (碎片) is the most familiar concern. When enough satellites were packed into low-Earth orbits, any collision (碰撞) could cause a chain reaction which would eventually destroy all spaceships. One solution is to grab the satellites with problems and pull them down into the Earth’s atmosphere. Another is to monitor space more closely for debris. But technology is only part of the answer. Rules are needed to deal with old satellites safely from low-Earth orbits.
Cyber (网络的)-security is a second, long-standing worry. Hackers (黑客) could take control of a satellite and steal intellectual property, redirect data flows or cause a collision. The satellite industry has been slow to respond to such concerns. But as more of the world’s population comes to rely on the space for access to the Internet, the need for action will intensify. Measures will surely be taken to protect network security.
The third issue follows from the first two. If there is a simple mistake or a cyber-attack, it may cause a chain reaction which wipes out hundreds of billions of dollars of investment. Who is responsible for that? Now the plans of firms wishing to operate large numbers of satellites are being studied. But there is a long way to go before the risks are well understood, let alone priced.
As space becomes more commercialized, mind-bending prospects open up: packages moved across the planet in minutes by rocket rather than by plane, equipment sent to other small planets, passengers launched into orbit and beyond. All that and more may come, one day. But such activities would raise the same questions as LEO satellites do. They must be answered before the space economy can truly develop.
1. What can we learn about LEO satellites from the passage?| A．They are supposed to limit the space economy. |
| B．They are expected to increase in large numbers. |
| C．They are designed to move beyond the Earth as far as possible. |
| D．They are mainly intended to bring Internet connectivity to remote areas. |
| A．depending entirely on the modern technology |
| B．monitoring the movement of spaceships carefully |
| C．strengthening rules to remove old satellites safely |
| D．destroying all the satellites with problems instantly |
| A．Measure. | B．Increase. | C．Spread. | D．Repeat. |
| A．It should be further confirmed for its ownership. |
| B．It should be continued because of its advantages. |
| C．It should be done carefully to avoid potential risks. |
| D．It should be stopped in face of the space economy. |
【推荐3】Literature is an important part of a total language arts program at all grade levels because of the many benefits it offers.
Literature provides pleasure to listeners and readers.It is a relaxing escape from daily problems,and it fills leisure moments.Making time for recreational reading and using high-quality literature help to develop enthusiastic readers and improve achievement.Developing a love of literature as a recreational activity is possibly the most important outcome of a literature program.
Literature builds experience.Through reading,children expand their horizons through vicarious(引起共鸣的)experiences.They visit new places,gain new experiences,and meet new people.They learn about the past as well as the present and learn about a variety of cultures,including their own.They discover the common goals and similar emotions found in people of all times and places. Nory Ryan's Song by Patricia Reilly,Giff,a hard survival story,is set in Ireland during the potato hunger of I845,and Patricia Polacco's The Butterfly ,deals with Nazis,resistance,and Jewish persecution(迫害)during World War II.
Literature provides a language model for those who hear and read it.Good literature exposes children to correct sentence patterns,standard story structures,and varied word usage.Children for whom English is a second language can improve their English with the interesting context,and all children benefit from new vocabulary that is woven into the stories.
Literature develops thinking skills.Discussions of literature bring out reasoning related to sequence;cause and effect; character motivation; predictions;visualization of actions, characters, and settings; critical analysis of the story;and creative responses.
Literature helps children deal with their problems.By finding out about the problems of others through books, children receive insights into dealing with their own problems,a process called bibliotherapy. Children might identify with Gilly,living angrily in a foster home in Katherine Paterson's The Great Gilly Hopkins,or with Mary Alice,a city girl forced to live with her grandma in a“hick town"in Richard Peck's A Year Down Yonder.
1. What is likely to be the most significant consequence of a literature program?| A．The habit of reading for pleasure. | B．The lessons learned from works. |
| C．The achievements of language skills. | D．The ways of thinking developed by reading. |
| A．To introduce two great masterpieces.. |
| B．To expand children's horizons in literature. |
| C．To prove literature includes a variety of cultures. |
| D．To give examples of books that provide such experiences. |
| A．educational | B．practical |
| C．changeable | D．reliable |
| A．Power of Books | B．Ways of Reading |
| C．Source of Human Progress | D．Benefits of Literature |
【推荐1】African swine fever has wiped out a third of China's pig population. Now government officials are discussing dramatic steps to stabilize the world’s largest pork market. Pork is a huge deal in China. The country is home to half of all the pigs on the planet .The meat is a staple of the Chinese diet, which means its scarcity could damage China's social stability. The outbreak of swine fever also threatens the global pork supply chain.
While Chinese authorities have already made plans to support the pig farms and families who may struggle with soaring prices, they re stepping up efforts to deal with the crisis.
The price sellers pay for pork has risen nearly 70% in the last year. And the average price that distributors pay suppliers was up 90% in the last week of August compared to a year ago, according to government data. Analysts say prices could yet go even higher.
The government on Wednesday announced more measures to encourage pig farmers and producers to breed more baby pigs. But they may need to go even further to fill the gap. Authorities have promised to release the government's emergency reserves of frozen pig meat if necessary. Ministry of Commerce spokesman Gao Feng said last week that the agency will “closely monitor market developments” before it makes such a decision.
It's difficult to overstate the scale of the problem. As of July, China had lost more than 100 million pigs in the last year, according to the data released Tuesday by the country’s agricultural ministry. Part of the problem is that farmers aren’t refilling their pig farms after the sick animals die, according to China’s agricultural ministry. That has pressured Chinese authorities to explore ways to encourage farmers and producers to breed more baby pigs. The finance and agricultural ministries on Wednesday asked local governments to free up money that could be used for artificial insemination (人工授精) technology.
The ministries also called on local officials to accelerate the distribution of subsidies (补贴) to farms where pigs have been killed because of sickness. And the Beijing government plans to increase loan support and insurance coverage for pig producers nationwide.
1. What is the possible consequence of the reduction in China’s pig population?| A．A lack of diversity of meat. |
| B．Dramatic drop in the pork price. |
| C．Instability of the Chinese society. |
| D．The boom of global pork supply chain. |
| A．To release the emergency reserves of fresh meat. |
| B．To fund artificial insemination technology. |
| C．To offer free loan support to pig farmers. |
| D．To limit the pork price at the market. |
| A．China has lost a large majority of its pigs. |
| B．The swine problem is not that serious at present. |
| C．Farmers are unwilling to raise more pigs for fear of further loss. |
| D．The problem can surely be solved by future technological advance. |
| A．Swine fever threatened the pork supply in the world. |
| B．China makes efforts to solve the swine problem. |
| C．China is home to half of all the pigs on the planet. |
| D．Chinese authorities encourage farmers to breed more baby pigs. |
【推荐2】It was my son Matthew’s last night at home before going to college. I knew that this was good news. After all, Matthew would go to a great school, something he had worked hard at for years. But looking at the suitcases on his bed, I went out of the room to a hidden corner where I couldn’t stop crying. “Pull yourself together!” I told myself. There were parents sending their kids off to battle zones. How could I feel so upset?
One of the great gifts of my life has been having my boys, Matthew and Johnowen. Through them, I explore the mysterious and complex bond between fathers and sons. “Do you think it’s cold in the dorms in the winter?” Matthew asked in a voice that seemed smaller than it had been before. “No!” I lied, having no idea what his new room for the next four years would be like.
Matthew’s clothes were put into the bags and his bed was tidy and spare. I thought of all the recent times I had been annoyed at how late he had been sleeping. I would never have to worry about that again, I realized.
On the plane, I stared at Matthew. The light from his window was cutting across his face, making him look handsome and grown-up. I remembered what I whispered to him when his eyes opened for the first time, “Hello. I’m your Daddy. And I will always be there for you.”
While we stood in front of Matthew’s dorm, the welcoming students did crazy dances. Matthew asked, “Dad, what if it’s too hard for me here?” I said seriously, “You came from a very tough academic school. You took the tests and got the scores. This won’t be any different. This school chose you because they knew you could succeed here.”“ None of the other kids look scared at all,” he said. For the first time I could remember that he was still a baby. I wanted to hug him, but I didn’t. Instead, I looked him in the eye. “Never compare your insides to someone else’s outsides.”
1. How did the author feel at his son’s last night at home before going to college?| A．He felt extremely happy. | B．He was a little embarrassed. |
| C．He cried sadly for a long time. | D．He had very complex emotions. |
| A．he knew what Matthew’s new dorms would actually be like |
| B．he found Matthew was uncertain about his college life |
| C．he wouldn’t have to worry about Matthew |
| D．he was annoyed at Matthew’s sleeping late |
| A．When he came into the world. | B．When he woke up on the plane |
| C．When he left his home for college | D．When he saw his new classmates |
| A．Strict and caring. | B．Wise and considerate. |
| C．Knowledgeable but emotional | D．Caring but dishonest |
【推荐3】Worries about the extra time needed to walk or bike to work are a big reason people get into their cars, but those worries may be unfounded.
In a new study, researchers asked 253 staff and 252 students at Penn State how often they drove, took the bus, walked, or biked to school. Participants also answered questions about how long they thought it would take them to walk or bike from their home to school. Google Maps calculated actual travel times.
According to the findings, about 91 percent of staff incorrectly estimated (估计) how long it would take to walk to school, and about 93 percent overestimated how long it would lake to bike.
Students were a little better at estimating travel times－about 55 percent incorrectly estimated walking times and about 43 percent misestimated biking times. Almost everyone who was not accurate overestimated the travel time.
The findings clarify the barriers that keep people from walking or biking, sometimes referred to as“active travel,” says Melissa Bopp, a professor at Penn State. He pointed out the key to getting people to travel more actively is to learn more about people’ s knowledge, altitudes, and beliefs.“I can’ t change your age, but I can change your knowledge,”Bopp says.
Several characteristics could predict if someone was more likely to estimate travel time incorrectly. Staff who thought parking was more available and accessible were more discordant （不一致的), and women were more likely to be more discordant than men.
On the contrary, people who rode a bike or walked more often were more likely to accurately predict travel times.
While the study looked at people predicting travel time when they shared a common destination, the results have broader meanings.
1. Which of the following can best replace the underlined word “unfounded” in Paragraph 1?| A．unnecessary. | B．normal. |
| C．disturbing. | D．beneficial. |
| A．School staff lack common sense. |
| B．Everyone overestimated the traveling time by bike. |
| C．School students estimated more accurately in the study. |
| D．Students have higher intelligence than school staff. |
| A．Weight. | B．Status. |
| C．Age. | D．Knowledge. |
| A．Walking or biking is beneficial to you. |
| B．Walking or biking is quicker than you’ d think. |
| C．Walking or biking is becoming more popular. |
| D．People walking or biking can predict accurately. |
