1 . Scientists have developed a new type of smart bandage (绷带) that can signal the type of bacterial (细菌的) infection it’s protecting, just like a traffic light, as well as release the right type of drugs on demand. The traffic light system works just like this: Green means no bacteria or a low concentration of bacteria, yellow means drug-sensitive (DS) bacteria responsive to standard antibiotics (抗生素) and causes antibiotic release, and red means drug-resistant (DR) bacteria that need extra help to be wiped out.

In testing the bandage on mice, the research team was able to successfully treat both DS and DR infections using the new method. However, the common methods of sensing resistance are limited by time, the requirement for professional personnel, and expensive instruments. Moreover, the abuse of antibiotics causes the accelerated process of bacterial resistance.

It’s easy to see how a simple bandage and light could overcome some of these limitations. Treatment doesn’t have to wait for a doctor to make a diagnosis, and the bandage can get the right sort of drugs applied at the earliest opportunity. What’s more, the person wearing the bandage gets real-time feedback on what’s happening with the infection, if there’s an infection at all. The researchers say it offers numerous benefits over existing treatments that make use of light, including photodynamic therapy or PDT.

We’ve been seeing quite a few upgrades to the traditional bandage in recent years, thanks to advances in science — like the nanofiber mesh that attracts bacteria and draws some of it out, speeding up the healing process. Then there’s the novel bandage for treating burns, which stops bacteria from multiplying and lowers the risk of infection.

The more work that a bandage can do while it’s protecting a wound, the better. Efforts to improve bandages continue and now we've got a bandage that not only releases antibiotics, but also tells the patient exactly what’s going on too.

1. What is the smart bandage mainly designed to do?

A．Avoid the use of antibiotics.	B．Clear out harmful bacteria.
C．Detect bacterial infections.	D．Increase treatment options.

2. What is the advantage of the smart bandage?

A．It saves much time and cost.	B．It removes the risk of infection.
C．It prevents the bacterial resistance.	D．It improves doctor-patient relationship.

3. What can be inferred from the last two paragraphs?

A．Traditional bandages are out of use now.

B．More smart bandages will be developed.

C．Progress in science calls for more research.

D．People are urged to study medical science.

4. What does the text focus on?

A．A successful test on mice.	B．A colour-changing bandage.
C．Sensing drug-resistant bacteria.	D．Preventing abuse of antibiotics.

2 . Like clockwork, nearly every fourth February includes one extra day. February 29th, otherwise known as Leap Day, isn’t exactly a holiday. Instead, it’s there to keep your calendar consistent with the earth’s rotation (旋转) around the sun.

According to History, com, Roman emperor Julius Caesar is the “father” of Leap Year. Until he came along, people used a 355-day calendar, which was 10.25 days shorter than the solar year. Roman officials were supposed add an extra month every now and then to keep the seasons exactly where they should be. But that didn’t work out all that well. When special occasions started shifting into different seasons around 45 BCE, Caesar consulted with astronomers and decreed (下令) that the empire should use a 12-month, 365-day calendar, which he named after himself, Caesar’s Julian calendar included a Leap Day every four years.

Though Leap Day keeps your calendar in line with the earth’s rotation around the sun, it causes a different kind of problem for leapsters. When should these February 29th babies celebrate their birthdays during the other three-quarters of their lives? Some party on February 28th, while others prefer a two-day celebration that spans the last day of February and the first day of March.

Leap Day can be a nuisance in the legal system. In 2006, a court in Massachusetts was deciding whether criminal John Melo could be released a day early since his 10-year sentence included a Leap Day. In the case, the judge decided that since the man was sentenced to prison for years, not days. Leap Day didn’t make a bit of difference.

Though a few timekeepers have pushed for calendars that don’t include Leap Day, almost all astronomers and societies agree that Leap Day is the best method to keep the calendar on track.

1. Why was Leap Day created?

A．To celebrate special occasions.	B．To honor Emperor Julius Caesar.
C．To keep pace with the solar year.	D．To keep track of all the seasons.

2. What is the problem with the birthday celebration of February 29th babies?

A．It is sometimes delayed.	B．It lasts at least two days.
C．It has to be held every other year.	D．It may take place on different dates.

3. What does the underlined word “nuisance” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．Joke.	B．Topic.
C．Trouble.	D．Mistake.

4. what is the attitude of most astronomers towards Leap Day?

A．Critical.	B．Supportive.
C．Doubtful.	D．Cautious.