1 . Those days of sucking (吮吸) up the sides of your rapidly melting (融化) ice cream may soon be over. Researchers have discovered a natural protein that could be added to everyone’s favorite summertime snack to keep it solid for longer, according to a press release from the University of Edinburg in Scotland.
Most people know that, at its most basic, ice cream is made of milk and sugar. But it has other ingredients that give it a solid consistency (黏稠度) — a fat (often oil), air bubbles, and ice crystals. The protein that the researchers discovered, called BsIA, coats all three of them to slow down the rate at which the ice melts and the air escapes. In one study of the protein, published earlier this year, the researchers call BsIA a “raincoat” that can act as a film to keep everything inside it for just a little longer. That same quality prevents big pieces of ice crystals from forming, which can happen if you leave ice cream in the fridge for too long.
BsIA is found in bacteria called Bacillus subtilis that is common in soil, and is already present in some foods. So adding the protein to ice cream wouldn’t bring the same sorts of long-term health concerns as would artificial ingredients (人造添加剂). The researchers note that producers could also add BsIA to ice cream to reduce their fat and sugar content.
Though the researchers have published two papers about BsIA and have tested it in the lab, they are staying quiet on the most recent data they collected, as the Washington Post notes. Importantly, the researchers make no mention about how the new ingredient might affect ice cream’s taste or how much we might enjoy eating it. What’s the good of long-lasting ice cream if you don’t even like it? But it might not be too long before you can try it out for yourself; ice cream with BsIA might be available within three to five years.
1. According to the passage, what is BsIA?| A．A group of ice crystals. | B．A sort of natural protein. |
| C．A kind of man-made bacteria. | D．A type of artificial film. |
| A．Covers. | B．Produces. | C．Melts. | D．Changes |
| A．It exists widely in food. |
| B．It has the same function as sugar. |
| C．It can speed up the freezing of ice crystals. |
| D．It can slow down the melting rate of ice cream. |
| A．They can add extra flavor to food. |
| B．They are more costly than BsIA. |
| C．They may do harm to people’s health. |
| D．They can’t be mass-produced like BsIA. |
| A．There is still uncertainty in BsIA. |
| B．BsIA faces an unpromising future. |
| C．BsIA won’t affect the taste of ice cream. |
| D．Everyone likes the ice cream with BsIA. |
| A．A guidebook. | B．A magazine. | C．A novel. | D．A diary. |
2 . Television is a central part of many people’s lives. There are very few places in the world where one cannot find a television set. Some sporting events, such as the Olympic Games or the football World Cup, can attract audiences of many millions. But is television a good or bad influence on young people in the modern world?
Thomas Murray, president of the British Parents Against Television Society, believes that it has not improved young people’s lives. “Television damages family life,” he argues. “At mealtime, families no longer talk to each other. In the evenings, youngsters do not spend good quality time with family members. Instead, they watch television.” Murray says that this lack of communication leads to social problems.
Murray also believes that the content of television programmes provides young people with poor role models. “There is so much violence(暴力) on TV—guns, kung fu fighting, and so on. Young people think that all problems should be solved by aggression.”
It is not just young people’s mental health that worries Murray. “Teenagers don’t get enough exercise because they spend so many hours watching television. They also develop back problems from sitting down for so long, and eye strain from the effort of watching.”
Murray would like to see changes to television habits. “Programmes should be educational. Their contents should be nonviolent and healthy. There should be no programmes after ten o'clock in the evening. Parents should teach their children to enjoy their spare time by playing sports or games. And certainly, the television should be switched off during meal time.
Susan Taylor is a television producer. She believes that television is a good influence on young people. “Television brings the outside world to youngsters. It even brought us pictures from the moon! And look what happens after the Olympic Games or the World Cup matches have been shown on TV. People start to take more exercise. Also, there are a lot of programmes about healthy eating and keeping fit.”
However, Taylor agrees with Murray’s point of view concerning parents. “Of course parents have a role to play in educating their kids. They should turn the TV off during mealtime and they should talk with their children as often as possible.”
1. The article is mainly about ________.| A．that TV is a central part of many people’s lives |
| B．that Murray would like to see changes to television habits |
| C．whether TV is a good or bad influence on young people in the modern world |
| D．that parents should turn the TV off during mealtime and talk with their children |
| A．Teenagers will get backache for sitting down for a long time. |
| B．Murray only worries about young people’s mental health. |
| C．TV programmes are nonviolent and educational. |
| D．Teenagers don’t like doing exercise at all. |
| A．The lack of communication. |
| B．Young people watching too much TV. |
| C．So much violence on TV. |
| D．Not enough exercise. |
| A．eye sickness | B．blindness | C．eye tiredness | D．far-sightedness |
| A．Murray is president of the British Parents Against Television Society |
| B．Susan Taylor completely disagrees with Murray on TV |
| C．there are both good and bad programmes on TV |
| D．Susan Taylor is a television producer |
3 . One of my earliest memories was walking up to the smell of camp smoke and my mother’s hot chocolate. My parents were poor, and we lived in the countryside in Portland. Dad had two jobs and Mom was disabled, but that didn’t stop them from heading into the Cascade Mountains several times a year.
Our clothes were old and worn and our food was usually cheap and simple. However, we were always satisfied with our hot chocolate, which was made in a traditional way handed down from my grandmother to my mother.
There was no store to buy anything we needed. We just had powdered cocoa in our camp.
Mom would set the smoke-blackened coffee pot at the side of the fire and slowly warm the milk, adding chocolate and sugar, and stirring (搅拌) until the contents became thick and rich brown. The wonderful smell of chocolate filled the camp. More than once, I could remember people that we had just met hours before stepping into our camp to enjoy mother’s creation.
Once we were trapped in our tent (帐篷) for days because of a terrible rainstorm. Every morning I was woken up by the attractive smell of Mom’s hot chocolate.
Now, many years have passed, when we head for the mountains, I still use that worn coffee pot. And we always bring extra cups for the neighbours who will certainly turn up.
I have told my family a lot about Mom, and it seems that nothing brings back those warm memories better than sitting around the fire at night and tasting sweet hot chocolate.
1. Where did the author live when she was a child?| A．In a village. | B．In a big city. | C．In a hotel. | D．In a palace. |
| A．Kind. | B．Friendly. | C．Disabled. | D．Serious. |
| A．Her parents were poor. | B．Her mom had two jobs. |
| C．Her mom was a boss of Coffee House. | D．Her dad stopped them from camping. |
| A．Saved. | B．Absorbed. | C．Caught. | D．Suffered. |
| A．Camp Smoke | B．Mom’s Hot Chocolate |
| C．My Neighbours | D．Grandmother’s Creation |
