1 . The history of microbiology begins with Dutch cloth maker named Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, a man of no formal scientific education. In the late 1600s. Leeuwenhoek, inspired by the magnifying lenses（放大镜）he used to examine cloth, built some of the first-microscopes. He developed technique to improve the quality of tiny, rounded lenses, some of which could magnify an object up to 270 times. After removing some plaque from between his teeth and examining it under a lens, Leeuwenhoek found tiny twisting creatures, which he called “animalcules”.

His observations, which he reported to the Royal Society of London, are among the first descriptions of microbes（微生物）. Leeuwenhoek discovered an entire universe invisible to the human eye. He found different microbes in samples of pond water, rain water, and human blood. He gave the first description of red blood cells, observed plant tissue, examined muscle, and investigated the life cycle of insects.

Nearly two hundred years later, Leeuwenhock’s discovery of microbes helped French chemist and biologist Louis Pasteur to develop his “theory of disease”. This concept suggested that disease originates from tiny organisms attacking and weakening the body. Pasteur’s theory later helped doctors to fight infectious diseases including anthrax, diphtheria, polio, smallpox, tetanus, and typhoid. All these breakthroughs were the result of Leeuwenhoek’s original work. Leeuwenhoek did not foresee this legacy.

In a 1716 letter, he described his contribution to science this way: “My work, which I’ve done for a long time, was not pursued in order to gain the praise I now enjoy, but chiefly from a strong desire for knowledge, which I notice resides in me more than in most other men. And therefore; whenever I found out anything remarkable, I have thought it my duty to put down my discovery on paper, so that the scientific community might be informed thereof.”

1. Which of the following best describes Leeuwenhoek?

A．trained researcher with an interest in microbiology

B．A curious amateur who made pioneer studies of microbes

C．A talented scientist interested in finding a cure for disease

D．A bored cloth maker who accidentally made a major discovery

2. The underlined phrase “this legacy” in paragraph 3 refers to ________.

A．the discovery of microbes

B．Pasteur’s theory of disease

C．Leeuwenhoek’s contribution

D．the origin of the tiny organism

3. What does the quote from Leeuwenhock’s letter suggest?

A．He admitted that many of his discoveries happened by chance.

B．He considered his work to be central to later medical breakthroughs.

C．He was greatly concerned with improving people’s living conditions.

D．He believed the sharing of knowledge was a key to scientific progress

4. What is the correct order for the following events?
a. Magnifying lenses were built.
b. The “theory of disease” was put forward
c. Microbes were discovered in samples of waters.
d. Leeuwenhoek’s first microscopes were successfully developed.
e. Leeuwenhoek explained his thoughts upon his own contribution.

A．a-d-c-e-b

B．d-a-c-e-b

C．a-c-d-b-e

D．d-a-e-b-c

2 . Bricks are one of the oldest known building materials, dating back thousands of years. But researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have found a new use for bricks: as energy storage units. A team of engineers and chemists have found a way to transform an ordinary house brick into a pseudo-battery — allowing it to conduct and store electricity. The bricks are powerful enough to illuminate（点亮）an LED light bulb and cost only about $ 3 to make.

“I love the idea of adding value to things that are inexpensive, things that are affordable, things that we kind of take for granted, ”said Julio D’Arcy, an assistant professor of chemistry at Washington University and one of the researchers on this project.

The brick battery relies on the reddish pigment（色素）known as iron oxide, or rust, that gives red bricks their color. The scientists pumped the bricks with several gases that react with iron oxide to produce a network of plastic fibers. These microscopic fibers coat the empty spaces inside the bricks — and conduct electricity.

“What we’re trying to do is: we’re trying to make specialized plastics that are only used on the nano（纳米）scale — where we use very little of the plastic, and we can actually insert that plastic inside construction materials. ” The study is in the journal Nature Communications.

In the future, D’Arcy says, a brick wall could potentially serve a double purpose: providing structural support and storing electricity generated from renewable energy sources, such as solar panels.

The technology is still at least a few years away from being ready for the commercial market. And right now the energy storage capacity of the bricks is still pretty low — about 1 percent of a lithium battery. But the team is now testing ways to improve brick performance — because it looks like you can teach an old brick new tricks.

1. What appeals to Julio D’Arcy listing bricks as their subjects?

A．Their low expense.	B．Their common existence.
C．Their additional value.	D．Their internal composition.

2. What is the last step of making a brick conduct electricity?

A．Pump the brick with gases.

B．Color the brick red.

C．Produce microscopic fibers.

D．Cover its inner vacancy with microscopic fibers.

3. What will the future bricks be like according to the passage?

A．Construction materials possessing low energy storage capacity.

B．Construction materials generating renewable energy resources.

C．Construction materials used for electricity storage.

D．Construction materials with built-in common plastic.

4. Which word best describes the author’s attitude to the technology?

A．Skeptical.	B．Objective.
C．Conservative.	D．Controversial.

3 . A schoolgirl saved her father’s life by kicking him in the chest after he suffered a serious allergic (过敏的) reaction which stopped his heart.

Izzy, nine, restarted father Colm’s heart by stamping (踩) on his chest after he fell down at home and stopped breathing.

Izzy’s mother, Debbie, immediately called 999 but Izzy knew doctors would never arrive in time to save her father, so decided to use CPR.

However, she quickly discovered her arms weren’t strong enough, so she stamped on her father’s chest instead.

Debbie then took over with some more conventional chest compressions (按压) until the ambulance arrived.

Izzy, who has been given a bravery award by her school, said: “I just kicked him really hard. My mum taught me CPR but I knew I wasn't strong enough to use hands. I was quite scared. The doctor said I might as well be a doctor or a nurse. My mum said that Dad was going to hospital with a big footprint on his chest.”

What’s the right order of the events?
①Izzy kicked Colm.   ②Debbie called 999.   ③Izzy learned CPR.   ④Colm’s heart stopped.

A．③①②④

B．④②③①

C．③④②①

D．④③①②

4 . Since the 1970s, scientists have been searching for ways to link the brain with computers. Brain­computer interface (BCI) technology could help people with disabilities send commands to machines.
Recently, two researchers, Jose Millan and Michele Tavella from the Federal Polytechnic School in Lausanne, Switzerland, demonstrated (展示) a small robotic wheelchair directed by a person's thoughts.
In the laboratory, Tavella operated the wheelchair just by thinking about moving his left or right hand. He could even talk as he watched the vehicle and guided it with his thoughts.
“Our brain has billions of nerve cells. These send signals through the spinal cord (脊髓) to the muscles to give us the ability to move. But spinal cord injuries or other conditions can prevent these weak electrical signals from reaching the muscles.” Tavella says. “Our system allows disabled people to communicate with external world and also to control devices.”
The researchers designed a special cap for the user. This head cover picks up the signals from the scalp (头皮) and sends them to a computer. The computer interprets the signals and commands the motorized wheelchair. The wheelchair also has two cameras that identify objects in its path. They help the computer react to commands from the brain.
Prof. Millan, the team leader, says scientists keep improving the computer software that interprets brain signals and turns them into simple commands. “The practical possibilities that BCI technology offers to disabled people can be grouped in two categories: communication, and controlling devices. One example is this wheelchair.”
He says his team has set two goals. One is testing with real patients, so as to prove that this is a technology they can benefit from. And the other is to guarantee that they can use the technology over long periods of time.
1. BCI is a technology that can ________.

A．help to update computer systems

B．link the human brain with computers

C．help the disabled to recover

D．control a person's thoughts

2. How did Tavella operate the wheelchair in the laboratory?

A．By controlling his muscles.

B．By talking to the machine.

C．By moving his hand.

D．By using his mind.

3. Which of the following shows the path of the signals described in Paragraph 5?

A．scalp→computer→cap→wheelchair

B．computer→cap→scalp→wheelchair

C．scalp→cap→computer→wheelchair

D．cap→computer→scalp→wheelchair

4. The team will test with real patients to ________.

A．make profits from them

B．prove the technology useful to them

C．make them live longer

D．learn about their physical condition

5. Which of the following would be the best title for the text?

A．Switzerland, the BCI Research Center

B．New Findings About How the Human Brain Works

C．BCI Could Mean More Freedom for the Disabled

D．Robotic Vehicles Could Help to Cure Brain Injuries

5 . Recently, a 1935 letter in which Ernest Hemingway detailed his catch of a 500lb blue marlin (青枪鱼), an adventure that is believed to have partly inspired his novel The Old Man and the Sea, has been sold for $28,000 (￡22,000).

...

Nate D Sanders, the auction (拍卖) company which sold the letter, said it documented for the first time in Hemingway’s own words not only the size of the marlin, but also the attack by sharks, reflecting the plot of the novel.

...

The Old Man and the Sea was also inspired by an anecdote told by Hemingway’s Cuban friend Carlos Gutierrez. In 1936, Hemingway wrote in a magazine ... about an old fisherman who caught a great marlin alone.

Three years later, Hemingway ... was planning a short story ... he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1954.

Which is the correct order of time for the following facts in the passage?

①Hemingway wrote a letter to describe his adventure.
②Hemingway caught a big blue marlin.
③The letter was sold at auction.
④The Old Man and The Sea won the Nobel Prize.

A．①③②④

B．②①④③

C．②④①③

D．②③①④

6 . Shoppers in the United States have many different retail stores (零售店) to choose from. You can shop at large department stores, furniture stores, jewelry stores, electronic equipment stores and many others. Another type of retail store—the catalog store, has become popular in the U.S.

Catalog stores offer much of the same goods as traditional retail stores. However, in these stores, shoppers select the items they wish to buy from large catalogs that are filled with photos and descriptions of all the different goods. The variety of products listed in the catalogs includes everything from baby clothing to video equipment and watches. The prices of these items are very low. In fact, the same items often cost more in other retail stores. And that’s the reason many people prefer to shop in catalog stores.

When shoppers go to a catalog store, they see many brand-name products on display. If they are interested in purchasing an item, they need to follow this simple procedure.

●First, they go to a counter to find the store’s catalog.

●They look in the catalog to find the exact item they wish to buy.

●Then, they fill out an order form with the name of the item, the item number from the catalog, the price, and their name and address.

●After completing the form, the customer gives it to a salesperson, who checks to see if the item is in stock.

If the item is available, the stockroom sends it on a conveyor belt (输送带) to the pick-up   counter. When the item arrives at the pick-up counter, the customer’s name is called, and the customer pays for the item.

The whole procedure usually takes ten to twenty minutes. If the item isn’t available, the salesperson can usually check the store’s computer and find out when it will be in stock again.

Catalog stores usually don’t offer all the services that regular retail stores do. They usually don’t have many salespeople, so customers can’t expect to receive much assistance or attention from store employees. Customers need to know about the features and the quality of the items they wish to buy before they shop, since there isn’t much opportunity to ask questions or examine the product in the store. However, catalog stores offer quality items at lower prices, and consumers seem to appreciate this.

1. What is the difference between the traditional retail stores and the catalog stores?

A．The prices of products in catalog stores are higher.

B．Shoppers select the items they need from large catalogs.

C．Catalog Stores offer more products than the traditional stores.

D．Catalog stores usually offer all the services that regular retail stores do.

2. Which of the following is the right procedure for a shopper in a catalog store?
①Check the catalog to select the items.
②Fill out the order form.
③Wait at the pick-up counter.
④Find a catalog at a counter.
⑤Find a salesperson to cheek the form.

A．④-①-③-⑤-②	B．①-④-②-③-⑤
C．④-①-②-⑤-③	D．④-②-⑤-③-①

3. From the text we know that shopper of catalog stores______.

A．become salespeople now

B．do the same as in retail stores

C．have more chances to examine the goods

D．should know the information of the goods ahead

4. Catalog stores are popular mainly because they________

A．offer quality goods at lower prices

B．have many salespersons for service

C．can help save much time when doing shopping

D．offer the exact items the customer wishes to purchase

7 . After beating bone cancer, Hayley Arceneaux thinks rocketing into orbit on SpaceX’s first private flight should be no problem at all. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital announced the 29-year-old doctor’s assistant will rocket into space later this year.

Arceneaux, a former patient at St. Jude, will become the youngest American in space, beating NASA record-holder Sally Ride by over two years. She will travel with businessman Jared Isaacman, who is using the spaceflight he bought to raise money for charity. Two other yet-to-be-chosen space flyers will join them. Arceneaux will be the first person to launch with a prosthesis an artificial device that replaces a missing or injured part of the body. When she was 10, Arceneaux had an operation at St. Jude to replace her knee and a piece of metal was put in her left leg. She still limps and has occasional leg pain.

“My battle with cancer really prepared me for space travel,” she recently told The Associated Press. “It made me tough, and then also I think it really taught me to expect the unexpected and go along for the ride.” Arceneaux wants to show her young patients and other cancer survivors that “the sky is not even the limit anymore.” “It’s going to mean so much to these kids to see a survivor in space.” she said.

Isaacman announced his space flight on February 1, promising to raise $200 million for St. Jude. As the flight’s self-appointed commander, he offered one of the four seats aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft to St. Jude. The hospital chose Arceneaux from among its many workers who had once been patients. The idea was that one of them could represent the new generation, noted Rick Shadyac, president of St. Jude’s financing organization.

Arceneaux was at home in Memphis, Tennessee, when she got a surprising call in January. She was asked if she would represent St. Jude in space. As a lifelong space fan who loves adventures, Arceneaux has traveled widely and loves roller coasters. Isaacman, who flies fighter airplanes for fun, considers her a perfect fit. The launch is planned for this fall at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, with the spacecraft orbiting Earth for two to four days.

1. Which statement is true about Hayley Arceneaux?

A．She works where she used to be a patient.

B．She is an adventure hater.

C．She is the youngest American in space.

D．She is the first woman space flyer.

2. What’s the correct order for what happened to Hayley Arceneaux?
a. She received a surprising call. b. She was diagnosed with a serious disease.
c. She was chosen to rocket into space. d. She was operated on at St. Jude.

A．a c d b

B．b c d a

C．b d a c

D．c a b d

9 . Scientists say they have developed a system that uses machine learning to predict when and where lightning will strike. The research was led by engineers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Lightning is a strong burst of electricity in the atmosphere. It can strike between clouds or between a cloud and the ground. Since lightning carries an extremely powerful electrical charge, it can be destructive and deadly. It is difficult to know exactly how many people die of lightning-related causes. European researchers have estimated that between 6,000 and 24,000 people are killed by lightning worldwide each year. The strikes can also cause power failure, destroy property, damage electrical equipment and start forest fires.

For this reason, climate scientists have long sought to develop methods to predict and control lightning. The system tested in the experiments uses a combination of data from weather stations and machine learning methods. The researchers developed a prediction model that was trained to recognize weather conditions that were likely to cause lightning. The model was created with data collected over a 12-year period from 12 Swiss weather stations in cities and mountain areas. The data related to four main surface conditions: air pressure, air temperature, relative humidity (湿度) and wind speed. The atmospheric data was placed into a machine learning algorithm (计算程序), which compared it to records of lightning strikes. Researchers say the algorithm was then able to learn the conditions under which lightning happens.

“Once trained, the system made predictions that proved correct almost 80 percent of the time,” the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology said in a statement. “It can now be used anywhere.”

Amirhossein Mostajabi, a PhD student at the institute, said current systems for gathering such data are slow and complex and require costly collection equipment like radar or satellites. “Our method uses data that can be obtained from any weather station,” he said. “This will improve data collection in very remote areas not covered by radar and satellite or in places where communication systems have been cut,” he added.

The researchers plan to keep developing the technology in partnership with a European effort that aims to create a lightning protection system. Scientists working on the Paris-based project are experimenting with a laser technology that could someday control lightning activity. The idea is that powerful, ground-based lasers can be positioned in the sky to direct energy from lightning.

Which is the correct order of how the system works?
① develop a prediction model.
② learn to recognize weather conditions.
③ collect related data.
④ input the data onto the computer.
⑤ make predictions.

A．①→②→③→④→⑤	B．③→④→①→②→⑤
C．①→②→④→③→⑤	D．③→①→②→⑤→④

10 . Curtis Whitson knew the water fall was coming. He'd rafted down the Arroyo Seco, a river in central California, before. But this year was different. Heavy snow and spring rains had turned the usually manageable falls into something fierce. And this year, instead of his friends, Whitson's companions were his wife, Krystal Ramirez, and his 13-year-old son, Hunter. As the three of them approached the falls late in the afternoon of the third day of their camping trip, Whitson could tell from the increasing roar of water in the narrow canyon that they were in serious trouble. There was no way they’d be able to rappel down(绕绳下降) the rocks as planned.

“The water was just gushing through there with tremendous force,” recalls Whitson.

They could wade to the shore, but would anyone find them there? They had no mobile phone service, and they hadn’t seen a single person in the past three days.

As he considered what to do, Whitson hit on a bit of luck-he heard voices coming from the other side of the falls. He yelled, but the sound of the rushing water drowned him out.

We have to get these people a message, Whitson thought.

Then he spotted his green Nalgene water bottle. Whitson grabbed it and carved “Help!” on it. Ramirez also reminded him that he had a pen and paper, which she'd brought to play games with, in his backpack. Whitson knew it was a long shot. But he scrawled “We are stuck here at the waterfall. Get help please!” and pushed the note into the bottle, throwing it over the waterfall perfectly.                                          

“All right, that’s all we can do,” Whitson told Hunter.

It took 30 minutes to navigate back upstream to the beach where they made a fire. With no reasonable expectation that their message in a bottle would find its way to anyone, they spelled out SOS in white rocks. As the evening wore on, they placed a headlamp with a flashing light on a ledge (岩石突出部) . Then, just after midnight, they heard a helicopter hovering above them. Whitson ran over to the headlamp and started flashing it at the helicopter. He, Ramirez, and Hunter were waving and hollering when they heard the magic words: “This is Search and Rescue. You have been found.”

It was a moment of pure happiness as the three chatted with the officers who had rescued them. Together, they marveled at the unlikelihood of it all. Two men had seen the water bottle in the water. When they picked it up, they noticed the writing on it - “Help!”.

A few days after news of the rescue broke, one of the hikers contacted Whitson.

That’s when he learned the story. There were actually two little girls hiking with the men that day. It was the girls who first spotted the bottle and swam to get it. Whitson is planning on having a big barbecue to meet the hikers-and thank them.

1. Which was NOT the trouble the Whitsons faced?

A．The water falls were fierce.

B．There was no mobile phone service.

C．All of them were not experienced in rafting.

D．They had to rappel down the rocks.

2. Which is the order that the Whitsons helped themselves out?
① They spelled out SOS on the rocks.
② Whitson squeezed the note “Get help please” into the bottle.
③ Whitson yelled to the other side of the falls.
④ Whitson carved “help” on his green bottle.

A．③④②①

B．②③④①

C．①④③②

D．④③②①

3. What does the underlined part in paragraph 6 mean?

A．It is a fantastic idea.	B．It’s a big challenge.
C．It’s a wild attempt.	D．It’s a long exploration.

4. Whitson is planning to have a big barbecue ______.

A．to celebrate their survival

B．to show gratitude to the hikers

C．to have a family union

D．to meet and thank the rescue officers