1 . The damage that aging does to a body extends all the way down to the cellular level. But the damage increased by cells in older muscles is especially severe, because the cells do not reproduce easily and they become weaker as their mitochondria (线粒体), which produce energy, reduce in energy and number. A study, however, suggests that certain sorts of exercise may remove some of what time can do to our mitochondria.
Exercise is good for people, as everyone knows. But scientists have surprisingly little understanding of its cellular impacts and how those might vary by activity and the age of the exerciser. So researchers recently conducted an experiment on the cells of 72 healthy but sedentary (久坐的) men and women who were 30 or younger or older than 64. After baseline measures were established for their aerobic (有氧的) fitness, their blood-sugar levels and the gene activity and mitochondrial health in their muscle cells, the volunteers were randomly assigned to a particular exercise program.
Some of them did weight training several times a week; some did interval training three times a week on exercise bicycles; some rode exercise bikes at a appropriate pace for 30 minutes a few times a week and lifted weights lightly on other days. A fourth group, the control, did not exercise. After 12 weeks, the lab tests were repeated. In general, everyone experienced improvements in fitness and an ability io regulate blood sugar.
But more unexpected results were found in the biopsies (活组织检查) muscle cells. Among the younger subjects who went through interval training, the activity levels had changed in 274 genes, compared with 170 genes for those who exercised more appropriately and 74 for the weight lifters. Among the older group, almost 400 genes were working differently now, compared with 33 for the weight lifters and only 19 for the appropriate exercisers.
It seems exercise could help contain the decline in the cellular health of muscles associated with aging, especially if it was intense, says Dr. Sreekumaran Nair, the study's senior author. In fact, older people's cells responded in some ways more strongly to intense exercise than the cells of the young did - suggesting, he says, that it is never too late to benefit from exercise.
1. Which of the following is the best title for the text?| A．Exercise Might Benefit Aging Muscles. |
| B．Exercise Might Increase Aging Muscles. |
| C．Exercise Might Do Harm to Mitochondria. |
| D．Aging Mainly Occurs in the Cellular Level. |
| A．Volunteers can not be good at exercising. |
| B．All volunteers must have the same baseline. |
| C．It was carried out among the youth of different sexes. |
| D．Volunteers received a random particular exercise program. |
| A．By analyzing every group's different data. |
| B．By comparing every group's training time. |
| C．By listing every group's different training. |
| D．By describing every group's training results. |
| A．The experiment did not get expected results. |
| B．Riding exercise bikes has no influence on the volunteers. |
| C．Weight lifting is the most useful training among these exercises. |
| D．Interval training brings stronger influence to the elder than to the youth. |
| A．Change. | B．Stop. | C．Record. | D．Cause. |
2 . It was late, about 10:15 p.m. Janice Esposito got off the train at Bellport, New York, went to her car and started driving home. She was so familiar with the route that she almost drove automatically: turned left to the Station Road, then another left onto Montauk Highway, and then — bam! When Esposito’s car had just crossed the railroad tracks, it hit another vehicle and was plashed back onto the tracks. Injured but mostly shocked by the crash and by the airbags that popped up, she was stuck in the vehicle.
As it happened, Pete Dipinto was just about to go to sleep when he heard a sharp noise and saw the accident not far outside his bedroom window. As a volunteer firefighter and retired teacher, Dipinto who was 65, fetched a flashlight and rushed out without hesitation. “Any firefighter would have done what I did. We're always on duty.” he said.
At first, he spoiled the other car in the accident. After making sure that the driver was all right, Dipinto looked around and discovered Esposito’s car straddling (跨立于) the railway tracks. And then he heard die bell ring, which signaled a train’s arrival.
Dipinto rushed to Esposito’s car and broke the window on the driver’s side. Esposito looked up at him, with her eyes glazing over, “I don't know where I am.” she said.
“You’re on the railroad tracks,” Dipinto yelled. “I have to get you off right now!” The train was running toward them at a speed of some 105, kilometers per hour. The driver’s door cannot be opened due to the collision, so Dipinto quickly ran to the other side and managed to open the door. He put the airbags aside, seized her arms, pulled her toward him across the passenger seat until finally got her out and walked her to safety as swiftly as possible. Several seconds later, the train crashed into the vehicle. It was like a Hollywood movie, Dipinto told reporters the next day.
“Last night?” said Gregory Miglino Jr. Chief of the Department in South Country Ambulance, the hero arrived in pajamas (睡衣), not in a fire truck.”
1. What can we know about the accident from Paragraph 1?| A．Esposito’s car hit another vehicle. |
| B．Esposito drove too fast. |
| C．Esposito didn’t know the route well. |
| D．A running train crashed into Esposito’s car. |
| A．She felt all right. |
| B．She was badly hurt. |
| C．She got stuck in the car. |
| D．She completely lost her consciousness. |
| A．Moving object crashes into something. |
| B．To be moving slowly in the same direction. |
| C．A strong disagreement between two groups. |
| D．An idea occurs when two different cultures conflict. |
| A．Through the window on the driver’s side. |
| B．Through the door on the driver’s side. |
| C．Through the window on the passenger’s side. |
| D．Through the door on the passenger’s side. |
| A．Dipinto was not a professional firefighter. |
| B．Dipinto rushed to save life without thinking about himself. |
| C．Dipinto was a special firefighter who liked wearing pajamas. |
| D．Dipinto was unable to find a fire truck when the accident happened. |
3 . From talking robots and video phones to rovers （探测器）on Mars, technology has become so advanced that the previously impossible seems to occur on a daily basis. And yet—we still have no cure for the common cold.
Why can't we stop the common cold? According to Peter Barlow, a scientist at Edinburgh Napier University in the UK, the main challenge lies in the many different types of cold viruses that are produced by the rhinoviruses （鼻病毒），Scientific American reported. There are at least 160 types. They mutate so easily that they quickly become resistant to drugs, or learn to hide from our immune systems. In other words, a single cure isn't likely to work on every type of cold.
However, researchers from Stanford University and the University of California, San Francisco, have found a possible answer. They discovered a protein that the viruses need. Without it, they can't spread inside your body.
To identify the gene which produces the specific protein needed by the viruses, researchers used a gene-editing technique to test all genes in the human genome（基因组）one by one for thousands of cell.
These modified （改变的）cells were then exposed to a range of enteroviruses （肠道病毒）， including the rhinoviruses which cause the common cold.
All the viruses were unable to replicate（复制）inside cells without a gene that produces a specific protein, called methyltransferase（甲基转移酶）SETD3.
Then, they tested genetically（从基因方面）modified mice, which were completely unable to produce the protein. The mice were able to live healthy, normal lives without the protein.
"Lacking that gene protected the mice completely from viral （病毒的）infection,” associate professor Jan Carette, from Stanford, told the BBC.
"These mice would always die, but they survived and we saw a very strong reduction in viral replication and very strong protection."
Carette said the plan is to find a drug which can temporarily suppress（抑制） the protein, instead of producing genetically modified humans.
“We have identified a fantastic target that all enteroviruses and rhinoviruses require and depend on. Take that away and the virus really has no chance," said Carette.
"This is a really good first step—the second step is to have a chemical that mimics（模拟） this genetic deletion,” he added.
1. What does the underlined word "mutate” mean in English?| A．To change a new form. |
| B．To identify a new gene. |
| C．To check a modified cell. |
| D．To cure a viral infection. |
| A．Why it is so hard to cure the common cold. |
| B．The possible link between rhinoviruses and the common cold. |
| C．A possible way to stop viral infections that cause the common cold. |
| D．The functions of a protein needed by viruses. |
| A．The slow mutation of some genes. |
| B．The fast speed at which rhinoviruses spread. |
| C．The harm rhinoviruses do to the immune system. |
| D．The wide variety of cold viruses created by rhinoviruses. |
| A．It helps the viruses replicate inside our bodies. |
| B．It allows the viruses to change easily. |
| C．It helps the viruses become resistant to drugs. |
| D．It increases the spread of the viruses. |
| A．Genetically modified mice died because they lacked the protein. |
| B．The modified cells seemed to protect the mice against viral infections. |
| C．More methyltransferase SETD3 was produced after the cells were modified. |
| D．The gene-editing technique was more effective against enteroviruses than rhinoviruses. |
| A．Conduct experiments on genetically modified humans. |
| B．Identify a drug that can help reduce the protein. |
| C．Apply this gene-editing technique to control other viruses. |
| D．Find a chemical that can cure all enteroviruses and rhinoviruses. |
4 . A decade ago, colored lights danced around the living room on New Year's Eve and happy music was played. Upstairs, the children were asleep. But I wasn't feeling happy. In mid-December, my husband and I had been informed that he had cancer and that he was going to die. He had less than a year left, the doctors said.
In the years since that painful season, I have come to look back upon New Year's Eve as an ending and a beginning. New Year's Eve brings a halt to the endless commitments that fill our daily lives and a chance to reflect.
New Year's Eve is full of possibility, and anticipation. What will be the surprising experiences and delightful successes in the coming year? But also, what disappointments are waiting for us in the next twelve months?
In many ways, New Year's Eve and the days that surround it are a line between past and future. That line is made up of a series of moments of transition that take us out of the old and into the new. Transition can be challenging for many of us. It's about letting go of the familiar and diving headlong （迅猛地）into the unfamiliar.
Just as, back then, I had to face letting go of the life I had led with my beloved husband and stepping into a new world as a widowed（丧偶的）mom. I find that each year I have to step out of the version of me that suited the year that is ending and ease into the version of me who will rise to the goals I am holding for myself for the year ahead.
Last year at this time, I sat in a chair in southern France and drank in the stillness and beauty of the countryside around me. The three children and I had brought into this world talked and laughed around the table beside me as we enjoyed a lunch of bread and cheese.
I was filled with a sense of joy and I had a glowing （热情洋溢的）heart that was full of hope. It was another ending and another beginning. May we all transition into the best of what lies ahead. May we all find happiness in this holiday season.
1. What made the author unhappy on New Year's Eve a decade before?| A．The pressure she faced in her work. |
| B．The health problem her husband faced. |
| C．The information received from her family. |
| D．The relationship between her and husband. |
| A．Stop. | B．Beginning. | C．Meaning. | D．Tradition. |
| A．Set challenging goals for the next year. |
| B．Break with daily routines and form a new habit. |
| C．Spend more time with family members. |
| D．Think about the past and get ready for the future. |
| A．Calm. | B．Indifferent. | C．Doubtful. | D．Expectant. |
| A．To memorialize her husband. |
| B．To show how she got through a hard time. |
| C．To share her view of New Year's Eve. |
| D．To remind us that uncertainty is part of life. |
5 . The US Postal Service(USPS) is losing billions of dollars a year. The government company that delivers "small mail" is losing out to email and other types of electronic communication. First-class mail amount fell from a high point of 104 million pieces in 2000 to just 64 million pieces by 2014.
Congress permits the 600,000-employee USPS to hold a monopoly over first-class and standard mail. The company pays no federal, state or local taxes；pays no vehicle fees； and is free from many regulations on other businesses. Despite these advantages, the USPS has lost 52 billion since 2007, and will continue losing money without major reforms.
The problem is that Congress is preventing the USPS from reducing costs as its sales decline, and is blocking efforts to end Saturday service and close unneeded post office locations. USPS also has a costly union-dominated workforce that slows the introduction of new ideas or methods down. USPS workers earn significantly higher payment than comparable private-sector workers. The answer is to privatize the USPS and open postal markets to competition. With the rise of the Internet, the argument that mail is a natural monopoly that needs government protection is weaker than ever.
Other countries facing declining letter amounts have made reforms. Germany and the Netherlands privatized their national postal companies over a decade ago, and other European countries have followed suit. Britain floated shares of the Royal Mail on its stock exchange in 2013. Some countries, such as Sweden and New Zealand, have not privatized their national postal companies, but they have opened them up to competition.
These reforms have driven efficiency improvements in all of these countries. Additional number of workers have been reduced, productivity has risen and consumers have benefited. Also, note that cost-cutting measures — such as closing some post offices — are good for both the economy and the environment.
Privatization and competition also encourage new changes. When the USPS monopoly over "extremely urgent" mail was stopped in 1979, we saw an explosion in efficient overnight private delivery by firms such as FedEx.
The government needs to wake up to changing technology, study postal reforms abroad and let businessmen reinvent（彻底改造）our out-of-date postal system.
1. What does the underlined word "monopoly" in Paragraph 2 mean?| A．The act of solving a problem. |
| B．A duty to deal with something. |
| C．Complete control of a public service/goods. |
| D．The plan of investing money in something. |
| A．Its great competitor is the delivery firm FedEx. |
| B．It is an old public service open to competitions. |
| C．Its employees don't pay federal, state or local taxes. |
| D．It has complete control of first-class and standard mail. |
| A．explain the procedures of reform to the USPS |
| B．show the advantages of private postal services |
| C．set some examples for the government to learn from |
| D．prove the situation is very common around the world |
| A．needs government's protection as ever |
| B．can work together with other businesses |
| C．must be replaced by international companies |
| D．should be sold out and become a private service |
I： Introduction CP： Central point P： Point Sp： Sub-point C： Conclusion
A． | B． | C． | D． |
6 . A Visitor Oyster card is the cheapest way to pay for a single adult journey in London. It's a plastic smartcard.You can use it on the bus, tube, tram, DL R. London Overground and most National Rail services. It's much cheaper than buying individual tickets, in some cases costing 50%less than the price of a regular paper ticket.
How to get a Visitor Oyster card
You can buy a Visitor Oyster card online.Your card will be delivered by post.The card costs ￡5 and you choose how much money you want to add to the card. This means you can start using the card the moment you arrive in Central London.
How does the Visitor Oyster card work?
The Oyster card works on a pay-as-you-go system.You start by adding money to the card. Then you travel, the cost of the fare will automatically be deducted from your Visitor Oyster card. For example, if you add ￡20 to the card and make a tube journey of￡2.30, you will have ￡17.70 left on the card.
A few more points:
A child under the age of ll travels free when accompanied by an adult.
You'll save more money if you use the tube several times.The Visitor Oyster card is capped at ￡6.80 per day.
You'll pay more during peak times.Peak fares apply from Monday to Friday(6:30 am- 9:30 am;4:00 pm-7:00 pm).except for public holidays.
Reuse the Oyster card by adding credit at a tube station,Oyster ticket shop or Visitor Centre.
Receive a discount on the Thames Clippers River Bus services:
1. What can we learn about the Visitor Oyster card?| A．You can't use it during public holidays. |
| B．You can have it mailed directly to your home. |
| C．You can get a free Oyster card if you order online. |
| D．You can receive a 50%discount at any shop in London. |
| A．￡2.30. | B．￡3.40. |
| C．￡6.80. | D．￡9.20. |
| A．At a tube station. |
| B．At a bus station. |
| C．On the Internet |
| D．In convenience stores. |
| A．set an upper limit |
| B．meet a deadline |
| C．follow a principle |
| D．prohibit visiting |
