1 . What makes a human being? Is it our thoughts? Our emotions? Our behavior?
All of these things make us who we are, but at the center of the matter is the genome (基因组) — the genes inside our bodies that may determine everything from our hair colour to our intelligence. But if we could change our genome, what would it mean to us?
In an online video posted on Nov 26, He Jiankui, a biological researcher from Southern University of Science and Technology in China, said that he had helped to make the world’s first genetically edited babies.
These are twin girls, born in November, with genes edited in an attempt to help them fight against possible future infection (感染) with the AIDS virus.
He said that he chose to do this because HIV infections are a big problem in China. “I feel such a strong responsibility that it’s not just to make a first, but also to set an example,” He told the Associated Press(AP).
The announcement has caused an international storm. Some believe that success will benefit the families of HIV patients. Considering that HIV is “a major and growing public health threat,” attempted gene editing for HIV is justifiable, Harvard Medical School genetics professor George Church told AP.
However, others think that gene editing technology is still unsafe to attempt.
“Gene editing itself is experimental and is still associated with unexpected mutations (突变), causing genetic problems early and later in life, including the development of cancer,” Julian Savulescu, a specialist in ethics at the University of Oxford, told BBC News.
Others fear that this could open the door to using gene editing technology to make designer babies. It might give the parents the choices to choose everything from their baby’s eye color to intelligence.
“You could find wealthy parents buying the latest ‘upgrades’ for their children, leading to even greater inequality than we already live with,” Marcy Darnovsky, director of the San Francisco Center for Genetics, told BBC News.
However, Merlin Crossley, a biologist at the University of New South Wales, Australia, believes that’s a long way off. According to him, many genes produce qualities like height and intelligence — not to mention environmental influences.
And he believes the technology will be better controlled in the future.
“It’s hard to get genies (妖怪) back into bottles — but I’m optimistic that this technology, which I think of as ‘genetic surgery’, could be controlled quite effectively in the future,” Crossley told ABC News.
1. Why did He Jiankui make the genetically edited babies?| A．Because he wanted to be a leader in gene editing technology. |
| B．Because he tried to do his part in fighting against HIV infection. |
| C．Because he attempted to help the twin girls who were infected with AIDS. |
| D．Because he wanted to became the first to make the genetically edited babies in the world. |
| A．Gene editing can cause genetic problems sooner or later in life |
| B．Gene editing may widen the gap between the rich and the poor |
| C．Gene editing may enable wealthy parents to design their babies |
| D．Gene editing can determine everything inside a person’s body |
| A．Absurd. | B．Hopeless. | C．Acceptable. | D．Skilful. |
| A．Gene editing: the genie in the bottle |
| B．Gene editing: the way we should go |
| C．Gene editing: hope or fear for human beings |
| D．Gene editing: a great success in human history |
2 . When you go on a trip to America, you will see the word Motel on signs and notice boards. It is made up of “motor” and “hotel” and it is really a hotel for people who arrive by car (however, you don’t need a car to stay at one). You have to pay when you arrive for your room, which usually has a bath. Meals are not provided but there will certainly be a cafeteria. Americans eat a lot of salads and sandwiches. Along the main roads there are a lot of motels. Each tries to offer more than the others. Some provide television in every bedroom; others have swimming pools and so on. Motels are especially useful when you are in the country, far from a town or city. You will also find them in big national parks.
In these great national parks, you may meet guests you don't expect to see. An American friend told me a short story. In the middle of a moonless night，she heard strange noises outside her motel window in the Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Thinking it might be a thief, she jumped out of bed, opened the door and crept towards a dark shadow. As she got close, she saw the thief. She was dreadfully frightened: it wasn’t a human thief-it was a big black bear. The bear was turning over some empty tins with its paws, looking for tasty bits of food. My friend decided to leave that particular thief alone!
There are also, of course, places called “rooming houses”, where they provide lodges（客房).You will see such signs as Tourists or Rooms Rent, and you could try one of these. A word of warning-looking for a room in New York during the tourist season is like looking for gold on the moon!
1. Motels provide all the following EXCEPT .| A．bath | B．TV | C．meals | D．swimming pools |
| A．moved slowly | B．rushed out | C．threw away | D．ran fast |
| A．tourists can find gold there |
| B．it is difficult to find a room there |
| C．tourists can have a sweet dream there |
| D．there is a warning for tourists to New York |
3 . Everyone loves a holiday! A little time off for some much-needed R&R (rest and relaxation) can be exactly the thing to rejuvenate and refresh from work. So if you're struggling to think of your next destination(目的地) then look no further. Don't waste time debating where to go, but let your blood decide.
Everybody has a lineage(家系). Recently, finding out more about our family origins has become popular. By the start of 2019, 26 million people had taken an ancestry DNA3 test at home, according to a report by MIT Technology Review. They believe by 2021 this number will have risen to 100 million.
This trend has been noticed by opportunistic travel operators. Some are looking to provide a service that both allows people to track their family roots and travel to the destinations where their ancestors originated from.
Airbnb, an online boarding marketplace, recently partnered with 23andMe, a DNA testing company, to offer recommendations that encourage travellers to walk in the footsteps of their forefathers. And they aren't the only ones.
The Shelbourne hotel in Dublin has its own 'genealogy butler(宗谱管家)'. Hellen Kelly offers advice to help guests track their Irish lineage using official records. This allows them to 'fill in the blanks of their Irish ancestry', she told Good Morning America.
The Conte Club, a luxury travel company. offers custom routes of travel based on DNA tests. "These experiences are about going deeper into who we really are." says Conte Club CEO Rebecca Fielding in an article in the Condé Nast Traveller. "It might be the most meaningful trip we can take."
So next time you think of going on vacation, why not take a DNA test first? Once you know how far your family has come, take the time to holiday back.
1. What does the underlined word "rejuvenate" in Paragraph 1 mean?| A．Take a holiday. | B．Feel lively again. | C．Do a DNA test. | D．Return to work. |
| A．The creativity of travel agency. |
| B．The report by MIT Technology Review. |
| C．The competition of the boarding market. |
| D．The rising number of people tracking their lineage. |
| A．By making comparisons. |
| B．By analyzing information. |
| C．By giving examples. |
| D．By offering reasons. |
| A．Negative. | B．Supportive. | C．Uninterested. | D．Doubtful. |
4 . A deadly virus is spreading from state to state and has infected 26 million Americans so far, killing at least 14,000 people this season alone. It’s not a new pandemic (传染病) – it’s influenza.
The 2019-2020 flu season, which began September 29, is projected to be one of the worst in a decade, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. At least 250,000 people have been hospitalized with symptoms from the flu, and that number is predicted to climb as flu activity spreads quickly.
Dr. Nathan Chomilo, an assistant professor at University of Minnesota Medical School, said that the commonness of the flu often underplays its severity, but people should take it seriously.
The flu becomes dangerous when secondary infections emerge, the result of an already weakened immune system. Bacterial and viral infections worsen the flu’s symptoms. People with chronic illnesses are also at a heightened risk for flu complications.
Those complications include pneumonia(肺炎), inflammation in the heart and brain and organ failure – which, in some cases, can be deadly.
Influenza is tricky because the virus changes every year. Sometimes, the dominant strain in a flu season will be more virulent than in previous years, which can impact the number of people infected and the severity of their symptoms.
Most of these changes in the virus are small and insignificant, a process called antigenic drift. That year’s flu vaccine is mostly effective in protecting patients in spite of these small changes.
Occasionally, the flu undergoes a rare antigenic shift, which results when a completely new strain of virus emerges that human bodies haven’t experienced before.
This flu season, there’s no sign of antigenic shift, the most extreme change. But it’s happened before, most recently in 2009 with the H1N1 virus. It became a pandemic because people had no immunity against it, the CDC reported.
1. What do the numbers indicate in the first two paragraphs?| A．The flu is rather serious. | B．The flu is quite common. |
| C．The flu is easy to control. | D．The flu season lasts long. |
| A．There appear new symptoms of flu owing to antigenic shift. |
| B．The number of patients becomes large with the virus spreading. |
| C．Relative infections turn up because of the weaker immune system. |
| D．The virus changes its form with no immunity against it. |
| A．changeable | B．deadly | C．peaceful | D．different |
| A．To warn people that the antigenic shift is impossible. |
| B．To inform people that the virus can be cured. |
| C．To show people that the vaccine is effective. |
| D．To remind people that the virus can be changed. |
5 . Smart cities are coming. And you can be sure that hackers (黑客) won’t be very far behind. We’ve already gotten a glimpse of that future, as cities across the globe start to use technology to connect their services and people in ways that were science film just a few years ago. They are using sensors to collect data — such as traffic, garbage collecting, and road conditions —and then using that data to deliver services to more people and more efficiently.
But this rush to become a smart city has a major weakness: The more connected a city is, the easier it is to cyber-attacks. Hackers have, in recent years, effectively held cities hostage through ransom ware (赎金器), sometimes damaging critical systems for months at a time. The damage can cost millions to repair, as Baltimore and Atlanta have discovered.
And this is just the beginning. As cities add connectivity to their streetlights, power grids, dams, transit lines and other services, they are adding more targets that are possible to be hacked. What’s more, as additional information on people is collected, officials worry the result —lots of data could attract nation-states or terrorists who could use the data to launch physical and cyber war.
What cyber security lesson can’t be taught in this hack? For example: Don’t open email attachments from unfamiliar sources; don’t click on unrecognized links; don’t leave sensitive information visible on the walls or surfaces of your office.
But let’s just stick to the most important lesson: The information you share on social media can be used to profile and target you, whether that’s by engineering click bait (点击诱饵) aimed at your particular interests, guessing your password based on your birthday or figuring out your schedule and travels so that an intruder can access your home or office.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019 THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.
1. What did people use to think of smart cities?| A．It was the product of science. | B．It was sure to be popular. |
| C．It existed in imagination. | D．It improved people’s life. |
| A．Introduce the harm of hackers. |
| B．Show the danger of a smart city. |
| C．Add some background information. |
| D．Summarize the previous paragraphs. |
| A．It is convenient to provide service. |
| B．It is certain to bring about progress. |
| C．There are actually potential dangers. |
| D．There’s competition in high technology. |
| A．Describe. | B．Protect. | C．Impress. | D．Fund. |
6 . In 2018, Pakistan promised to plant ten billion trees in an effort to slow climate change and to save a land that has been destroyed.
That program, whose name is 10 Billion Trees Tsunami, has been taking effect slowly for the past two years, but it recently has received unexpected help from the coronavirus(新冠病毒). Many Pakistanis are suddenly unemployed, so the government has given them jobs as tree-planters. Unemployed day laborers have been turned into "jungle workers", planting trees for 500 rupees a day($3). It's not much, but it can help the unemployed get by.
As the coronavirus struck Pakistan, the 10 Billion Trees campaign was halted as part of social distancing orders put in place to slow the spread of the virus. But earlier this month, the government allowed the forestry agency to restart the program and create more than 63, 600 jobs.
The program is employing three times the number of planters as it normally does, and the planting season has been extended from May(its usual end)throughout June, in order to keep workers employed. All workers are being told to wear masks and keep two meters of distance from others.
Shahid Rashid Awan, project director for Punjab province, said the project hopes to reach 50 million trees this year. “We can absorb all the unemployed laborers and workers who have fled the cities and returned to their villages in the past few weeks.”
A study declared tree planting to be an effective way to store carbon, and if planted in large quantities around the globe, a powerful solution to climate change. While it won’t fix every climate-related problem we have, it can go a long way if done widely, which is exactly what Pakistan is trying to do with such impressive determination.
And the workers will benefit greatly, too. Not only are they able to earn money and support their families at a difficult time, but they’re outside in the fresh air, away from the potential health risks from more tightly-packed urban environments. It’s a brilliant idea that all country leaders should consider copying.
1. How does the coronavirus influence Pakistan?| A．A lot of animals are starving. | B．Many people are out of work. |
| C．Much land is left unmanaged. | D．The government has lost power. |
| A．Agreed. | B．Discussed. | C．Stopped. | D．Doubted. |
| A．It has helped with employment. |
| B．It has persuaded people to plant trees in big cities. |
| C．Many laborers produce much less carbon dioxide. |
| D．It can contribute to fighting against climate change. |
| A．It serves as a good example. | B．It is not fit for other countries. |
| C．It is a waste of time and money. | D．It brings many economic benefits. |
7 . What do you usually do to comfort your friends when they are feeling sad or depressed? You probably pat them on the back or shoulder, or maybe you give them a big, warm hug.
We used to think that knowing when and how to comfort others was an ability that only humans have. But scientists have discovered that apes （猩猩）have this ability, too. Two researchers from Emory University in Atlanta, US, went to an Ape Protection Centre in Congo to study bonobos （倭黑猩猩）,which are closely related to humans.
The researchers analyzed the bonobos' reactions after more than 370 cases of stressful situations, such as fights and losing temper, and found that some bonobos rushed to hug those that were screaming after being attacked, just like humans would have done.
However, researchers said that not all bonobos were able to comfort others. In the protection centre, many bonobos are orphans （孤儿）whose mothers were killed by hunters. They were found to be more anxious in times of tension and have greater difficulty controlling their own emotions, malting them worse at reaching out to help friends in need.
"Orphans, who have not had the benefit of a mother helping them handling their emotions, are much worse al comforting others,” Professor Frans de Waal, one of the researchers, told The Telegraph. "Bonobos with moms were able to curb their negative emotional reactions more quickly. Therefore, they pay more attention to others.” This pattern mirrors the way that human children have been found to react. Those who seem more capable of handling their own emotions—for example, the ones who can calm themselves down more quickly after upsetting experiences—are usually better at expressing their concerns for others .
1. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?| A．Orphan bonobos never give a hand to friends. |
| B．There were 370 bonobos involved in the research. |
| C．Moms play a significant role in handling kids' emotions. |
| D．The ability to comfort others is unique to human beings. |
| A．express | B．observe | C．hide | D．control |
| A．A science journal | B．A travel leaflet |
| C．A literature review | D．A science fiction |
| A．To uncover the mystery of Apes. |
| B．To inform readers of a new study. |
| C．To provide better protection for Apes. |
| D．To compare human behaviors with Apes. |
8 . Yawning is something we all do—maybe because we’re bored carrying out tedious tasks or because we’re tired. Sometimes, just seeing other people yawn can set you off. But is this biological function really contagious, and why do we do it in the first place?
Many of us think we open our mouths when we yawn to take in more oxygen, but in fact it appears there is no clear biological reason. A new research suggests it might be because yawning cools the brain down and prevents it from overheating, much like the fan in your laptop. This might be why we’re more likely to feel drowsy and yawn in warm temperatures.
What is clear is that we yawn more when we’re exhausted and ready for a nap, and we can’t control when we do it—once we start, there’s no stopping us! But it’s also true that yawning is a very contagious behaviour. John Drury, a researcher from Sussex University, told the BBC that “dogs yawn when their owners yawn. Animals yawn to each other. It happens whether you want to or not.”
His research into this cognitive behaviour found that there is a connection with our social group and how close we are to the people in it. If we identify with the person who exhibits the behaviour, we are likely to copy it too.
Other researches by the University of Nottingham in 2017 found similar results. They asked volunteers to watch other people yawn. They found their ability to resist yawning when others around them yawned was limited. And the urge to yawn was increased when people were told they couldn’t. They also found, when using electrical stimulation(刺激), that they were able to increase people’s desire to yawn. These findings, they say, could be useful because it could help treat other conditions like Tourette’s, which involve the same area of the brain.
1. According to the new research, why are we more likely to yawn in warm temperatures?| A．Because we need to breathe more oxygen. |
| B．Because we are more likely to feel tired. |
| C．Because we need to make the brain cooler. |
| D．Because we are more likely to feel bored. |
| A．Powerful. | B．Infectious. | C．Similar. | D．Influential. |
| A．They will have stronger desire to yawn. |
| B．They will immediately stop yawning. |
| C．They will yawn less than before. |
| D．They will yawn more lightly. |
| A．A novel. | B．A diary. | C．A magazine. | D．A handbook. |
9 . Hard work really does pay off. Scientists find that perseverance (毅力) leads to better grades and higher achievements in school.
“Being passionate (热诚的) is not enough to ensure academic success,” said researchers, who thought of “courage” as a key to success. This is also regarded as effort in reaching long-term goals, and determination to continue one’s efforts in spite of hardships.
Researchers thought that the finding could help create new training to help children develop the skill and help ensure their future success.
Researchers from the Academy of Finland studied more than 2,000 students from Helsinki. They were followed through their academic career from 12 to 16, from the sixth grade until the ninth grade in local school years. Researchers found that the factor that best predicted courage was related to goals, with previous academic achievements playing no role in developing the skill.
Professor Katariina Salmela-Aro, who led the study, said, “Courage means a young person is really interested in his or her studies and does not give up easily. A key element of courage is high perseverance when facing difficulties and hardships. The important finding is that these factors are the key to success and well-being. Our study shows the power of courage.”
Professor Salmela-Aro also thought it was important to develop new practices and qualities to improve courage in teenagers. She added, “Young people should see everyday school work as part of their life in a broader context and establish achievable goals for themselves. Schools must also serve as a place where it is safe to fail and learn to deal with setbacks. One must not be discouraged by setbacks, but gain(得到) strength and new energy from them!”
1. What can we learn about the research?| A．It takes at least three years. |
| B．It helps students make progress. |
| C．It makes many discoveries. |
| D．It follows 2,000 students abroad. |
| A．Focus on former grades. |
| B．Achieve their goals. |
| C．Try all their best. |
| D．Forget sadness. |
| A．Strengths. | B．Difficulties. |
| C．Weaknesses. | D．Efforts. |
| A．Hard work will lead to success |
| B．Failure is the mother of success |
| C．Schools should train students’ courage |
| D．Perseverance is the key to success |
10 . "Smile!" I shouted, holding a yellow sign up on a busy street in Seattle. We were three thousand miles away from home on a Random Acts of Kindness and Volunteerism Road Trip. We had two aims. One was to try out our new "Smile!" signs and see how much kindness and joy we could spread in Pike Place Market. The other was to raise $80 by doing street performances, enough for gas to Portland and a small hotel room.
We weren't sure how people would react (回应) to our signs. I nervously raised up our signs and shouted, "Hi, there!" to a young couple. They looked over and felt confused. Then they read our signs and broke into a smile. Before long, some tourists wanted to take a photo with us and some strangers stopped to ask us about our signs.
In fact, we paid so close attention to our "Smile!" project that we forgot the other aim. Before we knew it, the sun was setting, and we had no money for our trip to Portland. We sat down to watch a blind musician play the guitar while thinking about what to do. He was packing up when a passing crowd kicked down his change bowl. He stumbled (绊倒) into the crowd. We rushed to help him, but another man moved more quickly to help him.
Once the musician had his money safely returned, we ran over to meet the strange helper and said, "We just wanted to praise you for your good deed." He smiled, looking at our signs. "Your trip reminds me of something similar I once did when I was young," he said. "Look! I'd like to donate (捐赠)." We told him, "No, thanks! We are fine. We've collected plenty of money." We lied. "Please let me donate. It will make me feel like I'm a part of this adventure," he insisted. And then the stranger opened his wallet and pulled out four $20 bills. The money was exactly what we had intended to raise that day. We were astonished. It seemed as if he had known somehow.
1. What's the main purpose of the road trip?| A．To spread kindness and joy. |
| B．To invite more people to join in the trip. |
| C．To raise money for a trip to Portland. |
| D．To encourage people to take happy photos. |
| A．Disappointed. | B．Worried. | C．Interested. | D．Moved. |
| A．Because he felt pity for the author. |
| B．Because he wanted to join in the project. |
| C．Because he hoped to help the homeless. |
| D．Because he felt sorry for his impoliteness. |
| A．Tired. | B．Satisfied. | C．Frightened. | D．Surprised. |
