1 . This year’s Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Tu Youyou (co-winner), whose research led to the discovery of artemisinin, a crucial new treatment for malaria. Artemisinin has saved hundreds of thousands of lives, and has led to improved health for millions of people. Over 200 million people around the world get malaria each year, and about 600,000 die from it. Artemisinin has become a vital part of the treatment for malaria, and is thought to save 100,000 lives a year in Africa alone.
Tu Youyou, a committed and patient scientist, was born in Ningbo, China, on 30 December 1930, and graduated from Peking University Medical School in 1955. After she graduated, she worked at the China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Beijing. In 1967, the Chinese government formed a team of scientists with the objective of discovering a new treatment for malaria, and Tu Youyou was among the first researchers chosen. In the beginning, Tu Youyou went to Hainan, where malaria was more common, to study malaria patients. In 1969, she became the head of the project in Beijing, and decided to review ancient Chinese medical texts to find traditional botanical treatments for the disease. Her team examined over 2, 000 old medical texts, and evaluated 280, 000 plants for their medical properties. From their research, they discovered and tested 380 distinct ancient Chinese medical treatments that showed promise in the fight against malaria.
One medical text from the fourth century suggested using the extract from sweet wormwood to treat a fever. Tu’s team tested a collection of dried wormwood leaves but found no effect. They then tried boiling fresh wormwood, and using the liquid obtained from this to treat malaria, but this did not work either. Their project got stuck. However, Tu Youyou would not acknowledge defeat. She analysed the medical texts again, and by chance, she found one sentence suggesting a different way to treat the wormwood. She concluded that boiling the sweet wormwood apparently destroyed its medical properties. Using a lower temperature to draw out the extract, she found a substance that worked. After failing more than 190 times, the team finally succeeded in 1971. Tu Youyou and her team members even insisted on testing the medicine on themselves to make sure that it was safe. Later, the medicine was tested on malaria patients, most of whom recovered. This medicine, which was called artemisinin, soon became a standard treatment for malaria.
According to Tu Youyou, the discovery of artemisinin was a team effort. Upon hearing that she had been awarded the Nobel Prize, she said, “The honour is not just mine. There is a team behind me, and all the people of my country. This success proves the great value of traditional Chinese medicine. It is indeed an honour for China’s scientific research and Chinese medicine to be spread around the world.”
1. Which of the following statements about artemisinin is NOT true according to the passage?| A．It is an extract from sweet wormwood that can treat malaria. |
| B．It has improved people’s health. |
| C．It is a great discovery. |
| D．It has saved 100,000 lives a year in the world. |
| A．Determined. | B．Bold and brave. | C．Easy-going. | D．Polite. |
| A．How was artemisinin discovered and tested to treat malaria? |
| B．What contributions did Tu Youyou and her team members make? |
| C．What was the childhood experience of Tu Youyou? |
| D．Why did Tu Youyou decide to use the extract from sweet wormwood to treat malaria? |
| A．It is the effort of the whole team and traditional Chinese medicine. |
| B．It belongs to her hard work. |
| C．It turns out to be the great luck of her and her team. |
| D．It depends on the big support from the government. |
2 . Ireland has had a very difficult history. The problems started in the 16th century when English rulers tried to conquer (征服) Ireland. For hundreds of years, the Irish people fought against the English. Finally, in 1921, the British government was forced to give independence to the south of Ireland. The result is that today there are two “Irelands”. Northern Ireland, in the north, is part of the United Kingdom. The Republic of Ireland, in the south, is an independent country.
In the 1840s the main crop, potatoes, was affected by disease and about 750,000 people died of hunger. This, and a shortage (短缺) of work, forced many people to leave Ireland and live in the USA, the UK, Australia and Canada. As a result of these problems, the population fell from 8.2 million in 1841 to 6.6 million in 1851.
For many years, the majority of Irish people earned their living as farmers. Today, many people still work on the land but more and more people are moving to the cities to work in factories and offices. Life in the cities is very different from life in the countryside, where things move at a quieter and slower pace.
The Irish are famous for being warm－hearted and friendly. Oscar Wilde, a famous Irish writer, once said that the Irish were “the greatest talkers since the Greeks”. Since independence, Ireland has revived (复兴) its own culture of music, language, literature and singing. Different areas have different styles of old Irish songs which are sung without instruments. Other kinds of Irish music use many different instruments such as the violin, whistles, etc.
1. What does the author tell us in Paragraph 1?| A．How the Irish fought against the English. |
| B．How Ireland gained independence. |
| C．How English rulers tried to conquer Ireland. |
| D．How two “Irelands” came into being. |
| A．food shortages and a lack of work in the 1840s led to a decline in population |
| B．people are moving to the cities for lack of work in the countryside |
| C．it is harder to make a living as a farmer than as a factory worker |
| D．different kinds of old Irish songs are all sung with instruments |
| A．the Irish character | B．the Irish culture |
| C．Irish musical instruments | D．a famous Irish writer |
| A．Life in Ireland | B．A Very Difficult History |
| C．Ireland, Past and Present | D．The Independence of Ireland |
3 . For some people, nothing beats a long walk on a sandy beach. But there’s no denying that it’s not as easy or as fast to get around on the beach as it is on a road or a sidewalk. But why is it so hard to walk on sand?
The problem with sand is that it’s soft; you “sink in” at each step. This forces you to use 2.1 to 2. 7 times more energy with every step you take. Another idea is that people walk more difficultly on soft than they do on hard surfaces, a study found. The researchers compared how people walked on foam (沫) and hard surfaces by analyzing the forces under their feet and how much oxygen each person consumed. They found that walking on soft surfaces, such as sand, mud and snow, caused people to take longer steps — actions that use more energy than walking on a hard surface.
But as experienced beach walkers know, there’s a way to make it easier to walk on sand: Just add water, When sand is wet, it becomes more compact (紧密), and walking on it is more similar to walking on hard surface. In other words, it’s much easier to cross a beach by walking along the shoreline, where the waves roll in and out. This is a balance though; too much water could make the sand soft once again. If water isn’t an option, there is another way to make walking on sand easier — increasing your surface area. This could be accomplished by wearing shoes.
Although it’s more difficult, there are some good reasons to exercise on sand. The impact forces are lower on sand than on hard surface. Research suggests that walking across sand is much easier on your joints (关节) and muscles, especially compared with an unforgiving surface such as concrete (混凝土). This means sand is a better surface for helping athletes recover more quickly from workouts.
1. Why is the question raised in the first paragraph?| A．To show problems. | B．To call up readers’ memories. |
| C．To invite readers to answer it. | D．To draw readers’ attention to the topic. |
| A．By putting on shoes. | B．By taking longer steps. |
| C．By walking in the water. | D．By using special breath methods. |
| A．Sand. | B．Concrete. |
| C．Foam. | D．Snow. |
| A．Tips for Beach Vacation | B．All Kinds of Sports on the Sand |
| C．Why Is It So Hard to Walk on Sand? | D．Where Are We With the Sand Research? |
4 . With the Forbidden City and Jingshan Park to its east, Zhongnanhai to its south, Beihai Park, also known as Northern Sea Park, is one of the oldest, largest and best-preserved ancient imperial gardenst (皇家花园) in China located in the center of Beijing.
Beihai Park is said to be built according to a traditional Chinese legend. The story is that once upon a time there were three magic mountains called “Penglai”, “Yingzhou” and “Fangzhang”. Gods in those mountains had a kind of medicine which would help humans gain immortality (永生). Consequently, many emperors constantly sought those mountains. I For example, Emperor Qin Shihuang had sent people to look for the magic mountains but they failed. Emperor Wudi, the fifth emperor of the Western Han Dynasty did similar things.
It was believed that different mountain-water combinations in ancient Chinese architecture led to totally different effects. So from then on, almost every emperor during the succeeding dynasties would build a royal garden with one-pool-with-three-hill layout near his palace. Beihai Park was surely built after this traditional style: the water of Beihai with Zhongnanhai is the Taiye Pool; the Jade Flowery Islet, the island of the Circular City and the Xishantai Island represent the three magic mountains.
Actually, Beihai Park was initially built in the Liao Dynasty (916-1125) and was repaired and rebuilt in the following dynasties including Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing. The large-scale rebuilding in the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) generally established the present scale and pattern. In 1925, it was first opened to the public, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world every year.
It is enjoyable to walk around the various scenic areas in Beihai Park. There are many places to visit, including the Bai Ta, Five-Dragon Pavilions, Nine-Dragon Wall, Yong’an Temple and so on. There is also a classy restaurant called Fangshan Restaurant where the Empress Cixi once dined.
1. Where is Beihai Park?| A．Near the ocean. | B．In the south of Zhongnanhai. |
| C．To the west side of Jingshan Park. | D．In the uptown area of Beijing City. |
| A．They loved to listen to stories. | B．They both pursued immortality. |
| C．They were mountain-climbing lovers. | D．They were the first emperor of their dynasties. |
| A．Less than 100 years old. | B．About 500 years old. |
| C．About 1, 000 years old. | D．Nearly 2, 000 years old. |
| A．A famous park. | B．Historical palaces. |
| C．An unforgettable legend. | D．Ancient architectural styles. |
5 . Some people think working overtime means you’re a hard worker. You have to sacrifice your personal time to stay at work, produce something, help the company, and be a more devoted employee. But is that right?
A good manager knows how to encourage his employees to work to their full potential instead of expecting them to work late even if they don’t have something to do. People who stay in their office until late hate their jobs.
Overworking may negatively influence the level of productivity and efficiency. Any company that makes their employees work those hours is not being managed well.
Nowadays, it’s hard for a young person to build a good future, for pressures are on his (or her) shoulders: housing, children, parents, themselves, etc. But everyone must keep working hard to have ourselves on the way to the good future, which is not certain.
| A．No one wants to work overtime. |
| B．The boss thinks highly of overworking. |
| C．Working too many hours only means you are inefficient. |
| D．For it affects their performance, as well as other aspects of their life. |
| E．What’s sure is that if you’re lazy and don’t work hard, no good future will come. |
| F．Managers believe that overworking is an evidence of devotion from their employees’ side. |
| G．In many countries, overworking would be criticized because it reflects poor work efficiency. |
6 . A new kind of hybrid wheat now available to American farmers may help reduce fears over genetically engineered crops. The new hybrid wheat is being introduced as seed companies worldwide seek to increase production because of reducing grain supplies. The hybrid wheat was developed by a Chinese-owned agriculture company. The product was created with-out genetic engineering. The first seeds to grow the wheat will be released on 2,000 to 2,800 hectares of American farmland next year, according to Reuters reports.
Developers or breeders create hybrid wheat by taking away the natural ability of plants to pollinate (授粉) themselves. Instead, female wheat plants in a field are pollinated by male plants of a different line. The goal of the process is to create seeds that can produce bigger crops and better resist harmful environments. The fertilized female plants produce a new kind of hybrid. Using this hybrid technology permits breeders to choose the best elements from two parent seeds to produce new seeds containing the best characteristics of both.
Producers say when seed companies produce hybrid wheat seeds, some female plants often fail to become fertilized because they depend on unpredictable winds to carry pollen (花粉).Pollen is a substance produced by plants when they reproduce. During some seasons,pollen is released into the air and carried to other plants to be fertilized. Producers say the fertilization of each plant is more certain during wheat’s natural process of self-pollination.
Researchers say the new hybrid wheat has to take long to come to market because the development process is more costly and complex. It could be important in increasing wheat yields and avoiding being linked to GMO development. GMO stands for genetically modified organism. Genetically modified wheat has never been grown for industry purposes because of fears that allergens or poisons might be created. Wheat is used to make numerous major foods worldwide.
Dave Hankey owns a seed company in Park River, North Dakota. He told Reuters, “Because of the resistance to genetically modified stuff, the hybrid wheat would be considered better and safer.”He added it would certainly be the public view.
1. Which of the following leads the new hybrid wheat to be developed?| A．The existing unsafe grain. |
| B．The decreasing output of food. |
| C．The application from American farmers. |
| D．The Chinese agriculture company’s proposal. |
| A．Requiring less fertilizer. |
| B．Producing tinier crops. |
| C．Having better adaptability. |
| D．Improving their natural self-pollination ability. |
| A．It is complex but economical. |
| B．It is simple and fruitful. |
| C．It is temporary. |
| D．It is demanding. |
| A．Indifferent. | B．Resistant. | C．Appreciative. | D．Cautious. |
7 . Pleasanton Partnerships in Education Foundation (PPIE) was started in 1987 to raise money by organizing running events for local schools. Based in Pleasanton, California, a suburb of San Francisco, the non-profit organization recently hosted a family-focused fitness event for the community. “Our event helps to bring the community together,” said Mindy Louie, events and outreach manager for PPIE. “We have more than 3,000 participants, hard-working volunteers and viewers.”
This year’s fitness event took place on April 30 at the Alameda County Fairgrounds. It featured races of two miles, five kilometers and ten kilometers. A new Kids Challenge consisted of a quarter-mile run to encourage younger children to participate. When asked to describe the run, 11-year-old Jeremy Louie said, “Fun, exciting and enjoyable.” Jeremy added that he was happy to help support his school.
PPIE supports all 15 schools in the Pleasanton Unified School District, which include more than 14, 500 students and 800 teachers and staff. The nonprofit organization tries to fund programs affected by budget cuts, while encouraging fitness and athleticism. To date, the PPIE has raised over $1 million for the school district.
A local runners’ group called the BURN Youth Development (B. Y. D.) participated in the fundraising. The B.Y.D. has since grown to more than 100 youth members, 30 of whom ran in April’s PPIE event. Jerry Wu, the group’s founder and lead coach, explained that the B.Y.D. was born to keep kids running. “Watching them running strongly and happily makes me smile every time,” Jerry said.
Jerry encourages teamwork and teaches the students valuable running techniques. As a B.Y.D. member, Ollie Gu, an eighth grader, was one of the top finishers in the ten-kilometer run. He completed the race in 40 minutes and 46 seconds and won first place in the 12-to-15 year-old age group. “The race was extremely rewarding,” Ollie said. “I’m looking forward to it next year.”
1. Which race was recently created?| A．A ten-kilometer run. | B．A quarter-mile run. |
| C．A five-kilometer run. | D．A two-mile run. |
| A．To stress the great influence of PPIE. |
| B．To show a small budget for education. |
| C．To introduce the school district in brief. |
| D．To advertise the organization’s programs. |
| A．Their duties as athletes. | B．Their feelings as coaches. |
| C．Their recognition of the B.Y.D. | D．Their anticipation of the next run. |
| A．Sports volunteers. | B．Young sportsmen. |
| C．Running with teachers. | D．Racing for education. |
8 . Serbia is one of the most affordable destinations in Europe. Here are some beautiful places in Serbia that you can pay a visit to.
Mountain Avala
Overlooking Belgrade and topped with the Avala Tower in the Balkans, Mountain Avala is a must-visit spot that makes for a pleasant break from the capital’s busy streets. The Avala Tower is a tall telecommunication tower in this area which was rebuilt in 2010, offering the picture-perfect whole view over Belgrade from viewing platforms and a cafe for visitors.
Museum of Srem
The regional museum in the town of Sremska Mitrovica has a valuable collection in prehistoric, Roman and medieval periods. Its highlights are the numerous archaeological findings from Sremska Mitrovica, including a unique Roman sundial (日晷) with the sculptures of some figures.
The Gallery of Matica Srpska
The Gallery of Matica Srpska is one of the most significant and lasting cultural institutions in Serbia. It’s not a mere gallery but rather a national treasure, with several floors covering priceless Serbian artworks from the late 17th to the 20th century in different styles with countless landscapes and graphic art and more.
Uvac Special Nature Reserve
The spectacular meanders of the Uvac River are the highlights of the Uvac Special Nature Reserve in southwestern Serbia. The incredibly green river snakes through rocks in a zigzag manner—a feat of nature that is best admired from high above. The reserve, which also comprises a 6-kilometer-long cave system, owes its protected status to several hundred plant species, many types of fishes and rare bird species.
1. What can visitors do in the Avala Tower?| A．Visit an art gallery. |
| B．See a unique sundial. |
| C．Have a good view of the landscapes. |
| D．Admire artworks at the viewing platform. |
| A．Cultural treasures. | B．Unique rocks. |
| C．Old floors. | D．Modern sculptures. |
| A．A protected statue. | B．A water system. |
| C．A green river. | D．A wildlife museum. |
9 . Children’s Sci-fi Art Predicts Extraordinary Future
More than 80 sci-fi artworks are on display at the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, showing a beautiful yet puzzling future. The “Brave New Sci-Fi World” exhibition features paintings and art installations (设备) by students from Shanghai, Beijing, Chongqing and other cities. They imagine the future as a world where robots and human beings co-exist.
Ru Chen, from Shanghai New Putuo Primary School, has pictured a robot chameleon (变色龙) to be used in outer space to aid in the search and rescue of human beings in case of danger.
Li Jiaqi from Guangzhou Dongfeng East Road Primary School has painted a city where advanced technologies are everywhere, and even the city itself turns into a large robot.
Huang Yanrui from Beijing Shijingshan Gucheng No. 2 Primary School imagines his rubber, pencil box and such stationery (文具) becoming conscious robots, and beginning to design future human beings.
Wang Zhihan, from Shanghai Shangde Experimental School and her schoolmates, stick electronic components on stone faces as a metaphor (隐喻) for the increasingly unclear boundaries between the reality and virtual world. “We hope to remind people never lose yourself in a world with advanced technologies,” she said.
The exhibition will last till November 4.
Opening hours:
Tuesdays-Sundays 9: 00- 17: 15; legal holidays 8: 45- 18: 30.
Transportation Guide:
Metro: Metro Line 2: Shanghai Science and Technology Museum Station.
Metro Line 4, Metro Line 6 and Metro Line 9: change to Metro Line 2 at the Century Avenue Station.
Bus Routes: Bus 184, 640, 794, 983, 984, 987, 1023, 640 inter-zonal bus will take you there.
1. Whose artwork is related with space?| A．Ru Chen’s. | B．Li Jiaqi’s. | C．Huang Yanrui’s. | D．Wang Zhihan’s. |
| A．Shanghai. | B．Guangzhou. | C．Chongqing. | D．Beijing. |
| A．Metro Line 2. | B．Metro Line 4. | C．Metro Line 6. | D．Metro Line 9. |
10 . A broken heart. A sad ending to a love affair. That’s something most of us have experienced, or probably will. After all, it’s part of human life. But no question, the experience can be hard to get over.
But research shows there are pathways through the heartache. Listening to sad music is a major one. It can help you begin to feel joy and hopefulness about your life again. It can arouse (激发，唤醒) the desire (渴望) to connect with others.
Sad music can help heal and uplift you from your broken heart. A recent study from Germany found the emotional influence of listening to sad music is an arousal of feelings of empathy (共情), and a desire for positive connection with others. That, itself, is psychologically healing. It draws you away from concentration on yourself, and possibly towards helping others in need of comfort.
Another experiment, from the University of Kent, found that when people were experiencing sadness, listening to music that was “beautiful but sad” improved their mood. In fact, it did so when the person first consciously accept the situation causing their sadness, and then began listening to the sad music. That is, when they intended that the sad music might help, they found that it did.
These findings link with other studies that show accepting your sad situation emotionally leads to healing and growth beyond it. It seems unbelievable but it does make sense. For example, research from Cornell University, published in Psychological Science, found that accepting discomfort about a life experience or new situation, and viewing it as a step towards growth and change, encourages people to find a pathway through it, beyond it. As Churchill famously said, “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” That discomfort points you towards creating a plan, a new action. It fuels hope.
1. What can we learn from paragraph 3 and paragraph 4?| A．Sad music can make people help others. |
| B．Sad music can make sad people feel better. |
| C．Sad music can make people believe in themselves. |
| D．Sad music can make people concentrate on themselves. |
| A．Listen to a sad song. | B．Avoid unwise actions. |
| C．Find support from others. | D．Face the discomfort directly. |
| A．By listing figures. |
| B．By giving directions. |
| C．By comparing examples. |
| D．By presenting research findings. |
| A．How to Find Pathways through Heartaches |
| B．How We React to A Broken Heart Matters a Lot |
| C．What We Can Do to Overcome Discomfort in Life |
| D．Why Listening to Sad Music Heals Your Broken Heart |
