1 . Do you want to live another 100 years or more? Some experts say that scientific advances will one day enable humans to last tens of years beyond what is now seen as the natural limit of the human life span.
“I think we are knocking at the door of immortality(永生),” said Michael Zey, a Montclair State University business professor and author of two books on the future. “I think by 2075 we will see it and that’s a conservative estimate(保守的估计).”
At the conference in San Francisco, Donald Louria, a professor at New Jersey Medical School in Newark said advances in using genes as well as nanotechnology(纳米技术) make it likely that humans will live in the future beyond what was possible in the past. “There is a great effort so that people can live from 120 to 180 years,” he said. “Some have suggested that there is no limit and that people could live to 200 or 300 or 500 years.”
However, many scientists who specialize in aging are doubtful about it and say the human body is just not designed to last past about 120 years. Even with healthier lifestyles and less disease, they say failure of the brain and organs will finally lead all humans to death.
Scientists also differ on what kind of life the super aged might live. “It remains to be seen if you pass 120, you know; could you be healthy enough to have good quality of life?” said Leonard Poon, director of the University of Georgia Gerontology Centre. “At present people who could get to that point are not in good health at all.”
1. By saying“we are knocking at the door of immortality”,Michael Zey means_________.| A．they have got some ideas about living forever |
| B．they believe that there is no limit of living |
| C．they are able to make people live past the present life span |
| D．they are sure to find the truth about long living |
| A．the human body is designed to last past about 120 years |
| B．it is possible for humans to live longer in the future |
| C．it is still doubtful how long humans can live |
| D．people can live from 120 to 180 |
| A．a great effort |
| B．the conservative estimate |
| C．the idea of living from 200 to 300 years |
| D．the idea of living beyond the present life span |
| A．No Limit for Human Life |
| B．Living Longer or not |
| C．Science,Technology and Long Living |
| D．Healthy Lifestyle and Long Living |
2 . Natural disasters have hit Asia hard in recent years, taking hundreds of thousands of lives. But while these tragedies (灾难) have destroyed homes and lives, they have also created heroes.
The hero: Muelmar Magallanes
The story: As the heavy rain was destroying homes and villagers in Manila, the 18-year-old worker jumped into action. Muelmar swam through the floods (洪水) and pulled 30 of his neighbors to safety. After pushing a mother and baby to shore on a small boat, the tired hero was lost in the water, and his body was discovered the next day. "He gave his life for my baby, "said Menchie Penalosa, the child's mother "I will never forget him.
The hero: Tilly Smith
The story: You never know when those lessons learned in geography class will be put to good use. For Smith, just 10 years old at the time, being able to recognize the warning signs of a tsunami, saved about 100 lives at a holiday center in Thailand. The English schoolgirl was walking on a beach in Phuket when she noticed the water was coming in, but it wasn't going out again. A tsunami, she realized, was just minutes away. Her father told everyone to leave the beach. That beach was one of the few in Phuket where no one was killed or seriously injured.
The heroes: Aisah, Neneh, Azmi, Nuraida and Sulastri
The story: For these five women from the village of Lampasch, the tsunami took everything. That day, Aisah lost her 17-day-old granddaughter, Neneh lost seven of her nine children, Azmi lost her parents, Nuraida lost three of her sisters and brothers, and Sulastri lost her husband, daughter and youngest son. All lost their homes. Everything was gone except for their strong belief. Soon after the tsunami, the five women went back to clean up the village. These women lost nearly everything, except their determination to rebuild their lives.
1. What happened to Muelmar?| A．He lost his family in a flood. |
| B．He was found dead on a boat. |
| C．He took part in a swimming race. |
| D．He saved others at the cost of his own life. |
| A．was having a geography class. |
| B．got seriously injured. |
| C．was at the seaside. |
| D．lost her father. |
| A．clever | B．honest |
| C．strong-minded | D．kind-hearted |
| A．Meet the heroes created by disasters |
| B．Create a better world together |
| C．The worst disasters in Asia |
| D．Brave acts of the good |
3 . I am a mother of three children and have recently completed my college degree. The last class I had to take was social study. The last class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their reactions.
Soon after we were given the project, my husband, my youngest son, and I went out to McDonald’s one cold March morning. It was just our way of sharing special playtime with our son.
We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back way. I turned around and found there standing behind me were two poor homeless men with a horrible “dirty body” smell. The short gentleman, close to me, was “smiling”. His beautiful sky-blue eyes were full of light as he searched for acceptance. The second man played with his hands uneasily as he stood behind his friend. I realized the second man was mentally challenged and the blue-eyed gentleman was his salvation(救赎). The short man just asked for a coffee because that was all they could afford.
I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray(餐盘).I then walked around the corner to the men’s table. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed gentleman’s cold hand. He looked up at me with tears in his eyes and said “Thank you”.
I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son. When I sat down, my husband smiled at me and said, “That’s why God gave you to me, Honey. To give me hope.”
On the last evening of class, I turned in “my project” and the instructor read it. Then she looked up at me and said, “Can I share this?” I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class. She began to read and we all knew that we need to heal people and to be healed.
I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn: UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE. “LOVE PEOPLE AND USE THINGS--NOT LOVE THINGS AND USE PEOPLE.”
1. Why did the people around the author back away?| A．Because the second man stood playing with his hands. |
| B．Because the two homeless men were also waiting in line, with a bad smell. |
| C．Because the short gentleman was smiling to everyone around. |
| D．Because both men were poorly dressed and mentally ill. |
| A．regretted and cried | B．turned in her project |
| C．went back to her husband and son | D．talked with them for a while |
| A．Lovely. | B．Mature. |
| C．Over-curious. | D．Caring. |
| A．Poor as the homeless men were, they had their dignity. |
| B．The author felt we should know how to heal people. |
| C．The author’s husband was very proud of her. |
| D．What the author did to the men touched many people. |
4 . When photographer Simon Czapp took pictures of a curious five-month-old fox, he soon realized this little fox was attracted by his subject. The clever fox was so curious about the camera equipment that she climbed on top of it. And while she was supposed to be the subject of the shoot, the fox stood on the shutter release button (快门按钮) and took her own frames.
Mr. Czapp visited the New Forest Wildlife Park to capture images of new arrival Jessie. Jessie is a lovely little fox. She has been at the animal park in Ashurst, Hampshire—home to wolves, deer and others in 25 acres of ancient woodland after being abandoned by her mother.
Mr. Czapp said, “Jessie was very playful and curious and not shy at all in front of the camera. Soon after I arrived she was chewing my shoes and everything seemed to be a game to her. Then she started exploring the camera I had set up on a tripod (三脚架). She stood on her back legs to look at the back of the camera. She balanced her front paws on it and at one point knocked it over. ”
He put the camera back on the tripod and Jessie soon jumped back up. At one point she had all four paws on the camera and was keeping her balance. Mr. Czapp added, “She jumped up there several times and I realized it could make a good picture. As I was leaving away with the public’s viewing window (取景窗) behind me, I thought I heard the camera go off but didn’t think much of it. However, when I checked the memory card afterwards, I was amazed to see Jessie had actually taken two frames of me photographing her. I couldn’t believe I had been outfoxed (智取) by a fox! There were some lovely photos of her but she obviously thought the photographer was worthy of a picture too! ”
1. The underlined word “frames” in Para. 1 refers to _______.| A．photographers | B．pictures |
| C．equipments | D．subjects |
a. Jessie pressed the shutter release button, taking her own pictures.
b. Jessie balanced her paws on the camera.
c. Mr. Czapp set up his camera on a tripod.
d. Jessie stood up to look at the back of the camera.
| A．c, d, b, a | B．a, c, d, b |
| C．d, c, b, a | D．b, a, c, d |
| A．Naughty but lovely. | B．Clever but annoying. |
| C．Careful and grateful. | D．Quick but rude. |
| A．Wildlife photographers took photos of wild animals. |
| B．Clever fox took pictures of professional photographer. |
| C．Mr. Czapp showed the fox how to take photos. |
| D．Wild animals enjoy equal rights with humans. |
5 . You cannot judge a book by looking at its cover! That's what a group of parents and students in Hangzhou has found out this term.
When they came to school in September, the students were shocked to learn that their class teacher was to be a P.E. teacher. How could someone who teaches table tennis and basketball know anything about academics? Their parents were equally worried and pressured the school to replace ''Miss Muscle'' with a ''Miss Brain. '' However, the principal(校长) did not give in to the pressure and now the parents and students are happy that the school firmly insisted.
After three months, the P.E. teacher, whose name is actually Miss Su, has turned out to be a wonderful class teacher. She is intelligent, kind and helpful. She is a good leader who keeps her students active in their studies and participate in school activities. And she has won the parents over with her real caring for their children. In other words, Miss Su, the P. E. teacher, is ''pretty extraordinary. ''
The early negative reaction against Miss Su is an example of bias(偏见). A ''bias'' is wrong in thinking that has an influence on a person's opinions and decisions. For example, in business, tall men are more likely to be bosses. In the United States, anyone who is above 190 centimeters tall can expect to have a higher salary and to get more promotions than his shorter co-workers. Similarly, women have a difficult time climbing the career ladder because their bosses(mostly men!) think that women lack leadership skills and the necessary toughness to make difficult decisions. Neither of these opinions is based on facts or the talents of the individual. They're just bias.
1. What seemed to be the parents' early reaction to Miss Su?| A．They were excited. | B．They were amazed. |
| C．They were worried. | D．They were interested. |
| A．She is an excellent P. E. teacher. |
| B．She was finally removed. |
| C．She really cared about her students. |
| D．The headmaster was proved to be wrong. |
| A．tall men are usually excellent | B．people are often judged with bias |
| C．opinions should be based on facts | D．women lack leadership skills |
| A．Disagreeable. | B．Acceptable. |
| C．Careless. | D．Curious. |
6 . Both of Omar's parents were poets. For as long as Omar could remember, his parents spent at least one evening each week at a poetry reading, which usually took place at a small coffee house.
Omar had very fond memories of the coffee house on Sixth Street where the people's personalities were as colorful as the coffee cups. He loved going to early evening poetry readings at Cody's Coffee Shop. He would sit in the audience next to his parents, the smell of coffee floating through the air and the gentle voices of the poets removing his childish worries with the rhythm of their poems.
There was one woman who came to Cody's every week just as his parents did. Her name was Mrs. Aboud. She never read, but she had a bright smile for everyone, and she would clap (手) loudly after each reading.
Eventually, Omar began writing his own poetry. Mrs. Francis, Omar's English teacher, advised him to enter a poetry contest ( 比赛). At first Omar was proud and excited. However, when he read the contest rules, he became concerned. The contest was an oral(口头的) reading. Omar had no doubt that he could write high-quality poetry, but he was a very shy young man. He doubted that he could stand in front of a large group to read his poems calmly.
“It would make me very proud”, his father said, and Omar knew that he had to go through with it somehow.
So on the day of the contest, he selected his favorite poem, put on his best clothes, and appeared at the auditorium (会堂).
When he stepped onto the stage, though, something wonderful happened! There in the audience, right beside his parents, was Mrs. Aboud. Omar could almost smell the coffee at Cody's Coffee Shop. He focused on his parents and Mrs. Aboud and tuned out everyone else. Now it was easy to read his poem in a clear, calm voice. When he finished, everyone in the auditorium applauded.
1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?| A．Poetry | B．A coffee house |
| C．Omar's parents | D．Omar's worries |
| A．Clever. | B．Patient |
| C．Creative | D．Supportive. |
| A．He wanted to win a prize. |
| B．He wanted to face his fears. |
| C．He wanted to please his teacher. |
| D．He wanted to surprise his father. |
| A．ignored | B．attracted |
| C．forgot | D．impressed |
7 . Chinese painting, also known as the traditional national painting, one of the traditional paintings with a long history, has its unique and independent system. Using brushes, ink, and Chinese pigments (天然颜料), a painting is drawn on a special kind of paper (Xuan paper) or silk. The traditional subjects are figures, landscapes, flowers and birds.
In comparison with Western painting, Chinese painting has its own artistic characteristics. After a careful study of the object, a painter can discover the rules of its structure, and then produce it by the mind’s eye. It is not merely a simple copy, but it combines the object with the artistic concept of the producer, turning a natural image into an “artistic image”. The object can show the artist’s feelings and personality to achieve the effect of “being alike not only in spirit, but also in appearance”. Not all the objects are to be drawn on the paper, and much space is left for the imagination. The use of lines is important in Chinese painting. Clear, swift, sharp and changeable lines are combined with the push, point and press of the brush and ink to show the quality of the object and variations of tone (色调). Ancient Chinese artists listed 18 different ways of drawing lines with the brush in figure painting. Different ways of creating lines are used when painting a landscape, flowers and birds, clouds, and bamboos.
Traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy are different branches of art stemming (起源) from the same origin. They use the same kind of tools and all the lines used in painting are variations of the points and lines of calligraphy. Though they are different artistic forms, they are closely linked in terms of their expression of thoughts and feelings. They influence each other to create another artistic feature.
1. Which of the following words can describe the common subjects of traditional Chinese painting?| A．Valuable. | B．Independent. |
| C．Special. | D．Natural. |
| A．reflects social problems of his times | B．describes mainly a natural image |
| C．expresses his thoughts | D．tells a true story |
| A．traveling | B．learning to draw lines |
| C．reading | D．studying calligraphy before drawing |
| A．Using the similar techniques. | B．Starting from the same period. |
| C．Belonging to the same artistic form. | D．Covering the same themes. |
8 . When Zhangzijun was a little kid. He was doing very badly in math. His parents had tried everything: tutors, cards, special learning….. everything they could think of. Finally they took him to a catholic（天主教的）school.
After the first day, Zhangzijun came home with a very serious look on his face. He didn’t kiss his mother hello. Instead, he went straight to his room and started studying. Books and papers were spread out all over the room and Zhangzijun was hard at work. His mother was surprised. She called him down to dinner and as soon as he finished eating, he went back to his room, without a word. In no time he was back hitting the books as hard as before. This went on for some time, day after day while the mother tried to understand what was happening.
Finally, Zhangzijun brought home his report card. He quietly put it on the table and went up to his room and hit the books. His mom looked at it and to her surprise, Zhangzijun got an A in math. She could no longer hold her curiosity.
She went to his room and asked, ”Son, what was it? Was it the nuns (修女)?”
Zhangzijun looked at her and shook his head, “No. ”
“Well then,” she asked again. “What was it?”
Zhangzijun looked at her and said, “Well, on the first day of school, when I saw that man nailed (钉)to the plus sign, I knew they weren’t joking. ”
1. Why did Zhangzijun’s parents send him to a catholic school?| A．Because he could eat well there. |
| B．Because he could learn more about nuns. |
| C．Because his parents wanted him to do better in his math. |
| D．Because his parents didn’t want him to learn math any more. |
| A．was still the same as usual | B．ate so much at dinner |
| C．didn’t kiss her hello after school | D．worked hard but said little |
| A．Zhangzijun felt sorry for the mail |
| B．Zhangzijun was afraid of being nailed |
| C．Zhangzijun didn’t like the plus sign |
| D．Zhangzijun liked playing jokes on others |
| A．mistaking might do good sometimes |
| B．teachers should be strict with their students |
| C．a catholic school is much better than other ones |
| D．nuns are good at helping children with their math |
9 . Even thousands of years before the “selfie(自拍)” was invented, people were concerned with the image of themselves they presented to the world. The rulers of ancient Egypt had artists carve portraits of them to decorate their tombs and preserve their images even after death.
King Tutankhamen lived more than 3,000 years ago. He ruled ancient Egypt for 10 years, until his death at age 19. “King Tut” remained practically unknown in the modern world until 1922, when scientists discovered his tomb, buried and forgotten for centuries. The treasures inside gave the world the first detailed picture of ancient Egyptian life.
The ancient Egyptians worshipped(崇拜) many gods. They also believed that all people had a life spirit, called “ka” that needed a place to live after the body died. Tombs inside huge pyramids protected the pharaohs'(法老) ka. The ka could also exist in portrait sculptures like the one of a seated Hatshepsut. The wife of a pharaoh, Hatshepsut took on the role of king after her husband died. Carved from limestone, this Life-size sculpture shows the life force of Hatshepsut's ka. The artist suggests Hatshepsut's strength by placing her feet firmly on the ground and resting her hands on her knees in a firm, powerful pose.
Viewers are meant to look at the sculpture of Hatshepsut from a frontal angle only. But artist Thutmose created his portrait of Queen Nefertiti as a sculpture in the round, meaning viewers should observe it from many points of view. The work is a highly realistic portrait of a queen who ruled beside her husband, a pharaoh. Painted with delicate(精细的) features, the impressive colors in her portrait resemble the makeup Nefertiti probably wore in life.
Long before any of these portraits were created, a huge creature with a lion's body and a human head stood guarding in Egypt's Valley of the Kings. No one knows who created the Great Sphinx, or why, but it is said to resemble an early pharaoh. Carved out of solid rock on a larger-than-life scale, it is possibly the oldest and most imposing portrait in the world.
1. The artist presents Hatshepsut's strength mainly through the ________ of the sculpture.| A．gesture | B．material |
| C．color | D．size |
| A．imaginative | B．lifelike |
| C．threatening | D．abstract |
| A．a king of animals |
| B．a guard as brave as a lion |
| C．a portrait of an early pharaoh |
| D．a creature owned by a pharaoh |
| A．The oldest selfie in the world. |
| B．Some powerful kings in Egypt. |
| C．Some portraits of kings in some countries. |
| D．Some portrait sculptures of ancient Egyptian rulers. |
10 . Parents do not owe （欠） their children a college education. If they can afford it, they can certainly send them to a good university. But they needn’t feel guilty if they can’t. When children grow up and want to get married, their parents do not owe them an apartment. They do not have the duty to look after their grandchildren, either. If they want to do it, it must be considered a favor, not an obligation.
Do parents owe their children anything? Yes, they owe them a great deal.
One of their obligations is to give their children a personal worth. Children who are always made to feel stupid and unworthy, constantly compared with brighter brothers, sisters, or cousins will become so unsure, so afraid of failing that they won’t try at all. Of course they should be properly corrected when they do wrong, but it’s often better to let children learn their mistakes by themselves in time. All their parents should do is to trust them, respect them, understand them and give them chances to try and fail. They must learn to stand failure. When criticisms （批评） are really needed, they should be balanced with a smile and a kiss. That is the way children learn.
Parents owe their children a set of solid values around which to build their lives. This means teaching them to respect the rights and opinions of others; it means being respectful to elders, to teachers, and to the law. The best way to teach such values is by deed. A child who is lied to will lie. A child who sees no laughter and no love in the home will have difficulty laughing and loving.
No child asks to be born. If you bring a life into the world, you owe the child something.
1. The author thinks parents ________.| A．should send their children to college |
| B．should support their children after they get married |
| C．need to buy an apartment for their children |
| D．needn’t feel guilty if they can’t send their children to universities |
| A．Right. | B．Promise. |
| C．Duty. | D．Excuse. |
| A．Understand them and tell them not to do that again. |
| B．Let them learn the mistakes by themselves in time. |
| C．Compare them with brighter brothers or sisters. |
| D．Correct their mistakes immediately. |
| A．The duties of parents. |
| B．The best way to teach children. |
| C．The reason why children feel stupid and unworthy. |
| D．The reason why parents owe their children something. |
