1 . First woman is reported cured of HIV
A patient in the United States with the disease leukaemia(白血病)has become the first woman to be cured of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The patient received stem cells from a donor.
The woman has been described as a 64-year-old woman of mixed race. Her case was presented at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Denver, Colorado.
The woman had been receiving the umbilical cord blood to treat her leukaemia. Leukaemia is a cancer that starts in blood-forming cells in bones. Since receiving the treatment, the woman has been in remission.
The two earlier cases in which patients were cured happened in males who had received adult stem cells. Adult stem cells are often used in bone marrow transplants. “This is now the third report of a cure in this setting, and the first in a woman living with HIV, “said Sharon Lewin in a statement, who is soon to be the head of the International AIDS Society.
The woman’s case is part of a larger study led by Dr Yvonne Bryson of the University of California, Los Angeles, and Dr Deborah Persaud of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.
| A．She has been free of HIV for 14 months. |
| B．It is the first case involving the use of blood from the umbilical cord(脐带). |
| C．Doctors then transplant stem cells from individuals with a genetic mutation which makes them resistant to HIV. |
| D．It is being financially supported by the US government. |
| E．And she confirms that a cure for HIV is possible and further strengthens using gene therapy. |
| F．These cells are special cells that can become any kind of cell in the body. |
2 . The first drop in what might be a flood of unheard Jackson material is a song called “This Is It“, which Sony had scheduled to send to radio stations on Sunday night. Based on a tape Mr Jackson left behind containing only his piano and vocals, a full arrangement was built, complete with swelling strings and his brothers’ backup vocals. The song is to run with the new Jackson film, perhaps not coincidentally called This Is It. An album containing the track goes on sale 27 October, and the film is due out the next day.
Mr Jackson died on 25 June 2009, and Sony and the Jackson estate have only begun what is expected to be a long process of musical archaeology(考古学). “We probably have at least 100 songs in varying degrees of being finished,” said Rob Stringer, chairman of the Columbia/Epic Label Group, a Sony division. “And we think there probably is a lot more.”
It is not clear when the song was written or recorded, Mr Stringer said, and Sony originally believed that the tape was made around the time of Mr Jackson’s 1991 album Dangerous. But it could have been much earlier, perhaps even as early as the album Off the Wall, from 1979. “We just found the song,” Mr Stringer said. “It was titled’ This Is It’. It was in a box, and we listened to it.” “This Is It” was also to have been the title of Mr Jackson’s 50-concert run in London; Mr Stringer and others with knowledge of the production say the song was not part of it.
One challenge in releasing new music could be security. Both Sony and the estate have kept a tight hold on music and information and went to unusual lengths to prevent “This Is It” from leaking. Radio programmers said they had been told that they would be getting the song at midnight on Sunday—Sony also planned to post it on Michael Jackson official website—and even then they were not allowed to hear it. Even with those protections, 43 seconds of the song leaked over the weekend, apparently from Sony in Japan. Low-quality versions spread quickly.
People who have heard the full track describe it as an inspirational love song. “This is it/ Here I stand,” Mr Jackson sings. “I’m the light of the world/I feel grand.” It is a mid-tempo, major-key ballad, punctuated by light guitar riffs and rich orchestration.
“Wherever ‘This Is It’ comes from, its success on the radio is guaranteed. It will definitely be a spectacle,” said Mr Darden, programme director of a New York hip-hop radio station. “It’s Michael Jackson, and his fans will be his fans forever. Everybody loves him.”
1. Which of the following is NOT true about the song “This Is It”?| A．It had become very popular before Mr Jackson died. |
| B．Jackson’s 50-concert run in London would have had the same name “This Is It”. |
| C．It’s based on a tape Jackson left behind containing only his piano and vocals. |
| D．It’s going to run with the new Jackson film in late October. |
| A．the study of Michael’s success in music | B．the research on the history of music |
| C．the discovery of Mr Jackson’s secret | D．the work on the production of Michael’s songs |
| A．The tape of the song was made as early as the album Of the Wall in 1979. |
| B．The song would only be sent to radio stations on Sunday night. |
| C．The song was so well protected by Sony and the estate that it didn’t leak at all. |
| D．The song will surely be a great success because it was sung by Michael Jackson. |
| A．The Origin of Michael Jackson’s New Song | B．Michael Jackson’s New Song |
| C．Michael Jackson and His New Song | D．The Safety of Michael Jackson’s New Song |
3 . The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to reverse decades of progress made towards gender equality, according to a global study that reveals women have been hit much harder socially and economically than men. Previously, coronavirus-related gender disparity studies have focused on the direct health impacts of the crisis. It is well known that across the globe men have experienced higher rates of COVID cases, hospitalization and death. However, until now, few studies have examined how gender inequalities have been affected by the many indirect social and economic effects of the pandemic worldwide.
The research, conducted by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington and published in The Lancet, shows that women have experienced greater negative social and economic impacts than men. The greatest and most persistent gender gap was seen in employment and uncompensated labour, with 26% of women reporting loss of work compared with 20% of men globally in September 2021. Women and girls were also more likely to drop out of school and more likely to report an increase in gender-based violence than men and boys.
“This study provides the first comprehensive global evidence on gender disparities for a wide range of health-related, social and economic indicators throughout the pandemic,” said senior author Prof Emmanuela Gakidou. “The evidence suggests that COVID-19 has tended to exacerbate previously existing social and economic disparities.”
The study analysed publicly available data sets from 193 countries using surveys taken from March 2020 to September 2021 on health and well-being during the pandemic. In every part of the world, women have experienced higher rates of employment loss than men since the start of the pandemic.
“Economic impacts have affected women more than men in some countries because they tend to be employed disproportionately in sectors harder-hit by COVID-19, such as the hospitality industry or as domestic workers,” said Dr Luisa Flor, the study’s co-lead author. “Moreover, gendered social norms in many countries attribute household and childcare responsibilities preferentially to women and reduce their time and ability to engage in paid labour.”
“The further we progress in this pandemic the more we feel that the inequities being exacerbated are only going to worsen, and that any pre-pandemic progress towards gender equality will be reversed,” said Rosemary Morgan of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, which was not involved in the study. “Hopefully this data will reinforce the need for decision-makers to act before it is too late.”
1. What can be inferred from the first paragraph?| A．More men have died from the novel coronavirus than women. |
| B．Plenty of gender disparity studies are in progress. |
| C．The COVID-19 pandemic affects men and women equally. |
| D．The progress towards gender equality got reversed. |
| A．accelerate | B．accumulate | C．lessen | D．worsen |
| A．More women have lost their jobs because some industries have been harder-hit by COVID-19. |
| B．The gender inequalities existed before the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| C．More women have lost their jobs because they have been replaced by men. |
| D．The gender gap is not only in employment. |
| A．Women Need Jobs More than Men in the Pandemic | B．COVID-19 Has Hit Women Harder than Men |
| C．More Act Is Needed to Curb Gender Inequalities | D．COVID-19 Has Intensified Gender Inequalities |
4 . Warming waters, moving fish: how climate change is reshaping Iceland
ISAFJORDUR, Iceland—Before it became a “Game of Thrones” location, and before hordes of tourists descended upon this small island nation, there were the fish.
Gisli Palsson, a professor of anthropology at the University of Iceland, said “
While fishery management problems have long existed, climate change is worsening conflicts.
| A．Fish farms are a good job. |
| B．The concern is not just limited to capelin. |
| C．Many fisheries that weren’t shared in the past are now straddling borders as fish move. |
| D．But warming waters associated with climate change are causing some fish to seek cooler waters elsewhere. |
| E．While Iceland is still able to fish in the wild, fish farming seems an increasingly attractive option. |
| F．Fish made us rich. |
5 . Dying for an ice-cream? A hundred years ago, you might have done just that. Until they were illegal in 1926 for their role in spreading tuberculosis (肺结核), ices were commonly sold in glasses, which were rarely cleaned. Scoop A wonderful Ice Cream World, the first exhibition of the British Museum of Food in King’s Cross, London, has a tower of these unlikely killers from the wide collection of experts Robin and Caroline Weir, authors of Ices: The Definitive Guide.
Yet the sweet pleasures of ice-cream were very much worth the risk. In the 17th and 18th centuries, they were regarded as a food only belonging to the super-rich, and a symbol of social position. It’s said that about 1 litre of ice-cream cost ￡50. “You really had to love your guests,” says Robin. Little wonder, he adds, that businessmen tried their best to keep their trade secret: “If you knew how to make ice-cream, it was a meal ticket for life.”
What businessmen wanted to conceal was just how they made ice-cream: with a handful of ingredients (原料), some ice, salt and a bit of effort. “you can create thousands of different kinds of ice-cream, ”Robin says. Yet, for all that, boring old vanilla (香草) remains the most popular. Nine out of ten ice-creams sold were vanilla ice-cream, according to the Ice Cream Alliance.
Whatever kind of ice-cream you like, it is all too easy to overeat, an experience likely to end in the pain known as “brain freeze”. Luckily, the way to deal with it is very simple — place your tongue on the roof of your mouth to help warm the nerve.
1. Why did ice-cream lose its popularity in 1926?| A．It was hard to clean its container. |
| B．It was totally made in a secret way. |
| C．It was no longer as delicious as before. |
| D．It was responsible for a serious disease. |
| A．The guests were rich people. |
| B．Ice-cream sold at a high price. |
| C．Ice-cream was popular at dinner. |
| D．The guests dared to take the risk. |
| A．Control. | B．Hide. |
| C．Solve. | D．Select. |
6 . Tristan da Cunha
This British island group stands in the South Atlantic. The nearest landfall is South Africa, 1, 750 miles east. It’s the world’s most remote inhabited(有人居住的)island chain. There are no package tours for independent travelers, no hotels, no airports, no holiday reps, no night clubs, no restaurants, no jet skis nor safe sea swimming. There are around 10 sailings a year from Cape Town, South Africa, and Namibia, each taking five to six days to reach the islands.
Bouvet
Its cliffs(悬崖)are sheer. It’s almost entirely covered by a glacier. In winter, its seas are pack ice. And its nearest neighbor is Antarctica, 1, 000 miles to the south. The entire island is a nature reserve—so unless you can make a convincing case for visiting, you’ll be blocked by Norwegian authorities. Only arctic geological and marine biology surveying teams can get the permission. Visitors can only be landed by helicopter.
Bishop Rock
Regarded as the world’s smallest island with a building on it, Bishop Rock stands at the end of Britain’s Isles of Scilly. In 1847, engineers started building an iron lighthouse there but it was washed away in a storm. Its extraordinary successor, first lit in 1858, stands to this day. The St. Mary’s Boatsmen’s Association runs daily trips. But even on a “calm” day, you’re in for serious waves.
Boreray
Sixty miles off mainland Scotland, you’ll find the archipelago(群岛)of St. Kilda, with a main island, Boreray, which was abandoned in the 1930s when crops failed. Imagine the surprise of archaeologists when they found that Boreray was occupied in prehistoric times. Since Boreray comes under the protection of the National Trust for Scotland, you need its permission to visit. You also need lots of time and lots of luck— with a rugged shoreline and fierce sea waves, this isn’t an island for landings.
1. Which country does Tristan da Cunha belong to?| A．Norway. | B．South Africa. |
| C．The UK. | D．Namibia. |
| A．There are calm waters around it. |
| B．It’s nearly 1, 000 miles from Britain. |
| C．It’s the smallest island discovered in the world. |
| D．There is a lighthouse dating back to the 1850s on it. |
| A．It’s difficult to visit them. | B．They are tourist destinations. |
| C．It’s forbidden to live on them. | D．They are under government protection. |
7 . Many animal species worldwide have become endangered. Here are some of the most endangered animals.
Whooping crane (高鸣鹤)It is the tallest North American flying bird. In 1938, the first year when a population survey was done, only 29 whooping cranes remained in the wild. Three years later, only 16 were left. Hunting and the decrease of their habitats had harmed the population. Great efforts to save the birds did not begin until the late 1960s. Today, there are over 500 whooping cranes, thanks in large part to new breeding (繁殖) programs.
Blue whaleThere are fewer than 25,000 blue whales, the largest animals on the planet. Blue whales are found in all of the world’s oceans but the Arctic Ocean. Today their population has decreased by 90% because of humans’ hunting or killing in the 20th century. Hunting of the species for sale was forbidden in 1966. The National Marine Fisheries Service of the US explained a recovery plan in detail in 1998.
Asian elephantThe best guess of IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) on today’s population of Asian elephants in 13 countries is around 40,000-50,000. That number may be far lower. Over 50% of the population is in India. The increasing human population there—and elsewhere in Asia — creates conflicts (冲突) for space and resources. And while the long teeth of Asian elephants are much smaller than those of African elephants, the Asian elephants are still killed for their ivory, meat, and skin.
Snow leopard (雪豹)Though it’s called a leopard, the snow leopard is actually more closely related to the tiger. Probably fewer than 7,500 snow leopards remain in the wild. The largest populations are in China and Mongolia, with large populations in India and Kyrgyzstan as well. The snow leopard usually hunts blue sheep as its food, but in some areas, it heavily depends on home-raised animals. The farmers who depend upon the animals shoot the “problem” snow leopards.
1. What mainly helped the increase of whooping cranes’ population?| A．The building of their habitats. |
| B．The prevention of humans from hunting them. |
| C．The programs that help them have young ones. |
| D．The great efforts that aimed to save them before the 1960s. |
| A．They’re being driven to other Asian countries. |
| B．Their ivories have become popular in recent years. |
| C．50% of the population has been killed for their skin. |
| D．They are losing their habitats. |
| A．Providing more food for them. | B．Helping them live in different countries. |
| C．Creating new breeding programs for them. | D．Solving the conflicts between them and farmers. |
8 . In light of what has happened in many countries, we can all see how devastating (破坏性的) an earthquake can be. You may be asking yourself, “How do I get prepared for a quake if I don’t know that it’s coming?” There are some steps that you can take to make your home a little safer in the event that a quake occurs.
Ensure that heavy furniture is not in a position where it could fall onto a bed.If a quake occurs while you are in bed, you do not want your bookcase falling on you. Check and repair deep cracks (裂缝) in ceilings. This is especially important after a quake.
If you see any damage that you are unable to repair, consult a professional. Ensure that you have no gas leaks (泄露) in or around your home.
Have your disaster plan in place. Know where to meet your family. Have your bags packed. Do drills with your family at least twice a year, which will ensure that everyone knows what to do.
What to do during the quake:
Earthquake safety tips are different depending on your place. Here are some tips for various locations.
Indoors: If you stay indoors, get low to the ground and move only to the nearest piece of strong furniture or corner. Crouch (蜷伏) down low covering the back of your neck and head with your hands. Stay away from windows or anything that could fall on you.
Outdoors: If you stay already outdoors, stay out there. Get away from any buildings, power lines, or anything that could fall.
In a vehicle: If you are in a vehicle, pull over when you can safely do so. Avoid bridges, tall buildings and power lines.
1. To make everyone know what to do once there is an earthquake, you should .| A．turn to a professional |
| B．exercise twice a year to run faster |
| C．tell your family where to meet |
| D．practise your plan with your family |
| A．Covering your mouth with wet towels. |
| B．Avoiding staying near windows. |
| C．Covering your neck and head with your hands. |
| D．Getting low to the ground and moving to the corner. |
| A．rush out of the car quickly |
| B．stop your car when you can safely do so |
| C．ensure you are awake in the car |
| D．speed your car to a safer place |
| A．Some Safety Tips |
| B．A Disaster Plan |
| C．How to Prepare for an Earthquake |
| D．How to Make Our Home a Little Safer |
9 . Where to Eat in Bangkok
Bangkok is a highly desirable destination for food lovers. It has a seemingly bottomless well of dining options. Here are some suggestions on where to start your Bangkok eating adventure.
NahmOffering Thai fine dining. Nahm provides the best of Bangkok culinary (烹饪的) experiences. It’s the only Thai restaurant that ranks among the top 10 of the world’s 50 best restaurants list. Head Chef David Thompson, who received a Michelin star for his London-based Thai restaurant of the same name, opened this branch in the Metropolitan Hotel in 2010.
Issaya Siamese ClubIssaya Siamese Club is internationally known Thai chef Ian Kittichai’s first flagship Bangkok restaurant. The menu in this beautiful colonial house includes traditional Thai cuisine combined with modern cooking methods.
Bo.lanBo.lan has been making waves in Bangkok’s culinary scene since it opened in 2009. Serving hard-to-find Thai dishes in an elegant atmosphere, the restaurant is true to Thai cuisine’s roots, yet still manages to add a special twist. This place is good for a candle-lit dinner or a work meeting with colleagues who appreciate fine food. For those extremely hungry, there’s a large set menu.
GagganEarning first place on the latest “Asia’s 50 best restaurants” list, progressive Indian restaurant Gaggan is one of the most exciting venues (场所) to arrive in Bangkok in recent years. The best table in this two-story colonial Thai home offers a window right into the kitchen, where you can see chef Gaggan and his staff in action. Culinary theater at its best.
1. What do Nahm and Issaya Siamese Club have in common?| A．They adopt modern cooking methods. | B．They have branches in London. |
| C．They have top-class chefs. | D．They are based in hotels. |
| A．Gaggan. | B．Bo. lan. | C．Issaya Siamese Club. | D．Nahm. |
| A．It hires staff from India. | B．It puts on a play every day. |
| C．It serves hard-to-find local dishes. | D．It shows the cooking process to guests. |
10 . On May 24, 2021, two days after Yuan Longping, known as the “father of hybrid rice”, passed away at the age of 91, the farewell ceremony for him was held in Changsha. People from all walks of life mourned (哀悼) his passing away.
Born in Beijing on Sept. 7, 1930, Yuan Longping was the son of a railroad official and an English teacher. His family moved frequently, uprooted (使离开家园) by the war between China and Japan. When he was young, he saw with his own eyes that people didn’t get enough to eat. “I saw heartbreaking scenes of people starving to death on the road before 1949,” recalled Yuan.
Yuan Longping studied agronomy (农艺学) at what was then the Southwest Agricultural College in Chongqing. After graduating in 1953, he taught at an agricultural college in Changsha, where his focus shifted from sweet potatoes to rice. High-yield hybrid corn was already in production, and Yuan Longping sought to do something similar to rice, a crop that posed a far greater challenge for plant breeders.
In the early 1970s, Yuan Longping and his team developed hybrid strains that typically yielded 20 percent more rice than conventional varieties, transforming Chinese agriculture after years of famine(饥荒). Some 10,000 years after Chinese farmers began cultivating rice near the Yangtze River, the country now produces more than 200 million tons of rice a year, more than any other nation.
Rather than limiting his rice technology and growing techniques to China, Yuan Longping shared them with the world. He cooperated with the United Nations and the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines, in addition to teaching farmers in India, Vietnam and elsewhere how to grow hybrid rice. In 2004, he was awarded the World Food Prize with rice researcher Monty P. Jones, and credited with helping “create a more abundant food supply and more stable world”. And in 2019 he was awarded the “Medal of the Republic”, China’s highest official honor, by President Xi Jinping.
1. What words do you think can best describe Yuan Longping?2. What can you learn from Yuan Longping?
