2 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Bacteriophages (phages) and other mobile genetic elements (MGEs) exert an immense selective pressure on     1    (bacterium), which in response have developed a broad arsenal of defence mechanisms.     2     these, CRISPR–Cas (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats–CRISPR-associated proteins) is a group of widespread RNA-guided adaptive immune systems that are classified into two broad classes, six types and numerous subtypes according to their genetic composition and interference mechanism1. The CRISPR–Cas immune response starts with the    3    (acquire) of short DNA fragments (protospacers) from invading MGEs. The protospacers are inserted as spacers between repeats in the CRISPR array to create a memory of the infection. Next, the CRISPR array is expressed    4     a long transcript that is processed into small, mature CRISPR RNAs (crRNAs), each    5    (carry) a spacer sequence flanked by part of the repeat. Finally, the interference complexes, composed     6     a crRNA and one (class 2) or more (class 1) Cas proteins, degrade the complementary nucleic-acid targets that are often found next to a short protospacer-adjacent motif (PAM). The specificity and programmability of the CRISPR–Cas machinery     7    (lead) to the development of various biotechnological applications in genome editing, molecular diagnostics and more.

In the evolutionary arms race with CRISPR–Cas, phages and other MGEs have evolved diverse strategies to block or circumvent immunity. One widespread evasion mechanism uses protein-    8    (base) CRISPR–Cas inhibitors called anti-CRISPRs (Acrs). So far, more than 100 Acr protein families have been identified    9     inhibit different stages of the CRISPR–Cas immune response, mainly by interacting directly with Cas proteins. For example, Acrs prevent crRNA loading, effector-complex formation, and target DNA binding and cleavage. Notably, the discovery of these natural ‘off switches’ has presented new opportunities    10    (control) the activity of CRISPR–Cas technologies.

5 . Very few people enjoy going to the dentist, especially for a filling. Often fillings need to be replaced during the patient’s lifetime. But is filling the cavity (蛀牙洞) with a foreign material really the best treatment? Is it possible that the tooth could repair itself with its own material — dentine (牙质)? Researchers at King’s College London have found a process that may replace the traditional method.

Paul Sharpe of King’s College London says the new treatment for cavities is simpler. It uses a drug that causes the tooth to fill in the hole naturally with dentine. “It involves putting a drug in the hole. It excites a natural process, which starts to occur anyway following the damage, so you can actually get the big hole repaired and the repair is the production of the natural material, the dentine.”

Usually a new drug requires repeated testing before it is approved for treatment. However, this drug that produces the regrowth material in teeth has already been approved. It is a drug used to treat Alzheimer’s disease and other disorders of the nervous system. Researchers explain that they use only a small amount and they use it locally. Usually that means the medicine is put directly on the affected area. It does not travel through the patient’s blood.

Nigel Carter heads Britain’s Oral Health Foundation. He describes the new treatment as an exciting possibility for dental care. But Carter also has a warning, “Actually regrowing the tooth that has been lost with a cavity would be really a huge step forward. But it's also important that we remember that filling the cavity is not the first place. It’s a preventable disease.”

1. When it comes to the dental treatment, researchers at King’s College London focus on        .

A．why the cavity must be filled	B．what skills dentists should learn
C．when people have to see a dentist	D．how the tooth can repair itself

2. The advantage of the new treatment for cavities mostly lies in        .

A．the full use of a new drug	B．the natural process of tooth repair
C．the good quality of filling materials	D．the practical way of finding the damage early

3. What do we know about the drug used for the new dental treatment?

A．It has little effect on Alzheimer’s disease.

B．It is being tested before it gets final approval.

C．It has been put to use for treating other diseases.

D．It travels through the patients' blood and has side effects.

4. Which of the following would Nigel Carter most probably agree with?

A．We should take good care of our teeth in daily life.

B．When you find the cavity, it is unnecessary to get it filled.

C．Taking exercise is the best way to prevent dental disease.

D．When you find a damaged tooth, you'd better repair it.

7 . Alifa Chin is a 13-year-old Bangladeshi girl whose last name sometimes leads to her being mistaken for a Chinese.

“I like my name very much. I think my name is the _________ of friendship between Bangladesh and China,” she said. In 2010, Chin’s mother, Jannatul Ferdous, was unable to _________ naturally due to a serious heart problem. Local doctors failed to _________ the necessary surgery (外科手术).

_________, the Chinese navy’s Peace Ark hospital ship was about to arrive to provide medical _________ for locals in Chittagong. “Now we feel _________ for the efforts of Chinese doctors and nurses that help me give birth to a healthy baby,” Ferdous said.

This year, Chin wrote a letter to President Xi Jinping to _________ her gratitude. To the family’s _________, Xi wrote back. In the letter, Xi _________ her to study hard, pursue her dream and carry forward the __________ friendship between China and Bangladesh.

“To __________ President Xi’s expectations, I will study medical science to help those in need,” she said.

The girl’s father said, “We didn’t __________ that our daughter would receive the letter from the Chinese president. This is the most __________ thing in our life.”

“We have seen how people in other countries have gained a better understanding of China through the medical __________. To local residents, China is a major country that is responsible, peace-loving and always __________,” she said.

1.

A．presence

B．symbol

C．signal

D．proof

2.

A．pick up

B．hand over

C．give birth

D．work out

3.

A．show

B．perform

C．follow

D．load

4.

A．Luckily

B．Originally

C．Obviously

D．Gradually

5.

A．transportation

B．shelter

C．budget

D．treatment

6.

A．thankful

B．generous

C．proud

D．sympathetic

7.

A．contribute

B．supply

C．express

D．release

8.

A．relief

B．embarrassment

C．credit

D．surprise

9.

A．called

B．offered

C．fought

D．encouraged

10.

A．temporary

B．traditional

C．unique

D．contemporary

11.

A．live up to

B．figure out

C．make up for

D．account for

12.

A．agree

B．exhibit

C．expect

D．charge

13.

A．unnecessary

B．unavoidable

C．uneventful

D．unbelievable

14.

A．benefit

B．assistance

C．concern

D．agreement

15.

A．helpful

B．grateful

C．wealthy

D．creative

8 . Picture this: you’re having trouble sleeping or your digestive system is playing up, so you go to your doctor expecting some pills. But, instead, you walk away with a ticket to the ballet or instructions to join a choir(唱诗班).

This is social prescribing(处方), and it’s taking off in a big way with hundreds of practices in England regularly referring their patients to take part in cultural activities, with a focus on prevention, early intervention, and management of long-term illness.

“Social prescribing can enable people to manage existing health problems, to connect and to grow in confidence,” says Pandya. As well as this, the arts can lower daily stress through even very short amounts of arts engagement each day such as listening to music. Even simply reading a book has numerous positive benefits. It can reduce stress, promote self-reflection, strengthen social skills, and increase knowledge, which can have an impact on educational and career success.

But why are cultural experiences so effective at improving your well-being? Art in any form, whether creating or observing, reduces the stress hormone(荷尔蒙). It also releases the feelgood hormones, which help you combat stress and pain. In a series of pioneering experiments, professors at UCL examined volunteers’ brains as they looked at 28 images. They found that the same part of the brain that gets excited when you fall in love with someone is stimulated when you look at works of art. Viewing art also causes an increase in dopamine(多巴胺), leading to feelings of intense pleasure.

Debs had been struggling with her mental health and was referred to art therapy courses. “Social prescribing addressed my wellness rather than my illness. The focus was on what I could do well, not what all the problems were. It allowed me time to heal myself. It totally transformed my life.”

1. What’s the function of the 1st paragraph?

A．To introduce a choir.

B．To show a picture.

C．To introduce the topic.

D．To attract readers’ attention.

2. The experiences belong to social prescribing except ______.

A．doing an experiment.

B．listening to music.

C．joining a choir.

D．reading a poem.

3. What is mainly talked about in Paragraph 4?

A．The reason why art reduces the stress hormone.

B．The finding of a series of pioneering experiments.

C．The finding that the same part of the brain is stimulated.

D．The reason why art improves one’s health and happiness.

4. What’s Debs’ attitude towards social prescribing?

A．Grateful.

B．Concerned.

C．Discontent.

D．Neutral.

9 . 阅读下面短文, 在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

In 2022, about 26,000 people searched for “medical chaperon(陪诊员)” on e-commerce platforms,     1     some shops made thousands of deals.

A medical chaperon, as the name     2    (imply), is a person who accompanies a patient to the clinic. The main tasks include registration, consultation, medication and result pickup, payment and transporting patients to and     3     medical appointments.

Most clients are elderly people     4    (live) alone, people from other cities, pregnant women, and single young people. According to statistics, there are more than 125 million one-person households in China, and in recent years, the number of people who live alone     5    (increase). At the same time, with the appearance of an aging population, the inability     6    (take) time off work, complicated and awkward medical procedures, travel restrictions and other factors, “medical chaperon” comes into being.

Medical chaperons are like family members and friends     7     understand the medical treatment process. They help     8    (patient) in the process of waiting and queuing to improve the     9    (efficient) of treatment. Sometimes they also play the role of “temporary family members” to provide     10    (emotion) support for clients.

10 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。

WHO said last week that COVID-19 no longer qualifies as a global emergency, marking a     1     (symbol) end to the disastrous corona-virus pandemic that caused once-unthinkable lock-downs, economic depression     2     killed millions of people worldwide.

“It’s with great hope that I declare COVID-19 over     3     a global health emergency,” WHO Director-General Tedros said. “That does not mean COVID-19 isn’t     4     health threat,” he said, warning that new variants could yet emerge.

Tedros acknowledged that most countries had already returned to life before. Many countries, including Germany, France and Britain,    5     (drop) most of their measures against the pandemic last year.

Dr. Michael Ryan, WHO’s emergencies chief, said     6     is necessary for world leaders to negotiate a pandemic agreement. He said that some of the scenes witnessed during COVID-19,     7     people fought to get into emergency rooms and died in parking lots, must never be repeated.

The U. N. health agency first declared the corona-virus to be an international crisis on Jan. 30, 2020. More than three years later, the virus has caused     8     (total) 764 million cases and about 5 billion people have received at least one dose of vaccine globally.

Marie Woolhouse, an infectious diseases professor, lamented(惋惜) that the global community missed numerous     9     (chance) to stop the corona-virus earlier, in addition to causing much “self-inflicted harm” by shutting down much of society. “    10     (give) the ever-present threat of another pandemic, lessons need to be learned,” he said.