Among all the fast growing science and technology, the research of human genes（基因）, or biological engineering as people call it, is drawing more and more attention now. Sometimes it is a hot topic discussed by people.
The greatest thing that gene technology can do is to cure serious diseases that doctors at present can almost do nothing with, such as cancer and heart disease. Every year, millions of people are murdered by these two killers. And to date, doctors have not found an effective way to cure them. But if the gene technology is applied（應(yīng)用）, not only these two diseases can be cured completely, bringing happiness and more living days to the patients, but also the great amount of money people spend on curing their diseases can be saved, therefore it benefits the economy as well. In addition, human life span(壽命) can be prolonged.
Gene technology can help people to give birth to more healthy and clever children. Some families, with the English imperial family being a good example, have hereditary diseases. This means their children will for sure have the family disease, which is a great trouble for these families. In the past, doctors could do nothing about hereditary diseases. But gene technology can solve this problem perfectly. The scientists just need to find the wrong gene and correct it and a healthy child will be born.
Some people are worrying that the gene research can be used to manufacture (produce) human beings in large quantities. In the past few years, scientists have succeeded in cloning a sheep; therefore these people predict that human babies would soon be cloned. But I believe cloned babies will not come out in large quantities, for most couples in the world can have babies in very normal way. Of course, the governments must take care to control gene technology.
小題1:What does “these two killers” in the second paragraph refer to?

A．Gene technology and another treatment of the two diseases.

B．The two murderers who killed the cloned baby

C．The two diseases of cancer and heart disease

D．Hereditary diseases and cancer

小題2:What’s the main idea of the third paragraph?

A．How gene technology can be applied to cure family diseases.

B．Gene technology can be used to clone human babies.

C．Gene technology can help people to give birth to a baby.

D．Gene technology can help the English imperial family out

小題3:What is the main purpose of writing this passage?

A．Expressing the writer’s idea that gene technology will benefit people

B．Telling people the advantages of gene technology

C．Telling the readers that gene technology will not benefit people

D．Explaining that gene technology will also do harm to the humanity

小題4:Which of the following worries people by using this technology?

A．Scientists have already successfully cloned sheep.

B．Most couple will normally give birth to babies.

C．A good number of babies will be cloned

D．The government will take action to control it.

Every heard the old saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”? It is true! Apples have a lot of nutritional value!
A medium sized apple has only 80 calories (卡). What a great snack choice! Not only is an apple low in calories, they contain absolutely no fat. Thus, eating apples as snacks, as opposed to chips or cakes, will help reduce the risk of cancer.
On top of reducing the risk of cancer, the low sodium (鈉) amounts in apples also help reduce high blood pressure and heart disease. They are cholesterol (膽固醇) free. They are also rich in vitamin A, which helps strengthen vision (視力) along with bone and tooth development.
Now that we know the nutritional facts, let’s take a look at some of the fun facts—That’s right! Apples can be fun, as well as healthy!
If an apple is fresh, it will float on water. Twenty-five percent of an apple is air, thus allowing it to float. Can you imagine bobbing (上下浮動) for apples that sink?
And, did you know that an apple is covered with a natural layer of wax (蠟)? That’s what the peeling (剝下的皮) is. It protects the apple’s high water content, keeping the apple fresh.
Apples are a very important part of a healthy diet, but keep in mind they can be fun. And always remember, if an apple sinks in water, pick another one to bob for!
小題1:How many kinds of facts about apples are mentioned in the passage?

A．Two.

B．Three.

C．Four.

D．Five.

小題2:Apples contain no _________.

A．calories and sodium	B．fat and sodium
C．fat and cholesterol	D．cholesterol and sodium

小題3:We learn that an apple is probably _________ if it sinks in water.

A．too high in water content	B．still green
C．sweet and rich in vitamins	D．unsuitable to eat

小題4:Why do apples stay fresh for a long time?

A．Because they contain much water.

B．Because they have peeling with a layer of wax.

C．Because they contain much air.

D．Because they have peeling with nutritional value.

Three more cattle farms in Andong，North Gyeongsang Province，were found to have been infected with the deadly foot-and-mouth disease，Nov．2 2010，Thursday．People fear that livestock farms in other parts of the country could be hit by the virus soon．
On Monday，the disease was first detected on two pig farms in Andong，about half a year after the last disease broke out in Korea．A cattle farm in the area also fell victim to the animal disease the following day．
The Ministry for Food，Agriculture，F(xiàn)orestry and Fisheries made sure that three more cases of foot-and-mouth disease appeared on Thursday and decided to kill all the animals at the farms and others at nearby places to stop the spread of the virus to other regions．Over 800 cows and pigs within a 500 meter range of the infected farms were killed and buried underground．
“Three suspected cases were reported Wednesday，near the pig farms where the first outbreak was reported．The laboratory tests today showed that all three cattle farms were infected with the disease,” a ministry official said．Two newly infected cattle farms were less than 4 kilometers away from the two pig farms，while the third one was only 2．5 kilometers away．
The ministry also said another cattle farm in Andong reported suspected cases of foot-and-mouth disease on its livestock Thursday，indicating the disease will likely continue to spread across the city and possibly beyond．
The government has culled more than 33,000 animals near the affected farms Monday alone under its disease prevention program．Additionally，all 84 livestock markets across the nation were closed Wednesday for a period to prevent spread of the disease．
No suspected cases have been reported outside of Andong，but the government Thursday decided to destroy an additional 22,000 pigs at two farms in Boryeong，South Chungcheong Province．
小題1:Last time foot and mouth disease         ．

A．broke out in North cattle farms

B．was controlled as soon as possible

C．happened in June，2010

D．destroyed almost all cattle in cattle farms

小題2:How did the government deal with the disease?

A．The government controlled only the two farms．

B．The government had more animals killed．

C．The government tried to cure the sick animals．

D．The government hated to kill animals．

小題3:The underlined word “culled” has the same meaning as         ．

A．treated

B．killed

C．bought

D．sold

小題4:From the last paragraph we can know that         ．

A．22,000 pigs have been infected with the disease

B．22,000 pigs will be moved to other farms

C．Boryeong is also an infected area

D．22,000 pigs will go down to their death

小題5:In which part of a newspaper can you most probably read the passage?

A．Today’s News	B．History and Culture
C．Entertainment	D．Science

Secondhand smoke isn’t just a health threat to people．It can also hurt dogs and cats，veterinarians say．
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention，more than 126 million Americans who don't smoke are exposed to secondhand smoke in their homes，vehicles，workplaces，and public places．This exposure causes thousands of lung cancer and heart disease deaths among nonsmokers every year，according to the California Environmental Protection Agency．
“Making the leap from the effects of secondhand smoke on humans to their effects on pets isn't a big one,” says veterinarian （獸醫(yī)專家） Carolynn MacAllister of Oklahoma State University．
“There have been a number of scientific papers recently that have reported the significant health threat secondhand smoke poses to pets,” MacAllister said．“Secondhand smoke has been associated with oral cancer and lymphoma in cats，lung and nasal cancer in dogs，as well as lung cancer in birds.”
Studies have also shown that dogs living in a smoking household are susceptible to cancers of the nose and sinus area，particularly if they are a long-nosed breed，because their noses have a greater surface area that is exposed to carcinogens and a greater area for them to accumulate．Dogs affected with nasal cancer normally don't survive for more than one year．
“Short and medium-nosed dogs are more susceptible to lung cancer，because their shorter nasal passage aren't as effective at accumulating the inhaled secondhand smoke carcinogens,” MacAllister said．“This results in more carcinogens （致癌物質(zhì)） reaching the lungs.”
Birds are also at risk for lung cancer，as well as pneumonia，because their respiratory systems are hypersensitive to any type of air pollutant．
To help prevent animals from being adversely affected by smoking，pet owners who smoke should have a designated smoking area that is separated from the home or stop smoking altogether，MacAllister said．        
小題1:From the passage，we can see secondhand smoke maybe not harmful to _______．

A．smokers

B．non-smokers

C．pets

D．trees

小題2:What can be suggested according to the passage?

A．Smokers can smoke anywhere.

B．Smokers can smoke at any time.

C．Smokers should smoke in the designated place.

D．Smokers must give up smoking at once.

小題3:What kind of dogs are likely to suffer from nasal cancer?

A．Long-nosed dogs	B．Short-nosed dogs
C．Medium-nosed dogs	D．Dogs without noses

小題4:The best title of the passage is __________.

A．Secondhand Smoke Causes Cancer in People

B．Secondhand Smoke Causes Cancer in Birds

C．Secondhand Smoke Causes Cancer in Pets

D．Secondhand Smoke Causes Cancer in Cats

小題5:What is the meaning of the underlined phrase “are susceptible to”?

A．a(chǎn)re likely to be harmed by

B．a(chǎn)re hard to be influenced by

C．a(chǎn)re less to be effected by

D．a(chǎn)re lucky to be caught by

Howling(吼叫) is a behavior commonly observed among a wolf pack(狼群). As pack animals, wolves work together to hunt and rely on howling as an important means of communication among each other. There’re different explanations of a wolf’s howl and it appears that there may be more to discover．
One theory is that wolves howl to bond better together. It’s almost as if howling together helps the pack stay together. Perhaps something similar to people feeling a sense of involvement with each other when singing a song together. But this theory may be wrong, explains Fred H. Harrington, a professor who studies wolf behavior.
Indeed, there have been times when wolves have been seen one moment howling in a chorus(合唱), and the next, quarreling among each other. It appears that usually the lowest-ranking members of the pack may actually be “punished” for joining in the chorus at times. So is howling a way to strengthen a social bond or just a way to reconfirm status (地位) among its members? Why do wolves howl for sure?
What is clear, however, is that howling is often used among pack mates to locate each other. Hunting grounds are distant and it happens that wolves may separate from one another at times. When this happens, howling appears to be an excellent means of gathering.
Howling, interestingly, is a contagious behavior. When one wolf starts to howl, very likely others will follow. This is often seen to occur in the morning, as if wolves were doing some sort of “roll call” where wolves all howl together to report their
小題1:What is the possible similarity between wolves’ howling together and human’s singing in chorus?

A．The act of calling each other．

B．The sense of accomplishment．

C．The act of hunting for something．

D．The sense of belonging to a group．

小題2:Why does Harrington think the “social bond” theory may be wrong?

A．Wolves separate from each other after howling．

B．Wolves tend to protect their hunting grounds．

C．Wolves sometimes have quarrels after howling together．

D．Wolves of low rank are encouraged to join in the chorus．

小題3:Researchers are sure that wolves often howl to______．

A．show their ranks	B．find their companions
C．report the missing ones	D．express their loneliness

小題4:“Howling… is a contagious behaviour”（in the last paragraph）means_______．

A．howling is a signal for hunting

B．howling is a way of communication

C．howling often occurs in the morning

D．howling spreads from one to another

Are you a compulsive spender，or do you hold on to your money as long as possible? Are you a bargain hunter? Would you rather use charge accounts than pay in cash? Your answers to these questions will reflect your personality．According to psychologists，our individual money habits not only show our beliefs and values，but can also stem from past problems．
Experts in psychology believe that for many people，money is an important symbol of strength and influence．Husbands who complain about their wives’ spending habits may be afraid that they are losing power in their marriage．Wives，on the other hand，may waste huge amounts of money because they are angry at their husbands．In addition，many people consider money a symbol of love．They spend it on their family and friends to express love，or they buy themselves expensive presents because they need love．
People can be addicted to different things —for example，alcohol，drugs，certain foods，or even television．They are compulsive in their addictions，i．e．they must satisfy these needs to feel comfortable．In the same way，according to psychologists，compulsive spenders must spend money．
For people who buy on credit，furthermore，charge accounts are even more exciting than money：in other words，they feel that with credit，they can do anything．Their pleasures in spending enormous amounts are actually greater than those they get from the things they buy．
There is even a special psychology of bargain hunting．To save money，of course，most people look for sales，low prices，and discounts．Compulsive bargain hunters，however，often buy things that they don’t need just because they are cheap．They want to believe that they are helping their budgets，but they are really playing an exciting game：when they can buy something for less than other people，they feel that they are winning．Most people，experts claim，have two reasons for their behavior：a good reason for the things that they do and the real reason．
It is not only scientists，of course，who understand the psychology of spending habits，but also business people．Stores，companies，and advertisers use psychology to increase business：they consider people’s needs for love，power，or influence，their basic values，their beliefs and opinions， etc．in their advertising and sales methods．
Psychologists often use a method called “behavior therapy（療法）”to help individuals solve their personality problems．In the same way，they can help people who feel that they have problems with money：they give them “assignments” If a person buys something in every store that he enters， for instance，a therapist might teach him self discipline in this way：on the first day of his therapy， he must go into a store，stay five minutes，and then leave．On the second day，he should stay for ten minutes and try something on．On the third day，he stays for fifteen minutes，asks the salesclerk a question，but does not buy anything．Soon he will learn that nothing bad will happen to him if he doesn’t buy anything，and he can solve the problem of his compulsive buying．
小題1:If you use charge accounts，           ．

A．you pay in cash

B．you pay less than you should

C．you pay with credit card

D．you pay more than you should

小題2:Compulsive bargain hunters buy things for all the following reasons except that         ．

A．the things they buy are cheap

B．they believe they can balance their budgets

C．they get psychological satisfaction

D．they really need the things they buy

小題3:Behavior therapy in this case aims at         ．

A．helping businessmen to increase their business

B．helping compulsive spenders to buy less

C．finding out how people will react if they are allowed to buy

D．finding out what people will do in front of a bargain

小題4:The underlined word “those” in Paragraph 3 refers to         ．

A．different things

B．their addictions

C．their pleasures

D．charge accounts

小題5:From the passage we can conclude that         ．

A．how you spend money reveals if you are psychologically healthy

B．money is a necessity and will bring you happiness if you have much

C．compulsive buying problems can be solved by taking some medicine

D．a(chǎn)ll businessmen understand well the psychology of customers

PALO ALTO, California----"Switching off the television may help prevent children from getting fatter---- even if they do not change their diet or increase the amount they exercise," US researchers said last week.
　　A study of 192 third and fourth graders, generally aged eight and nine, found that children who cut the number of hours spent watching television gained nearly two pounds(0.9kg) less over a one-year period than those who did not change their television diet.
　　"The findings are important because they show that weight loss can only be the result of a reduction in television viewing and not any other activity," said Thomas Robinson, a pediatrician(兒科專家) at Stanford University.
　　"American children spend an average of more than four hours per day watching television and videos or playing video games, and rates of childhood being very fat have doubled over the past 20 years," Robinson said.
　　In the study, presented this week to the Pediatric Academic Societies‘ annual meeting in San Francisco, the researchers persuaded about 100 of the students to reduce their television viewing by one-quarter to one-third.
　　Children watching fewer hours of television showed a significantly smaller increase in waist size and had less body fat than other students who continued their normal television viewing, even though neither group ate a special diet or took part in any extra exercise.
　　"One explanation for the weight loss could be the children unstuck to the television may simply have been moving around more and burning off calories," Robinson said.
　　"Another reason might be due to eating fewer meals in front of the television. Some studies have suggested that eating in front of the TV encourages people to eat more," Robinson said.
小題1:The author tries to tell us in the first two paragraphs that ________.

A．children will get fatter if they eat too much

B．children will get thinner if they eat less

C．children will get fatter if they spend less time watching TV

D．children will get fatter if they spend more time watching TV

小題2:According to the passage, the time American children usually spend on watching TV_____.

A．is more than four hours a day

B．is less than four hours a day

C．doubled in the last twenty years

D．is more than on any other activities

小題3:The time children spend on TV viewing every day is suggested to be about

A．six hours

B．eight hours

C．three hours

D．one hour

小題4:Why can watching TV increase kids’ weight according to the passage?
　　A. They usually eat more while watching TV.
　　B. They burn off fewer calories.
C. They change their diet while watching TV.
D. Both A and B.

Lawmakers in the United States have expanded an investigation into the use of location-tracking systems on mobile devices. The action follows recent reports about the storing of information on the Apple iPhone. Some people consider location tracking to be a threat to personal privacy and security.
Allan Friedman, the research director, says, “All wireless companies do some location tracking as part of their networks. This information is usually stored by the companies, not the devices, and there are laws to protect it. Law enforcement(執(zhí)法) agencies, for example, have to have a fairly high standard before it can access that data. And the phone company is also prohibited from selling that information.
Now, two researchers report that location tracking information is being stored directly on Apple devices. They said Apple’s newest operating systems gather global positioning system and timestamp information. The information is stored on the device in a file that is also uploaded (上傳) to any computer that the device is connected to. The researchers say the information is available to anyone who has access to the device or computer.
Allan Friedman says, “This raises additional concerns. There’s the idea that because it’s on my phone and on my computer, rogue applications(惡意程序) that I pay for or that I’m tricked into downloading may be able to access this data and somehow misuse it.”
Apple says it is “not tracking the location of your iPhone”. It is simply keeping a database of Wi-Fi hotspots and cell phone towers near the user’s location. This information is meant to help the iPhone quickly find its location when needed.
Letters have been sent to some of the leading mobile device developers, including Apple and Google. The letters asked for more information about their location tracking systems. Allan Friedman calls this an important start to strengthening privacy laws. He says, “There aren’t strong controls over things like location information, what they are doing with it, how long they are keeping it. And perhaps the most important question is, is my location data with other facts about me?”
小題1:Why did American lawmakers investigate the use of location-tracking systems on cell-phones?

A．Because the systems can store users’ information

B．Because many users have suffered loss after using them.

C．Because it is thought to threaten users’ privacy.

D．Because many reporters have shown the problem of the systems.

小題2:Allan Friedman believes that ________.

A．wireless companies focus on personal privacy.

B．people are forbidden to get access to private data at will

C．phone companies may sell private information secretly

D．customers may ask wireless companies to locate their tracking

小題3:What do we know from Paragraph 3?

A．Location tracking information is stored online.

B．Apple’s newest operating systems collect all kinds of information.

C．Location tracking information may be uploaded to any iPhone.

D．Apple’s newest operating systems may reveal the private information of users.

小題4:Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Apple denies that it tracks the location of users.

B．The researchers may misunderstand the Apple’s systems.

C．The global positioning system is to blame for rogue applications.

D．The iPhone can quickly find its location by using its user’s information.

Can you imagine living in a house built by recycled waste?
Texas home builder Dan Phillips transforms trash into artful treasures, creating beautiful floors with wood pieces, kitchen counters from ivory -colored bones and roofs out of license plates （牌照）．
The fantastic houses which spring from his imagination are made almost entirely of materials which would otherwise have ended up in a garbage area．
" People have been doing this for hundreds of thousands of years; using whatever is available to build shelter, " Phillips said．"If you think about carefully what could be used, then building materials are everywhere．
The thirteen homes he has built so far would fit better in an art museum than the residential streets of Huntsville, a conservative town of about 35 ,000 people．
Living in these houses is a bit like living in a roadside attraction．"Almost every day, somebody knocks on the door and says ' Is there any way that we could see?' "said Edie Wells, an artist who rents a room in the Bone House．Her home features a stairway made of bones, floors covered in wine corks （軟木塞） and beer bottle caps．Wells said visitors are most impressed when they see a bathroom with its walls, floor and ceiling entirely covered with broken mirror pieces．
In addition, each house is highly energy efficient with plenty insulation （隔熱材料） , an on-demand solar hot water heater and a system that can collect and recycle rainwater to clean the toilet and wash clothes．
Phillips founded Phoenix Commotion 12 years ago with the aim of creating a new model for sustainable housing．For as little as $ 10,000 it builds affordable homes for single parents, low-income families and artists．
The company has used hundreds of tons of construction waste by recycling the materials into habitable buildings．
Phillips tries to spread his recycled-house idea by speaking at events across the United States, and by using the Internet to reach out to like-minded individuals．Phillips said: "I'm not going to be saving the world anytime soon．But there needs to be at least some visibility for this model in this century．
小題1:Which of the following is NOT the advantage of the homes built by Phillips?

A．environmentally-friendly	B．energy efficient
C．convenient	D．cheap

小題2:What do we know about Dan Phillips?

A．He is serious and hard-working．

B．He is full of imagination and intelligence．

C．It didn't take him long to build the houses．

D．He didn't give speeches in the United States．

小題3:According to the passage, the houses are like artful treasures because they are           .

A．made of bones	B．museums
C．a(chǎn)dmired by people	D．made of various trash

小題4:Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?

A．Home Builder Dan Phillips

B．Green Homes

C．Home Builder Dan Phillips Tunis Trash into Green Homes

D．A Home Builder' s Life

Have you heard of the movie Benji off the Leashf This Benji story7 begins when his mother, a pretty black furry dog, escapes from the puppy mill with Colby, a boy who loves her．He tries to hide her in an abandoned house．The boy' s father discovers her there and takes mother and pups back home to the puppy mill, but leaves Benji behind because he doesn't look purebred （純血統(tǒng)的） enough to be sold for money．Colby comes back later to rescue the tiny puppy and keeps Benji in his wooden clubhouse, bringing Mom to come to visit him in secret．
As Benji grows bigger, it becomes harder to keep him in the clubhouse, and eventually the boy' s father discovers him and Benji is forced to flee to the streets．But despite his fear of Colby' s father, Benji cannot forget about his mother, who is growing steadily weaker and sicker．He continues to sneak back to the puppy mill yard to spy on the goings-on there and plan a way to rescue her．
Benji's doggie pal, Scrappy enters the story when he is pushed out of a car into a country lane．Once his paws hit the ground, Scrappy wags his tail once helplessly after the car as it drives away, and then is immediately up to his neck in hapless mischief （頑皮）. Scrappy is a lovably stupid little dog who barely manages to escape the animal control officers who are determined to catch him．
One of the wonderful things about this movie is that the two stars are not highly trained purebred dogs．Both Benji and Scrappy were rescued mixed breed dogs found at local animal shelters．Adorable Benji and his stupid pal, Scrappy, demonstrate that mixed-breed rescue dogs are just as intelligent and trainable as any purebred dog．
Benji Off the Leash clearly demonstrates the connection between people who abuse animals and people who abuse people．Colby' s father takes out his anger on those who are weaker than him, namely by frightening his wife and the dogs．He attempts to frighten Colby, but the boy bravely refuses to let him．
Children who are used to fast-paced action films with catchy theme songs may not have the patience for the slower pace of this film．But for rescue volunteers, older children, and anyone who loves dogs, this is a heartwarming movie that shows how even in today' s world of deserted dogs and backyard puppy mills, there can still be happy endings for homeless dogs．
小題1:What can be learned from the passage?

A．Two dogs star the movie．

B．The boy' s mother is very disgusting．

C．The movie will be liked by all the children．

D．The movie is fast-paced．

小題2:We can infer from the passage that _____．

A．The movie is in praise of deserting homeless dogs．

B．We shouldn't have mercy on homeless dogs．

C．We human beings need to love animals because they are our friends．

D．mixed-breed rescued dogs are less intelligent and trainable than purebred dogs．

小題3:What' s the passage mainly about?

A．Reviewing a Him．

B．Giving a summary of a movie．

C．Thinking highly of the relationship between animals and humans．

D．Criticizing people deserting animals．

小題4:What' s the purpose of writing the passage?

A．To attract more people to see the movie．

B．To call on children to help homeless pets．

C．To show anger about abusing animals．

D．To urge people to care and love animals．