Good Genes Mean Long Life
Scientists have discovered that living to the age of 100 may have nothing to do with the lifestyle you lead and everything to do with the type of genes you have.
For the lucky carriers of “Methuselah” genes, worries over smoking, eating unhealthily and not getting enough exercise may not be as necessary as to those of us without the special gene pattern (組合).
The “Methuselah” genes could give extra protection against the diseases of old age such as cancer and heart disease. They could also protect people against the effects of the unhealthy lifestyles that we believe will lead us to an early death, scientists say. However, the genes are very rare.
The genes include ADIPOQ, which is found in about 10 percent of young people but in nearly 30 percent of people living past 100. They also include the CETP and the ApoC3 genes, which are found in 10 percent of young people, but in about 20 percent of people over 100 years old.
Some of those genes were discovered by a research group at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, led by Professor Nir Barzilai. The team studied the genes of over 500 people over 100 years old, and their children.
The studies show that tiny mutations (變異) in the make-up of some genes can greatly increase a person’s lifespan (壽命). Barzilai told a Royal Society conference that the discovery of such genes gave scientists clear targets for developing drugs that could prevent age-related diseases, allow people to live longer and stay healthy.
David Gems, a researcher at University College London, believes that drugs to slow ageing will become widespread.
“If we know which genes control longevity (長(zhǎng)壽) then we can … target them with drugs. That makes it possible to slow down ageing,” he told The Times.
“Much of the pain and suffering in the world are caused by ageing. If we can find a way to reduce that, then we are obliged (義不容辭的) to take it.”
小題1:According to the article, which of the following is the most important if a person is to live to the age of 100?

A．Eating healthy food every day.	B．Having the right types of genes.
C．Having a healthy lifestyle.	D．Taking drugs that prevent ageing.

小題2:According to the article, the ApoC3 gene is found in ________ of people over 100 years old.

A．10%

B．20%

C．30%

D．50%

小題3:Which of the following statements is TRUE of the research led by Professor Nir Barzilai?

A．The team studied the genes of over 100 people over 100 years of age.

B．The researchers found that mutations in certain genes lead to longer life.

C．The researchers found ways to develop drugs that could cure age-related diseases.

D．The study suggested that most people have genes that could lengthen their lives.

小題4: According to David Gems, ________.

A．drugs to slow ageing will be very expensive

B．modern science will be able to find more longevity genes

C．it is the duty of medical scientists to fight the problems of ageing

D．scientists can make new genes that will allow longer life

China’s government has been trying all measures to reduce pollution in the past few years. Now people can enjoy a fresh environment everywhere. The following two graphs are adopted from the column of “City Information” on the webpage of Beijing Review.
Graph 1: Olympic Cities Air Quality Report

City	Date	API	Major Pollutant	Air Quality Degree	Quality Condition
Beijing	Sep. 8	37	N/A	Ⅰ	Very good
Qinhuangdao	Sep. 8	52	PM10	Ⅱ	Good
Qingdao	Sep. 8	68	PM10	Ⅱ	Good
Shanghai	Sep. 8	67	PM10	Ⅱ	Good
Shenyang	Sep. 8	88	PM10	Ⅱ	Good
Tianjin	Sep. 8	54	PM10	Ⅱ	Good

 
Graph 2: Chinese National Standard

API Values	Levels of health concern	Colors
When the API is in this range:	...air quality conditions are:	...as symbolized by this color:
0 to 50	Very good	Blue
51 to 100	Good	Green
101 to 150	Slight pollution	Yellow
151 to 200	Moderate pollution	Orange
201 to 250	Medium pollution	Red
251 to 300	High pollution	Purple
301 to 500	Hazardous	Brown

Notes:
**API stands for Air Pollution Index(指數(shù)).
**Particulate matter (PM10) is a major component of air pollution that threatens both our health and our environment. It consists of very small liquid and solid particles floating in the air.
**Sulfur dioxide(SO2) acts as an acid．Inhalation(吸入) results in labored breathing, coughing, or a sore throat and may cause permanent lung damage.
小題1:According to Graph 1, which of the following cities has the worst air pollution?

A．Qinhuangdao.	B．Tianjin.
C．Qingdao	D．Shenyang. .

小題2: If your city is symbolized by either red or purple, the pollution in your city is     .

A．Moderate or high.	B．Moderate or slight.
C．Medium or high.	D．Medium or slight.

小題3:Which of the following statements is TURE?

A．With API value below 150 the air is free from being polluted.

B．The colors from purple to Yellow indicate the air quality is becoming much worse.

C．When there are floating solid particles and dust in the air, it is dangerous pollution.

D．On September 8th the color-symbol of Beijing City’s air quality is ‘Blue’.

小題4:When more citizens are beginning to have labored breathing soon after they are in the open air, it suggests that            .

A．there is a large amount of sulfur dioxide in the air

B．it is so cold that they may have caught a cold

C．they are starting to cough or have a fever

D．they must be infected with permanent lung disease

Friendships are some of the most important relationships that we will ever have in our lives. But how to build a solid friendship? Here are five tips for you.
Tip 1. _____
True friendships can only be built in honesty. This is more than just telling the truth. Being real and open about who you are and your thoughts and feelings are a part of building a solid friendship. If your “friends” don’t even really know you, who are they really friends with?
Tip 2. Shared Experiences
As you build your friendship, you will share many experiences together. Some of these may be great adventures or hard times that the two of you go through together. These shared experiences are things that you will laugh about, talk about, and cry about no matter how much time passes.
Tip 3. Sacrificial（犧牲精神的）love
Love is the basis（基礎(chǔ)）of all solid relationships. I am not referring to the emotion（情感） of love, but to the action of love. Love is what will cause a friend to get out of bed in the middle of the night to help another. Love is what will put aside someone’s own wants to make sure that their friend is alright.
Tip 4. Understanding
When a friendship is solid, it will be based on each other’s understanding. You may not agree with everything that a friend says or does, but you will be able to put yourself into his or her shoes to begin to understand. Offering understanding to a friend is very important, as it allows them to feel that they have someone in their corner that they can talk to and who will offer advice and suggestions, without having to worry that if they don’t always follow it, the friendship will be lost.
Tip 5. Acceptance
A solid friendship is one in which two people accept one another, faults and all, for just who they are. There is no having to build up false excuses, or hide away the “dark secrets” from one another. We accept each other as whole, complete, and totally unique people.
小題1:What’s the best title of Tip 1?

A．Introduction of yourself.	B．Telling the truth
C．Honesty	D．True friendships

小題2:Which tip can remind us of an English proverb “Love me, love my dog”?

A．Tip 2.

B．Tip 3.

C．Tip 4.

D．Tip 5.

小題3:What’s the meaning of the underlined part “put yourself into his or her shoes” in Tip 4?

A．Exchange your shoes with his or hers.	B．Try on his or her shoes.
C．Put yourself in his or her position.	D．Force yourself.

小題4:What’s the best title of the whole passage?

A．A solid friendship	B．The most important relationships
C．Five tips for you	D．Tips on how to build a solid friendship

Most recently, it's very common in students that they need a parent present for job interviews．     
Naturally, it's easy to blame the students in these situations, but the bigger problem is us．We—as parents—are so eager to shelter our kids that we fail to realize that this in itself is harming them．As the mother of two young sons, I have to remind myself constantly that the biggest responsibility I have as a parent is to help them develop the skills needed to live without me．So, I'll let them fail．
I'll let them fail because as long as they are safe and warm inside their comfort zones, they will never grow．Although failure comes along with loss, heartbreak, disappointment, etc, these will be part of growth for them．And leaving them alone is my way of helping them become equipped to fit in this world as we know it today．From terrorism and seemingly endless natural disasters, to our national debt and beyond, if we expect the next generation to stand up to the very real problems of our time, we need to stop feeding them and start teaching them how to fish．
My children now are becoming little masters of compromise(妥協(xié)），but they try to negotiate （協(xié)商） everything now．It's a small price to help them learn a skill they'll use for the rest of their lives, including when I don't accompany them on job interviews．
小題1:Why do parents accompany their kids on job interviews?

A．Because they want to protect their kids from difficulties．

B．Because they think they can help them on the questions．

C．Because their kids are too shy to attend interviews．

D．Because their kids strongly request them to do so．

小題2:According to the author, what is beneficial to kids' development?
A．Sheltering them．                     B．Keeping them safe．
C．Leaving them alone．                  C．Blaming them．
小題3:Why does the author stress failure in kids' life?

A．To make them stronger than other kids．

B．To help them grow in this tough world．

C．To help them develop all social skills．

D．To make them learn to compromise．

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

A．Never Shelter Your Kids	B．Let Your Kids Fail
C．Be Eager to Grow Up	D．Live Without Parents

Teaching and research are supported by the University’s extensive collections—the Yale University Art Gallery, the Yale Center for British Art, the Peabody Museum of Natural History, and the Collection of Musical Instruments. All the collections are open to the public.
Yale University Art Gallery
The Yale University Art Gallery, founded in 1832, today houses a collection that has grown to rank with those of the major public art museums in the United States. Its two connected buildings house ancient, medieval, and Renaissance art, Near and Far Eastern art, archaeological material from the University’s excavations (古跡), Pre-Columbian and African art, works of European and American masters from actually every period, and a rich collection of modern art. Across the street, the Yale Center for British Art, which was opened in 1977, holds the largest collection of British art and illustrated books anywhere outside the United Kingdom.
Peabody Museum of Natural History
Yale’s Peabody Museum of Natural History, founded in 1866, contains one of the great scientific collections in North America. Among its holdings are the University’s comprehensive mineralogical and ornithological collections, the second-largest repository of dinosaur artifacts in the United States, and the largest undamaged Apatosaurus (Brontosaurus 雷龍) in the world. The Peabody is truly a working museum, where public exhibition, research, conservation, teaching, and learning intersect (貫穿).
Yale Center for British Art
Institutions like the Art Gallery, the Center for British Art, and the Peabody Museum hold only a portion of the treasures in the University’s collections. From paintings by Picasso, to pterodactyl (翼龍) remains, to a 1689 tenor viol in the Collection of Musical Instruments, Yale’s possessions are meant to be accessible to the communities they enrich.
Collection of Musical Instruments
Exhibitions are also frequently mounted (裱貼) at the following venues on campus: Art + Architecture Gallery (School of Architecture), Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Green Hall Gallery (School of Art), and Sterling Memorial Library, including the Arts of the Book Collection.
小題1:Which of the following cannot be found in the Yale University Art Gallery?

A．Near and Far Eastern art.

B．Pre-Columbian and African art

C．British art and illustrated books.

D．Works of European and American masters.

小題2:Where will you go if you want to enjoy dinosaur artifacts?

A．Peabody Museum of Natural History.

B．Collection of Musical Instruments.

C．Yale University Art Gallery.

D．Yale Center for British Art.

小題3:Which of the following has the longest history according to the passage?

A．Yale Center for British Art.

B．Yale University Art Gallery.

C．Peabody Museum of Natural History.

D．A musical instrument named tenor viol.

小題4:We can learn from the passage that in Yale, ______.

A．collections are partly open to the public

B．there are many venues just for exhibitions

C．collections are from art museums in the US

D．exhibitions are frequently mounted on campus

小題5:What is the text mainly about?

A．Introduction to Yale University.	B．Introduction to collections in Yale.
C．Introduction to venues in Yale.	D．Introduction to art works in Yale.

“NOW I just don’t believe that.” Surely all of us, at some point, have watched a movie and thought: It’s simply badly researched, or, the makers must think we’re idiots (白癡). Recently, the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph ran a humorous piece on unconvincing tech moments from some top movies. Let’s see what all the fuss is about.
Telegraph writer Tom Chiver’s first example is from the end-of-the-world movie Independence Day, in which a character comes up with a virus capable of destroying Windows, the computer system the alien spacecraft uses. “It’s a good thing they didn’t have Norton Antivirus (諾頓防火墻)”, jokes Chivers.
It’s just one case of a movie that takes a lot of license with its science. Another one Chivers mentions is from Star Wars, where glowing beams of light traveling through space look very impressive. The problem is that in space there are no air particles for the light to reflect off. In reality, they’d be invisible, which wouldn’t look so cool on the big screen.
Chiver’s second piece of Star Wars nonsense is the sound the fighters make in the movies: “the bellow (咆哮) of an elephant mixed with a car driving on a wet road”. But sound needs a medium to travel through, like air. In space, there wouldn’t actually be any sound at all.
Few people would deny that the mind-bending Matrix films make for great viewing, but for Chivers, the science in the movies is a little silly. He comments “…the film is based on the idea that humans are kept alive as electricity generator. This is not just unlikely – it’s fundamentally impossible. They would need more energy to stay alive than they would produce. It’s like saying you’ll power your car with batteries, and keep the batteries charged by running a dynamo (發(fā)電機(jī)) from the wheels.”
And finally, as Chivers points out, DNA is not replaceable. But this bit of elementary genetics passed the makers of the 2002 Bond film Die Another Day by. In the film the bad guy has “gene therapy” to change his appearance and his DNA, which is completely impossible.
小題1:What does the underlined sentence mean?  

A．The virus created by the character is capable of destroying spacecrafts.

B．Aliens’ using Windows system is totally unconvincing plot.

C．The spacecraft should have Norton Antivirus.

D．Norton Antivirus can stop a virus.

小題2: We can learn from the example of the Star Wars that       .

A．in space, you can not hear anything

B．light beams travel via air particle in space

C．Chiver thinks the sound of the fighters is vivid

D．the invisible light beams are impressive in the movies

小題3:Chiver uses the example of car batteries in Matrix to imply that       .

A．the basic idea of the film is rather ridiculous

B．the science in the movies is very convincing

C．the idea that humans can be kept alive as electricity generator is right

D．humans would stay alive as long as they would produce enough energy

小題4:We can learn from the movie Die Another Day that       .

A．the idea of gene therapy is creative

B．the element of DNA should not be used

C．the makers of the 2002 Bond use the genetic technology

D．DNA can be replaced but in the real world it is impossible

小題5:Why did Chiver write this passage?

A．To prove all these films are making mistakes.

B．To show his great concern for the movie industry.

C．To joke about some movies in the movie industry.

D．To call for the audience to find out mistakes from the movies.

Whether in the workplace or on the football field, effective teamwork can produce amazing results．However, working successfully as a team is not as easy as it may seem．Effective teamwork certainly does not just happen automatically; it take s a great deal of hard work and compromise．There are a number of factors that must be in place to make a good team．
Effective leadership is one of the most important components of good teamwork．The team’s leader should possess the skills to create and preserve a positive working environment and motivate and inspire the team members to take a positive approach to work and be highly committed．An effective team leader will promote a high level of spirit and make them feel supported and valued．
Communication is a vital factor of all interpersonal relationship and especially that of a team．Team member s must be able to articulate their feelings, express plans and goals, share ideas and see each other’s opinions．
Conflicts will arise no matter how well a team functions together．The best way to deal with conflicts is to have some organized methods of handling conflicts．Team members should be able to voice their concerns without fear of offending others．Instead of avoiding conflict issues, a hands-on approach that settles them quickly is much better．It is often advised that the team leader sit with the conflicting parties and help work out their differences without taking sides and trying to remain objective if possible．
The team leader must set a good example to create good teamwork．In order to keep team members positive and committed and motivated, the team leader herself / himself needs to show these qualities．The team turns to the leader for support and guidance．So any negative words or behaviors on the leader’s part can be disastrous．
Regardless of what type of work you are in, knowing how to effectively work on and with a team is going to be extremely important to your success and that of your team．
小題1:Effective leadership is important partly because ___________________．

A．it creates a positive working environment

B．it helps a leader to develop lots of skills

C．it makes a leader feel supported and valued

D．it depends on interpersonal relationship of a team

小題2:The underlined word “articulate” probably means _________________．

A．hide

B．feel

C．plan

D．express

小題3:When conflicts arise among team members, the team leader should ___________________．

A．worry about the team members	B．ignore the team members’ voices
C．work out their differences	D．try to avoid conflict issues

小題4:Which is the best title for the passage?

A．Football And Teamwork	B．Communication And Teamwork
C．What Makes Effective Teamwork	D．How to Handle Conflicts in a Team

Malaria, the world’s most widespread parasitic (寄生蟲引起的)disease, kills as many as three million people every year—almost all of whom are under five, very poor, and African. In most years, more than five hundred million cases of illness result from the disease, although exact numbers are difficult to assess because many people don't (or can’t) seek care. It is not unusual for a family earning less than two hundred dollars a year to spend a quarter of its income on malaria treatment, and what they often get no longer works. In countries like Tanzania, Mozambique, and the Gambia, no family, village, hospital, or workplace can remain unaffected for long.        
Malaria starts suddenly, with violent chills, which are soon followed by an intense fever and, often, headaches. As the parasites multiply, they take over the entire body. Malaria parasites live by eating the red blood cells they infect. They can also attach themselves to blood vessels in the brain. If it doesn’t kill you, malaria can happen again and again for years. The disease is passed on to humans by female mosquitoes infected with one of four species of a parasite. Together, the mosquito and the parasite are the most deadly couple in the history of the earth and one of the most successful. Malaria has five thousand genes, and its ability to change rapidly to defend itself and resist new drugs has made it nearly impossible to control. Studies show that mosquitoes are passing on the virus more frequently, and there are more outbreaks in cities with large populations. Some of the disease's spread is due to global warming.
For decades, the first-choice treatment for malaria parasites in Africa has been chloroquine, a chemical which is very cheap and easy to make. Unfortunately, in most parts of the world, malaria parasites have become resistant to it. Successful alternatives that help prevent resistance are already available, but they have been in short supply and are very expensive. If these drugs should fail, nobody knows what would come next.  
小題1:According to paragraph 1, many people don’t seek care because ________.

A．they are too poor

B．it is unusual to seek care

C．they can remain unaffected for long

D．there are too many people suffering from the disease

小題2:People suffering from malaria ________.

A．have to kill female mosquitoes	B．have ability to defend parasites
C．have their red blood cells infected	D．have sudden fever, followed by chills

小題3:Which of the following may be the reason for the wide spread of the disease?

A．Its resistance to global warming.

B．Its ability to pass on the virus frequently.

C．Its outbreaks in cities with large populations.

D．Its ability to defend itself and resist new drugs.

小題4: It can be inferred from the passage that ________.

A．no drugs have been found to treat the disease

B．the alternative treatment is not easily available to most people

C．malaria has developed its ability to resist parasites

D．nobody knows what will be the drug to treat the disease

Parents are often amazed at how fast their child grows and develops. New research has determined that the ability to quantify may develop much sooner than most parents realize.
Kristy Vanmarle, professor of the University of Missouri, has determined that contrary to what previous studies have shown, infants（嬰兒）are able to quantify substances（物質(zhì)）—like sand or water—as early as 10 months. As long as the difference between the two substances is large enough, infants will choose the larger amount, especially when it comes to food.
With the assistance of her team researchers, Vanmarle tested the quantifying skills of babies by presenting them with two cups: one containing a small amount of food, and one containing a larger amount. Consistently, the babies chose the larger amount.
“Several studies throughout the last 15 years have shown that infants are very good at telling how many objects they see; however, infants don’t seem to count things like water or sand,” Vanmarle said. “What we’re saying is that they can quantify substances; it’s just much harder. The infants can see how much food goes into each cup and compare that in their memories. They decide which amount is larger, and they almost always select the larger one.”
“This information further refutes（駁斥）the long-held idea that babies know nothing of the world,” Vanmarle said.
“Since psychologists have begun studying infants with sensitive measures, we’ve discovered a lot of early abilities. I think for parents, it should be exciting to know that there’s somebody in there that has some fundamental and basic knowledge of the world, and that knowledge is guiding their development,” Vanmarle said.
In the future, Vanmarle says this kind of study could be linked to a child’s progress in math-related skills, although programs marketed to increase those abilities, such as “Baby Einstein,” still have mixed reviews when it comes to academic study.
小題1: The quantifying ability refers to the ability to     .

A．choose between different substances	B．describe the quantity of something
C．get much knowledge of the world	D．obtain math-related skills

小題2: What is mainly talked about in Paragraph 4?

A．The process of doing research.	B．The final choice of infants.
C．The scientific findings.	D．The observation of infants’ behavior.

小題3: Babies choose the larger amount of food     .

A．through their natural abilities	B．with the help of parents
C．on personal preference	D．by saying numbers

小題4:We can learn from the text that     .

A．some parents don’t care about their kids

B．scholars disagree on baby-training programs

C．little research has been done on infants

D．people used to think the world is known to babies

小題5:What’s the best title of the text?

A．Unique Quantifying Methods	B．Amazing Baby-training Ideas
C．Early Human Abilities	D．Breakthrough in Baby Studies

An inventor seeks to create a new product that serves a specific need and fulfills a role that other products do not. Sometimes an inventor comes up with a wholly new idea, but more often inventions are simply improvements on an older design. With a little imagination and creativity (創(chuàng)造力), an old idea can suddenly become something new.
However, creating a new invention means much more than having a brilliant idea. A good designer follows the design process: identifying the challenge, researching and brainstorming ideas(集思廣益), designing a solution, testing and evaluating the ideas, and finally building the product. Designers also use science, math, technology, and engineering to design a tool that satisfies the need they identified.
Anyone can be an inventor —even kids! For example, Chester Greenwood was just fifteen years old when he invented a product that changed his life. In fact, his idea was so good that his invention supported him for the rest of his life. You may not know his name, but you probably know his invention —earmuffs (保暖耳罩)!
The inspiration for his earmuff design came to Chester when he was ice-skating. His ears were cold, and he decided to find a way to keep them warm. With the help of his grandmother, he made a new product to protect his ears and at the age of eighteen, Chester patented his earmuff design.
Many other famous inventors started young as well. Margaret Knight —the inventor of the flat-bottomed brown paper bag —is said to have created a safety device for textile looms(織布機(jī)) when she was just twelve years old. Another example is Thomas Edison, one of the greatest inventors in history, who applied for his first patent when he was just twenty-one years old. Over the course of his life, Thomas Edison patented a total of 1,093 inventions!
小題1: In most cases, an invention ________ according to the first paragraph.

A．comes from a complete new idea

B．is usually based on an old product or idea

C．will change its creator’s life completely

D．is created by scientists in different fields

小題2:The second paragraph mainly wants to tell us _______.

A．the difficulty in making a new invention

B．the common steps of creating new things

C．having a good idea is the key to creation

D．designing a tool is the first step in inventing

小題3:The example of Chester Greenwood is used to show that ________.

A．children can also invent something

B．it is easy even for children to make inventions

C．kids have more advantages in inventing things

D．to be an inventor is the best way to change one’s life

小題4:At first Chester designed his earmuffs in order to ________.

A．protect his ears while ice-skating

B．earn money to support his poor family

C．realize his dream of becoming an inventor

D．make himself look fashionable while ice-skating