On the New York set of the film Hide and Seek, ten-year-old Dakota Fanning spends her time playing a deeply disturbed girl who deals with her mother's suicide (自杀) by creating an imaginary friend, who may not frighten her family.
Today, though, she has the day off. "This week I only worked two days,"says Fanning, sitting in a sofa in her hotel's library, "but I get bored when I'm not working. Especially because it's cold here and I can't do anything, you know? So, I've been knitting (编织) --- all day, every day."The actress, who's held her own opposite Oscar winners such as Sean Penn and Denzel Washington, recently mastered the fine art of scarves (围巾). Though she's about ready to move on to hats, she first plans to make a souvenir (纪念品) scarf for Robert De Niro, who plays her father in the film. "He's the nicest guy you'd ever meet in your entire life,"she says, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I would make him a brown one.”
Like any other fifth-grader, Fanning spends several hours a day going to school. In addition to her personal trailer (活动住房) --- which is kept well-supplied with hot chocolate packets, lemon Gatorade, and a TV that doesn't always work --- she has another trailer where her teacher, Jan, conducts classes in history, spelling, reading, math, science and health. "We have this big board where we have a calendar (日历),"Fanning says. "When we were here in January, I wrote the calendar in all blue. February was red, and March was green.”
On this particular morning, she had a spelling test. "There was a topic for each of the word lists,"she says, sitting on her knees. "This one was flowers --- they were all names like oxygen, carbon dioxide, chrysanthemum (菊花)..."Chrysanthemum? "Well, they didn't make me spell that one. They just had me fill in the ‘e'. But I can spell it: c-h-r-y-s-a-n-t-h-e-m-u-m.”Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Dakota Fanning is a young gifted actress. |
| B．Dakota Fanning is a lonely orphan. |
| C．Dakota Fanning is a creative pupil. |
| D．Dakota Fanning has many interests. |
Dakota Fanning has to knit all day in order to _____.
| A．kill time | B．make money | C．master a skill | D．make a scarf for her boyfriend |
By saying that "He's the nicest guy you'd ever meet in your entire life”, Dakota Fanning really means that _____.
| A．she is the daughter of Robert De Niro |
| B．she has fallen in love with Robert De Niro |
| C．she is in love with Robert De Niro |
| D．she admires Robert De Niro very much |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．Dakota Fanning's Role |
| B．Dakota Fanning's Knitting Art |
| C．Dakota Fanning's Day Off |
| D．Dakota Fanning's Spelling Test |
When it comes to friends, I desire those who will share my happiness, who possess wings of their own and who will fly with me. I seek friends whose qualities illuminate（照亮）me and train me up for love. It is for these people that I reserve the glowing hours, too good not to share.
When I was in the eighth grade, I had a friend. We were shy and “too serious” about our studies when it was becoming fashionable with our classmates to learn acceptable social behaviors. We said little at school, but she would come to my house and we would sit down with pencils and paper, and one of us would say: “Let’s start with a train whistle today.” We would sit quietly together and write separate poems or stories that grew out of a train whistle. Then we would read them aloud. At the end of that school year, we, too, were changing into social creatures and the stories and poems stopped.
When I lived for a time in London, I had a friend, He was in despair(失望)and I was in despair. But our friendship was based on the idea in each of us that we would be sorry later if we did not explore this great city because we had felt bad at the time. We met every Sunday for five weeks and found many excellent things. We walked until our despairs disappeared and then we parted. We gave London to each other.
For almost four years I have had a remarkable friend whose imagination illuminates mine. We write long letters in which we often discover our strangest selves. Each of us appears, sometimes in a funny way, in the other’s dreams. She and I agree that, at certain times, we seem to be parts of the same mind. In my most interesting moments, I often think: “Yes, I must tell….”We have never met.
It is such comforting companions I wish to keep. One bright hour with their kind is worth more to me than the lifetime services of a psychologist（心理学家），who will only fill up the healing（愈合的）silence necessary to those darkest moments in which I would rather be my own best friend.In the eighth grade, what the author did before developing proper social behavior was to _____.
| A．become serious about her study |
| B．go to her friend’s house regularly |
| C．learn from her classmates at school |
| D．share poems and stories with her friend |
In Paragraph 3, “We gave London to each other” probably means ______.
| A．our exploration of London was a memorable gift to both of us |
| B．we were unwilling to tear ourselves away from London |
| C．our unpleasant feeling about London disappeared |
| D．we parted with each other in London |
According to Paragraph 4, the author and her friend _______.
| A．call each other regularly | B．have similar personalities |
| C．enjoy writing to each other | D．dream of meeting each other |
What is the best title for the passage? _______.
| A．Unforgettable Experiences |
| B．Remarkable Imagination |
| C．Lifelong Friendship |
| D．Noble Companions |
George Eberhardt turned 107 last month, and scientists would love to know how he and other older folks like him made it that far. So he's going to hand over some of his DNA.
He's one of 100 centenarians(百岁老人) taking part in a project that examines some of the oldest citizens with one of the newest scientific tools: whole-genome sequencing(全基因组测试), the deciphering of a person's complete collection of DNA.
Scientists think DNA from very old healthy people could offer clues to how they have lived so long. And that could one day lead to medicines to help the rest of us stay disease-free longer.
"It's very hard to get to 105 without some genetic advantages," says Dr. Thomas Perls, a geriatrics(老年医学) expert at Boston University. Dr.Perls is helping find centenarians for the Archon Genomics X Prize competition. The X Prize Foundation, best known for a spaceflight competition, is offering $10 million in prize money to researchers who decipher the complete DNA code from 100 people older than 100. The contest will be judged on accuracy, completeness and the speed and cost of sequencing.
Mr. Eberhardt played and taught tennis until he was 94and says he's participating in the X Prize project because he's interested in science and technology. It's not clear his genes will reveal much. Nobody else in his extended family reached 100, and he thinks only a couple reached 90, he said in a telephone interview.
So why does he think he lived so long? He attributes it to 70 years of marriage to his wife, Marie. She in turn cites his "intense interest in so many things" over a lifetime, from building radios as a child to pursuing a career in electronics research.
But scientists believe there's more to it, and they want to use genome sequencing to investigate. Dr. Richard Cawthon of the University of Utah, who is seeking longevity genes by other means, says it may turn up genetic features that protect against multiple diseases or that slow the process of aging in general.
| A．Separating. | B．Interpreting. |
| C．Gathering. | D．Comparing. |
| A．How many genes are studied |
| B．How precise the sequencing is |
| C．How fast the research is finished |
| D．The number of researchers |
| A．what the Archon Genomics X prize competition is about |
| B．the significance of studying the genes that lead to longevity |
| C．how whole-genome sequencing is applied to the study of genes |
| D．the genetic advantages the centenarians have |
| A．He doesn’t have any genetic advantages. |
| B．Most of his family have been long-lived. |
| C．His genes don’t reveal much about why he has lived so long. |
| D．He enjoyed doing electronics research. |
| A．Comparing One Hundred Centenarians |
| B．Who Will Win the Archon Genomics X Prize Competition? |
| C．A New Technology--- Whole –Genome Sequencing |
| D．Is the Secret to a Long Life in the DNA of Centenarians? |
It's difficult not to become involved in gossip at work. After all, people like gossip and interesting bits of information: you only have to look at the number of celebrity-focused publications to realize that we have a huge appetite for discussing other people's lives. At work, however, this type of interaction is harmful and costly. It wastes time, damages reputations, promotes divisiveness(分歧), creates anxiety.
Rumors often grow because people like to be "in the know." Knowledge is power, and that's why the people with the least amount of power in an organization can often be the ones to start and spread rumors. It can make them feel important if they're seen to know things that others don't.
This knowledge is at the center of why and how rumors start and spread. Insufficient（不足） knowledge or incomplete information are often to blame. Consider these examples:
◆People don't know why a colleague was fired, so they make up a reason based on some limited knowledge or insignificant fact. "I saw John override（推翻） the cash register the other day without a supervisor present. Maybe he stole some money and that's why he went."
◆People see a pattern of behavior between two individuals and they add their own explanation. "Joseph and Samantha spend a lot of time together after hours ‘catching up on paperwork.' And just yesterday, they were sitting awfully close to each other in the meeting. I bet paperwork isn't all that's getting done after work!"
These rumors are typical of the things you'll face at work, and they spread because of a lack of accurate information. So, the best way to fight rumors is with good communication. When you communicate well, your team knows what's happening, and they trust that you'll keep them informed. Good communication within your team also means that you will become aware of any rumors that are starting, and you'll be able to address them quickly and effectively.The huge number of celebrity-focused publications reveals that_______.
| A．celebrities depend on publications to achieve fame |
| B．people like discussing other people’s lives |
| C．the publishing industry is booming |
| D．celebrities are rather disturbed by rumors. |
Who is most likely to spread rumors at work?
| A．The ones who have a large circle of friends |
| B．The ones who have quick access to information. |
| C．The ones who have good knowledge. |
| D．The ones with the least amount of power. |
The passage is developed mainly___________.
| A．by using time order. | B．by making comparisons |
| C．by giving figures | D．by giving examples |
What is the relationship between Joseph and Samantha in the eyes of the people spreading rumors?
| A．They are lovers. | B．They are work partners. |
| C．They are rivals. | D．They are old friends. |
What is mainly discussed in the last paragraph?
| A．How to fight rumors. |
| B．Why rumors start. |
| C．How to communicate with colleagues. |
| D．Why knowledge matters. |
In California, young sea lions are in danger of starving to death and it is not clear why.
"I'm going on a rescue right now," said Peter Wallerstein talking on his cell phone while in his truck. "'I've already rescued two sea lions."
Wallerstein can barely keep up with the distress calls. His sea mammal rescue operation has already saved 240 California sea lion pups this year.
"Not much energy left in this guy," he said about one particular sea lion. Almost all were dying from starvation.
"We found them seven miles up the flood control channel, found them under a car, and we don't really know why," he said.
On average, about a hundred sea lions are rescued in Southern California during the winter. But 700 have been picked up over the last three months.
"They're very sick," said Keith Matassa, who runs the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach. His team is nursing 115 sea lions back to health.
"A normal sea lion at this age -- 8 to 9 months old -- should be around 60, 70 pounds," said Matassa. "We're seeing them come into our center at 20 to 25 pounds, and really, they look like walking skeletons."
Sea lions depend on herring, sardines and other small fish found close to California's coast.
Sarah Wilkin is a marine biologist with the National Marine Fisheries Service. Asked why it has reached this point, she said: "We're looking at whether the prey that these animals should be eating just isn't available to them for some reason, and that could be because there's less of it or because it's moved and it's not accessible."
It can take four months of care before the animals are strong enough to be released back into the Pacific.
"This is the ultimate gift watching an animal come in as a walking skeleton," said Matassa, "and watching it run off the beach...and just head out where it should be."
Scientists worry they'll find even more starving sea lions in the weeks ahead. April and May are usually peak months for sea lion rescues.
| A．Wallerstein is bored with the calls. |
| B．The situation is terrible for the sea lions. |
| C．Wallerstein’s telephone is hard to get through to. |
| D．The rescue operation is going very well. |
| A．The winter coldness. | B．A lack of prey. |
| C．A flood. | D．Car accidents. |
| A．released back into the Pacific |
| B．sent to the National Marine Fisheries Service |
| C．sent to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center |
| D．released on the Californian coast |
| A．they are very firm | B．they are very active |
| C．they are very ugly | D．they are very thin |
| A．Access to Sea lions’ Prey |
| B．Sea Lion Rescue Operation |
| C．Starvation Endangers Sea Lions |
| D．Protection for Sea Lions Is Pressing |
I was diagnosed with cancer in September 2005, after discovering a small lump in my neck. All seemed well after the lump had been removed. However, a follow-up blood test revealed that the cancer had spread. I underwent chemotherapy(化疗), and within four months I lost nearly 20kg, all my hair and energy.
I got a tentative all-clear(解除警报)two days after my 28 the birthday. To me, it signaled a new start, and I couldn’t wait to get on with my life. The doctors told me that it would be months before I could get back to my old activity levels, but I just didn’t want to accept this. I wanted to be normal again –now, not in six months.
So I started by simply walking around Edinburgh. Each day I would get home four or five hours later feeling like I had run a marathon. After less than six weeks, I half-ran, half-crawled up Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh. I spent the next couple of days in bed recovering, but soon after that I was back in the gym.
My diet had never been great before I fell ill --- I was a real vegetable-phobe(厌恶蔬菜的人)， and to some extent I still am. Nowadays, though, I make myself eat more natural foods. I have discovered that a good blender and a slow-cooker help make foods I don’t like bearable.
When one suffers a physical setback, emotional support from others is important. Still, there are things only you can do for yourself; at the end of the day, you are the one going through it. I went back to work, and now have started a company to take my passion for health and fitness forward. I believe that what holds most people back is a poor mental attitude and lack of determination. You can achieve whatever you want; you just have to work hard at it.
| A．He was diagnosed with cancer after a regular blood test. |
| B．He got back in the gym two days after his 28th birthday. |
| C．His doctors asked him not to do any kind of exercise for six months. |
| D．He wanted to recover from his illness as soon as possible. |
| A．He started eating more natural foods. |
| B．He began to like eating vegetables. |
| C．He learned to cook by himself. |
| D．He liked eating the foods he hadn’t liked before. |
| A．the help and support of others are useless to sick people |
| B．people can’t be mentally unprepared to decide things |
| C．people should do everything by themselves |
| D．hard-working people get what they want |
| A．optimism | B．calmness |
| C．passion | D．honesty |
| A．Life Depends on Exercise |
| B．Perseverance Is the Key to Success |
| C．How I Bear Cancer |
| D．How to Overcome Cancer |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号