“Someday, there’ll be no Americans left in the NBA,” said 12-year-old Xing Tao, who joined his school team two weeks ago after watching Yao Ming in a televised NBA game. “The players will all be Chinese, like Yao.”
To China, Yao is a home-grown superstar who helped make the world’s first basketball league closer to Chinese players. To the NBA, the 2.23-meter center offers an opening of a different sort into the world’s largest new market. Yao’s NBA first appearance against the Indiana Pacers in October reached 287 million families in the US. That game might have been a bit of a letdown to Yao’s fans: He played just 11 of the 48 minutes, had two rebounds (抢篮板球) and got no points. Comparing that with his performance on December 19, also against Indiana, Yao won 29 points and 10 rebounds. “This is one of the most exciting games I’ve had,” Yao said after Houston’s 95-83 victory. The NBA has to be excited about his on-count success. In all his games, he’s averaging 12.7 points and 7.7 rebounds, quite good for a new star. “Yao Ming has brought the NBA closer to the Chinese,” said NBA spokeswoman Cheong Sau Ching, “That makes the dream seem practical for other people in China and proud to be Chinese.”
Yao is not the country’s first player in the NBA, but Yao’s combination of modesty and skills makes him a favorite back home. What’s the direct reason for Xing Tao to join the school basketball team?
A. He watched an NBA game.
B. He liked basketball.
C. He hoped to play for NBA.
D. He had a dream that he would become a basketball star. How many points did Yao Ming win in his first game in NBA?
| A．0. | B．2. | C．29. | D．10. |
What does the underlined word “letdown” in the second paragraph mean?
| A．failure | B．surprise | C．disappointment | D．sadness |
What’s the main idea of this passage?
A. Middle school students want to play basketball.
B. Yao Ming makes NBA closer to China.
C. There’ll be no Americans left in the NBA.
D. There are many new stars fro
m China in the NBA.
Language learning begins with listening. Children are greatly different in the amount of listening they do before they start speaking, and later starters are often long listeners. Most children will "obey" spoken instructions some time before they can speak, though the word "obey" is hardly accurate as a description of the eager and delighted cooperation usually shown by the child. Before they can speak, many children will also ask questions by gesture and by making questioning noises.
Any attempt to study the development from the noises babies make to their first spoken words leads to considerable difficulties. It is agreed that they enjoy making noises, and that during the first few months one or two noises sort themselves as particularly expressive as delight, pain, friendliness, and so on. But sincethese can't be said to show the baby's intention to communicate, they can hardly be regarded as early forms of language. It is agreed, too, that from about three months they play with sounds for enjoyment, and that by six months they are able to add new words to their store. This self-imitation leads on to deliberate (有意的) imitation of sounds made or words spoken to them by other people. The problem then arises as to the point at which one can say that these imitations can be considered as speech.
It is a problem we need to get out. The meaning of a word depends on what a particular person means by it in a particular situation and it is clear that what a child means by a word will change as he gains more experience of the world.Thus the use at seven months of"mama" as a greeting for his mother cannot be dismissed as a meaningless sound simply because he also uses it at other times for his father, his dog, or anything else he likes. Playful and meaningless imitation of what other people say continues after the child has begun to speak for himself, I doubt, however, whether anything is gained when parents take advantage of this ability in an attempt to teach new sounds. Before children start speaking, _____.
| A．they need equal amount of listening |
| B．they need different amounts of listening |
| C．they are all eager to cooperate with the adults by obeying spoken instructions |
| D．they can't understand and obey the adult's oral instructions |
Children who start speaking late _____.
| A．may have problems with their listening |
| B．probably do not hear enough language spoken around them |
| C．usually pay close attention to what they hear |
| D．often take a long time in learning to listen properly |
A baby's first noises are _____.
| A．an expression of his moods and feelings |
| B．an early form of language |
| C．a sign that he means to tell you something |
| D．an imitation of the speech of adults |
The problem of deciding at what point a baby's imitations can be considered as speech _____.
| A．is important because words have different meanings for different people |
| B．is one that should be properly understood because the meaning of words changes with age |
| C．is not especially important because the changeover takes place gradually |
| D．is one that should be completely ignored (忽略) because children's use of words is often meaningless |
The author implies _____.
| A．parents can never hope to teach their children new sounds |
| B．even after they have learnt to speak, children still enjoy imitating |
| C．children no longer imitate people after they begin to speak |
| D．children who are good at imitating learn new words more quickly |
Can people change their skin color without suffering like pop king Michael Jackson? Perhaps yes. Scientists have found the gene that determines skin color.
The gene comes in two versions, one of which is found in 99 per cent of Europeans. The other is found in 93 to 100 per cent of Africans, researchers at Pennsylvania State University report in the latest issue of Science.
Scientists have changed the color of a dark-striped zebrafish（斑马鱼） to uniform gold by inserting a version of the pigment (色素) gene into a young fish. As with humans, zebrafish skin color is determined by pigment cells, which contain melanin (黑色素). The number, size and darkness of melanin per pigment cell determine skin color.
It appears that, like the golden zebrafish, light-skinned Europeans also have a mutation (变异) in the gene for melanin production. This results in less pigmented skin.
However, Keith Cheng, leader of the research team, points out that the mutation is different in human and zebrafish genes.
Humans acquired dark skin in Africa about 1.5 million years ago to protect bodies from ultra-violet rays of the sun (太阳光紫外线), which can cause skin cancer.
But when modern humans leave Africa to live in northern latitudes, they need more sunlight on their skin to produce vitamin D. So the related gene changes, according to Cheng.
Asians have the same version of the gene as Africans, so they probably acquired their light skin through the action of some other gene that affects skin color, said Cheng.
The new discovery could lead to medical treatments for skin cancer. It also could lead to research into ways to change skin color without damaging it like chemical treatment did on Michael Jackson.The passage mainly tells us that ________.
| A．people can not change their skin color without any pain |
| B．the new discovery could lead to research into ways to change skin color safely |
| C．pop king Michael Jackson often changed his skin color as he liked |
| D．scientists have found out that people’s skin color is determined by the gene |
It can be inferred from the passage that ________.
| A．nowadays people who want to change their skin color have to suffer a lot from the damage caused by the chemical treatment |
| B．Europeans and Africans have the same gene |
| C．the new discovery could help to find medical treatments for skin cancer |
| D．there are two kinds of genes |
Scientists have done an experiment on a dark-striped zebrafish in order to ________.
| A．find the different genes of humans’ |
| B．prove the humans’ skin color is determined by the pigment gene |
| C．find out the reason why the Africans’ skin color is dark |
| D．find out the ways of changing people’s skin color |
The reason why Europeans are light-skinned is probably that _____
| A．they are born light-skinned people |
| B．light-skinned Europeans have mutation in the gene for melanin production |
| C．they have fewer activities outside |
| D．they pay much attention to protecting their skin |
The writer’s attitude towards the discovery is ________.
| A．neutral | B．negative | C．positive | D．unconcerned |
There has been a dramatic increase in the number of natural disasters over the past few years, and it is assumed that global warming and climate change could cause even more disasters in the future. Some of the world’s leading cities are facing disasters like floods and heat waves.
London
London’s flood defences are getting older. Since 1982, the Thames Barrier(水闸)has protected the city from the threat of flooding, but it was only designed to last until 2030 and close once every two or three years. About 26 years later the barrier now closes five or six times a year and according to Environment Agency predictions, by 2050 the barrier will be closed on almost every tide if the problem is not addressed.
There are 26 underground stations, 400 schools, 16 hospitals, an airport and 80 billion worth of property in London’s flood risk area, so large scale flooding would be disastrous.
Paris
Over a six week period in July and August 2003, more than 1 1,400—mainly elderly people—died in France from dehydration(脱水)and extremely high body temperature in a deadly heat wave. Heat waves of similar intensity(强度)are expected every seven years by 2050, so what can be done to make sure such a disaster does not happen again?
One solution is to have air-conditioners installed in elderly care homes. But this is considered a short-term solution, as the increase in demand for electricity also increases carbon emissions(排放).
In Paris the local authorities are encouraging architects to design new types of buildings such as the building “Flower Tower,” which uses a covering of bamboo to act as a natural air-conditioner.
Shanghai
Shanghai is the fastest growing city on Earth. It has a population of 18 million and is only 4 meters above sea level. Sea levels are predicted to rise by 20 cm within the next century.
An estimated 250，000 people move to Shanghai every year in search of work, placing extra demands on energy consumption. China relies heavily on coal—fired power stations, but these emissions increase temperatures and, in turn, warmer seas increase the risk of typhoons.What problem should be settled now in London?
| A．How to protect the city’s property |
| B．Where to build its flood defences |
| C．How to use the Thames Barrier to protect the city |
| D．How to improve the function of the old flood defences |
Which of the following measures can’t solve the heat wave disaster in Paris?
| A．Putting up new types of buildings with a covering of bamboo |
| B．Having air-conditioners installed in elderly care homes |
| C．Forbidding the city to build“Flower Tower” |
| D．Encouraging architects to design new types of buildings |
The major threats to Shanghai are ．
| A．increasing population and coal-fired power stations |
| B．rising sea levels and typhoons |
| C．extremely high temperature and rising sea levels |
| D．extra demands on energy consumption and typhoons |
The purpose of the passage is ．
| A．to tell us how to protect the big cities |
| B．to give advice on how to defend natural disasters |
| C．to explain what causes flood and heat waves |
| D．to warn us of the increasing natural disasters in big cities |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Big Cities Facing Big Disasters |
| B．Big Disasters in the Future |
| C．The Increase of Natural Disasters |
| D．Solutions to Natural Disasters |
Mark and his brother Jason both were looking at the shining new computer enviously. Jason was determined not to go against their father’s wishes but Mark was more adventurous than his brother. He loves experimenting and his aim was to become a scientist like his father.
“Dad will be really mad if he finds out you’ve been playing with his new computer” Jason said, “He told us not to touch it.”
“He won’t find out,” Mark said, “I’ll just have a quick look and shut it down.”
Mark had been scolded before for touching his father’s equipment. But his curiosity was difficult to control and this new computer really puzzled him.
It was a strange-looking machine — one his dad had brought home from the laboratory where he worked. “It’s an experimental model,” his father had explained, so don’t touch it under any circumstances.” But his father’s warning only served to make Mark more curious. Without any further thought, Mark turned on the power switch. The computer burst into life and seconds later, the screen turned into colours, shifting and changing, and then two big white words appeared in the centre of the screen: “SPACE TRANSPORTER.”
“Yes!” Mark cried excitedly, “It’s a computer game. I knew it! Dad’s only been pretending to work. He’s really been playing games instead!” A new message appeared on the screen:
“ENTER NAMES
VOYAGE １
VOYAGE ２
Mark’s finger flew across the keyboard as he typed in both of their names.
“INPUT ACCEPTED.
START TRANSPORT PROGRAM.
AUTO-RETRIEVE INITIATED(自动回收程序已启动).”
The screen turn even brighter and a noise suddenly rose in volume.
“I think we’d better shut it off, Mark,” Jason yelled out in terror, reaching for the power switch. A beam(光束) of dazzling white light burst out of the computer screen, wrapping the boys in its glow(光芒)，until they themselves seemed to be glowing. Then it died down just as suddenly as it had burst into life. And the boys were no longer there. On the screen, the letters changed：
“TRANSPORT SUCCESSFUL．
DESTINATION: MARS.
RETRIEVE DATE: 2025Why did Mark touch the computer against his father’s warning?
| A．He wanted to take a voyage. |
| B．He wanted to practice his skills. |
| C．He was so much attracted by it. |
| D．He was eager to do an experiment. |
Where did the boy’s father most likely work?
| A．In an electronic factory |
| B．In a computer company |
| C．In a scientific research center. |
| D．In an information processing center. |
Mark thought “SPACE TRANSPORTER” on the screen was the name of ________.
| A．a computer game | B．a company website |
| C．a software producer | D．an astronomy program |
Why did Jason want to shut off the computer?
| A．He was afraid of being scolded. |
| B．He didn’t like the loud noise and light. |
| C．He didn’t want to play games. |
| D．He was afraid something dangerous might happen. |
What happened to the boys at the end of the story?
| A．They were blown into the air. |
| B．They were sent to another planet. |
| C．They were hidden in the strong light. |
| D．They were carried away to another country. |
Australian scientists are trying to give kangaroo-style stomachs to cattle and sheep in order to cut he greenhouse gases they send out, which are thought to be responsible for global warming.
Thanks to special bacteria in their stomachs, kangaroo flatulence(肠胃气胀)contains no methane(甲烷)and scientists want to transfer that bacteria to cattle and sheep who produce large quantities of the harmful gas.
While the usual image of greenhouse gas pollution is a billowing smokestack (烟囱) pushing out carbon dioxide, farm animals’ passing wind contribute a surprisingly high percentage of total emissions (排放物)in some countries.
“Fourteen percent of emissions from all sources in Australia are from enteric methane from cattle and sheep,” said Athol Kleve, a senior research scientist with the Queensland state government.
“And if you look at another country such as New Zealand, which has got a much higher agricultural base, they're actually up around 50 percent, ” he said.
Researchers say the bacteria also make the digestive process much more efficient and could potentially save millions of dollars in feed costs for farmers.
But it will take researchers at least three years to isolate (分离) the bacteria, before they can even start to develop a way of transferring it to cattle and sheep.
Another group of scientists, meanwhile, has suggested Australians should farm fewer cattle and sheep and just eat more kangaroos.
The idea is controversial (有争议的), but about 20 percent of health-conscious Australians are believed to eat the national symbol already.
“It's low in fat, it’s got high protein levels and it's very clean in the sense that basically it's the free-range (放养的) animal,” said Peter Amp of the University of New South Wales's institute of environmental studies.Scientists intend to put bacteria into cattle and sheep _________.
| A．so that they can make full use of special bacteria |
| B．to help Australian farmers to earn more money |
| C．so that they can protect Australian ecosystem |
| D．to prevent them from sending out harmful gases |
Athol Kleve seems to believe that ________.
| A．cattle and sheep produce more carbon dioxide |
| B．less cattle and sheep are raised in New Zealand |
| C．farm animals are responsible for greenhouse gases |
| D．New Zealand has the most animals in the world |
What do the underlined words “the idea” in paragraph 9 refer to?
| A．Australians should farm fewer cattle and sheep and just eat more kangaroos. |
| B．The bacteria could make the digestive process much more efficient. |
| C．Australians should give kangaroo - style stomachs to cattle and sheep. |
| D．The bacteria could save millions of dollars in feed costs for farmers. |
Which of the statements is the advantage Peter Amp lists about kangaroo?
| A．it is rich in protein | B．it is cheaper than beef |
| C．it is high in fat | D．it is more delicious than sheep |
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