Taking a picture of your tongue with a mobile phone could soon instantly tell you how healthy you are.
Researchers believe the images could reveal important information about a patient’s health—and even give them early warning of serious illness. A team at the University of Missouri is developing a system that can analyze pictures using a 5,000-year-old Chinese principle. It is based on the flow and balance of positive and negative energies in the body, and uses the tongue as a key to the physical health, or “zheng”, of a person. “Within a year, our ultimate goal is to create an application for smartphones that will allow anyone to take a photo of their tongue and learn the status of their zheng.”
The software analyses images based on the tongue’s color and coating to distinguish between tongues showing signs of ‘hot’ or ‘cold’ zheng. Shades of red and yellow are associated with hot zheng, whereas a white coating on the tongue is a sign of cold zheng. “Hot and cold zheng doesn’t refer directly to body temperature,” said Xu, “Rather, it refers to a series of symptoms associated with the state of the body as a whole.”
For the study, 263 gastritis(胃炎) patients and 48 healthy volunteers had their tongues analyzed. The gastritis patients were classified by whether they showed infection by a certain bacteria, known as Helicobacter pylori(幽门螺旋杆菌), as well as the intensity of their gastritis symptoms. In addition, most of the gastritis patients had been previously classified with either hot or cold zheng.
This allowed the researchers to prove the accuracy of the software’s analysis.
“Our software was able to classify people based on their zheng status,” said study co-author Ye Duan, associate professor of computer science at MU.
“As we continue to work on the software we hope to improve its ability,” Duan said. “Eventually everyone will be able to use this tool at home using webcams or smartphone applications”.
“That will allow them to monitor their zheng and get an early warning about possible ailments.”According to Chinese medicine, zheng refers to__________.
| A．the color and coating of one’s tongue |
| B．one’s body temperature |
| C．the physical health of a person |
| D．the possible illness of a person |
The study led by Dong Xu proves__________.
| A．the greatness of Chinese medicine |
| B．the effects of the software |
| C．the software’s great prospect |
| D．the advancement of smart phones |
The underlined word “ailments” can be replaced by__________.
| A．analysis | B．illnesses |
| C．effects | D．applications |
It can be inferred from the passage that__________.
| A．the software still needs improvement |
| B．the software has been in market for a year |
| C．the subjects in the study are all gastritis patients |
| D．the subjects in the study are classified by age |
Sometime early in the next century, human beings will move to Mars. They will live there for about a year, and then will be replaced with another group of pioneers. Building the base on Mars will advance our knowledge of the solar system and aid in our understanding of the earth.
We already know that Mars resembles the earth in many aspects: general size, presence of water, length of day, range of temperatures. These resemblances have caused many people to consider a centuries-long project: to terraform Mars. Terraforming means altering a planet’s surface so that Earth’s life forms can survive there. This concept, previously found only in science fiction is now being seriously considered by scientists.
Terraforming Mars is theoretically simple: add nitrogen and oxygen to the atmosphere; pump water to the surface; and add the earth’s plants and animals in the order in which they developed on Earth. But it will take at least 300 years.
Some people think that such a project is too huge for humans to undertake, but there are very good reasons to make the attempt. The earth now contains some 6 billion people, and no one has any idea of how many humans the earth can support. Our very existence and numbers are threatening many other species. We also have had some experience with terraforming our own planet: altering the landscape, the atmosphere and the climate. Currently terraforming earth has become a wiser activity as we try to control global warming, air and water pollution, and preserve some natural living places.
While the possibility of such a project is small, it is not impossible .Even if earth –bound societies come and go in the next 300 years, the project can continue through the work of the Mars settlers without the need for constant backing from the earth.
The future existence of all the people in our world may very well depend upon our ability to terraform Mars.What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．Terraforming Mars. | B．Saving the Earth |
| C．Travelling to Mars. | D．A Newly-found Place |
What does the underlined word “altering” mean in the second paragraph?
| A．Warming. | B．Changing. | C．Planting. | D．Building |
According to the passage the main purpose of terraforming Mars is to ________.
| A．do some scientific research work |
| B．find out its similarity to earth |
| C．avoid the dying away of many other species |
| D．find on Mars living place for the increasing human beings |
The main reason for causing many people to consider terraforming Mars is that _______.
| A．there are some resemblances between Earth and Mars. |
| B．terraforming Mars is theoretically simple |
| C．we have had some experience with terraforming our own planet: Earth |
| D．the development of science and technology is very rapid |
What’s the author’s attitude towards the project?
| A．Optimistic. | B．Negative |
| C．Sceptical（怀疑的） | D．Objective. |
Education has an important effect on the mind or physical ability of an individual. It is the process by which society passes its accumulated knowledge, skills, and values from one generation to another.
Various non-traditional education options are now available and continue to flourish（繁荣）. One of the most important uses in education is the use of technology. Teachers are encouraged to use new technological devices in order to strengthen learning among students and meet the needs of various types of learners.
The right to education has been created and recognized by jurisdiction（司法）. Education is the most important concern of the government of India. Recently India has gained world recognition because many students from foreign countries come here to gain higher qualifications.
One has to be educated in order to speed up the growth process in order to influence the economy. Education is indeed a powerful weapon to stop the cut- throat competition that man faces at every period of life. The importance of education in India is progressing with time. Although India has been a great foundation of learning for many years, it still needs to improve not just on the quality of education but also on the number of people being educated.
Education is not just for academic success but also to make a person become a better human being and a better performer in life. Education makes the students able enough, so that they can compete nationally and internationally. To make a student a successful survivor in life, the responsibility lies equally with the schools and the parents too. Selecting a good school is as important as choosing a suitable career option for a child. The goal of education is the advancement of knowledge and the dissemination of truth, it is education that gives us all the power and necessities of making a difference in any field.
People who are not educated have few opportunities to do what they want to do. Educated people become more responsible and informed citizens, and have a voice in politics and society. It allows people to be more productive by encouraging them to play responsible roles in terms of contributing to society.Nowadays teachers are encouraged to ______.
| A．study modern science and technology |
| B．pass all knowledge to their students |
| C．use non-traditional devices in class |
| D．meet the needs of intelligent student first |
The author uses the example of Indian education to show that____.
| A．Indian education is among the best in the world now |
| B．Indian is becoming more and more powerful now |
| C．the right to education should be valued all over the world |
| D．a lot of students in India are from other countries |
The underlined word “dissemination” in Paragraph 5 probably means “______”.
| A．spread | B．ignorance | C．argument | D．question |
What do we know about education from the passage?
| A．It has nothing to do with society |
| B．It helps people to achieve what they want |
| C．It has little effect on people’s physical ability |
| D．It makes a poor man become rich |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．The importance of education | B．The responsibility of education |
| C．The development of education | D．The purpose of education |
You are given many opportunities in life to choose to be a victim or a creator. When you choose to be a victim, the world is a cold and difficult place. “They” did things to you which caused all of your pain and suffering. “They” are wrong and bad, and life is terrible as long as “they” are around. Or you may blame yourself for all your problems, thus internalizing(内化) your victimization. The truth is, your life is likely to stay that way as long as you feel a need to blame yourself or others.
Those who choose to be creators look at life quite differently. They know there are individuals who might like to control their lives, but they don’t let this get in the way. They know they have their weaknesses, yet they don’t blame themselves when they fail. Whatever happens, they have choice in the matter. They believe their dance with each sacred(神圣的) moment of life is a gift and that storms are a natural part of life which can bring the rain needed for emotional and spiritual growth.
Victims and creators live in the same physical world and deal with many of the same physical realities, yet their experience of life is worlds apart. Victims relish (沉溺) in anger, guilt, and other emotions that cause others—and even themselves—to feel like victims, too. Creators consciously choose love, inspiration, and other qualities which inspire not only themselves, but all around them. Both victims and creators always have choice to determine the direction of their lives.
In reality, all of us play the victim or the creator at various points in our lives. One person, on losing a job or a special relationship, may feel as if it is the end of the world and sink into terrible suffering for months, years, or even a lifetime. Another with the same experience may choose to first experience the grief, then accept the loss and soon move on to be a powerful creative force in his life. In every moment and every circumstance, you can choose to have a fuller, richer life by setting a clear intention to transform the victim within, and by inviting into your life the powerful creator that you are. What does the word “they” in Paragraph 1 probably refer to?
| A．People and things around you. |
| B．Opportunities and problems. |
| C．Creators and their choices. |
| D．Victims and their sufferings. |
According to Paragraph 2, creators __________.
| A．seem willing to experience failures in life |
| B．possess the ability to predict future life |
| C．handle ups and downs of life wisely |
| D．have potential to create something new |
What can we learn from Paragraph 3?
| A．Creators and victims face quite different things in life. |
| B．Creators and victims are masters of their lives. |
| C．Victims can influence more people than creators. |
| D．Compared with victims, creators are more emotional. |
The examples mentioned in Paragraph 4 show that __________.
| A．strong attachment to (沉浸在）sufferings in life pulls people into victims |
| B．people need family support to deal with challengers in life |
| C．it takes creators quite a long time to get rid of their pains |
| D．one’s experiences determine his attitude toward life |
What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?
| A．To define victims and creators. |
| B．To evaluate victims against creators. |
| C．To explain the relationship between victims and creators. |
| D．To suggest the transformation from victims to creators. |
The writer Margaret Mitchell is best known for writing Gone with the Wind, first published in 1936. Her book and the movie based on it, tell a story of love and survival during the American Civil War. Visitors to the Margaret Mitchell House in Atlanta, Georgia, can go where she lived when she started composing the story and learn more about her life.
Our first stop at the Margaret Mitchell House is an exhibit area telling about the writer’s life. She was born in Atlanta in 1900. She started writing stories when she was a child. She started working as a reporter for the Atlanta Journal newspaper in 1922. One photograph of Ms. Mitchell, called Peggy, shows her talking to a group of young college boys. She was only about one and a half meters tall. The young men tower over her, but she seems very happy and sure of herself. The tour guide explains: “Now in this picture Peggy is interviewing some boys from Georgia Tech, asking them such questions as ‘Would you really marry a woman who works?’ And today it’d be ‘Would you marry one who doesn’t?’ ”
The Margaret Mitchell House is a building that once contained several apartments. Now we enter the first floor apartment where Ms. Mitchell lived with her husband, John Marsh. They made fun of the small apartment by calling it “The Dump ” .
Around 1926, Margaret Mitchell had stopped working as a reporter and was at home healing after an injury. Her husband brought her books to read from the library. She read so many books that he bought her a typewriter and said it was time for her to write her own book. Our guide says Gone with the Wind became a huge success. Margaret Mitchell received the Pulitzer Prize for the book. In 1939 the film version was released. It won ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture.The book Gone with the Wind was _________.
| A．first published on a newspaper | B．awarded ten Academy Awards |
| C．written in “The Dump” | D．adapted from a movie |
The underlined phrase “tower over” in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to_________.
| A．be very pleased with | B．show great respect for |
| C．be much taller than | D．show little interest in |
Why did Ms. Mitchell stop working as a reporter according to the passage?
| A．Because she was rich enough. |
| B．Because she was injured then. |
| C．Because her husband didn’t like it. |
| D．Because she wanted to write books. |
We can know about Margaret Mitchell from the passage that _________.
| A．her height made her marriage unhappy |
| B．her interest in writing continued as an adult |
| C．writing stopped her working as a reporter |
| D．her life was full of hardship and sadness |
Which is the best title for the passage?
| A．A Trip to Know Margaret Mitchell. |
| B．Gone with the Wind: A Huge Success. |
| C．An Introduction of the Margaret Mitchell House. |
| D．Margaret Mitchell: A Great Female Writer. |
Producing money requires both artistic and technological skills． Dollar bills are made so that they are interesting to look at but very hard to copy． In total, there are sixty-five separate steps required to make a dollar bill．
The money making process begins when． a yearly order is sent by the Federal Reserve Board． That order will then be divided in half． Half will be done here in Washington, D． C．and the other half will be done in Fort Worth, Texas． Next, the Bureau orders special paper which is actually cloth since it is 75% cotton and 25% linen．
This paper is made so that it can last a long time． And, it is made with details that make it hard to copy． For example, bills contain security threads． These narrow pieces of plastic are inside the paper and run along the width of the bill． This special paper is also made with very small blue and red fibers．
Once the money is printed, guillotine cutters separate the sheets into two notes, then into individual notes． The notes are organized in "bricks," each of which contains forty one-hundred-note packages． The bricks then go to one of twelve Federal Reserve Districts, which then give the money to local banks． Ninety-five percent of the bills printed each year are used to replace money that is in circulation, or that has already been removed from circulation．
You may know that America's first president, George Washington, is pictured on the one- dollar bill． But do you know whose face is on the two, five, ten, twenty, fifty and one hundred-dollar bills? They are, in order． President Thomas Jefferson, President Abraham Lincoln, Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, President Andrew Jackson, President Ulysses Grant and statesman Benjamin Franklin．
The average life span of a one-dollar bill is twenty-one months． But a ten-dollar bill lasts only about eighteen months． The one hundred-dollar bill lasts the longest, eighty-nine months． One popular question is about the two-dollar bill． This bill is not printed very often． This is because many Americans believe two-dollar bills are lucky, so they keep them． During money production, we must consider all EXCEPT that it must .
| A．last a long time |
| B．be hard to copy |
| C．be interesting to look at |
| D．be done by the president's order |
We can learn from the passage that the security threads .
| A．are narrow pieces of plastic |
| B．are pressed outside the bills |
| C．are longer than the width of the bills |
| D．are actually made of cotton and linen |
How many presidents are printed on the American money?
| A．Four | B．Five | C．Six | D．Seven |
Why are the two-dollar bills not made often?
| A．Because no one wants them． |
| B．Because their material is a bit more expensive． |
| C．Because they aren't used in America any more． |
| D．Because they aren't damaged quickly like other bills． |
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