Harvard researchers have created a tough, low-cost, biodegradable (可生物降解的) material inspired by insects' hard outer shells. The material's inventors say it has a number of possible uses and someday could provide a more environmentally friendly alternative to plastic. The material, made from shrimp ('虾) shells and proteins produced from silk, is called "shrilk." It is thin, clear, flexible and strong.
A major benefit of the material is its biodegradability. Plastic's toughness and flexibility represented a revolution in materials science during the 1950s and '60s. Decades later, however, plastic's very durability (耐用性) is raising questions about how appropriate it is for one-time products such as plastic bags, or short-lived consumer goods, used in the home for a few years and then cast into a landfill where they will degrade for centuries. What is the point of making something that lasts 1,000 years?
Shrilk not only will degrade in a landfill, but its basic components are used as fertilizer(肥料), and so will enrich the soil.
Shrilk has great potential, the inventors said. Materials from which it is made are plentiful in nature, found in everything ranging from shrimp shells, insect bodies to living plants. That makes shrilk low cost, and its mass production possible should it be used for products demanding a lot of material.
Work on shrilk is continuing in the lab. The inventors said the material becomes flexible when wet, so they're exploring ways to use it in wet environments. They're also developing simpler production processes, which could be used for non-medical products, like for computer cases and other products inside the home. They're even exploring combining it with other materials, like carbon fibers, to give it new properties.Paragraph I of the passage is mainly about shritk's_____.
| A．remarkable design |
| B．interesting name |
| C．major features |
| D．basic elements |
What has become a concern about plastic?
| A．Using it properly. |
| B．Producing it cheaply. |
| C．Developing its properties quickly. |
| D．Evaluating its contributions fairly. |
What are the inventors doing in the lab?
| A．Replacing carbon fibers with shrilk. |
| B．Testing ahrilk's use in wet conditions. |
| C．Making shrilk out of used household goods. |
| D．Improving shrilk's flexibility for medical purposes. |
Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
| A．Recent Progress in Environmental Protection |
| B．Benefits of Insects in Scientific Research |
| C．The Harm of One-time Products |
| D．A Possible Alternative to Plastic |
D
The Harvard Student-led Walking Tour
Let a student show you Harvard …on a free walking tour.
We welcome our neighbors to stop by the Harvard University Even & Information Centre, located in the Holyoke Centre Arcade at 1350 Massachusetts Avenue in the heart of Harvard Square in Cambridge.
Let a student take you and your family, school, or organization on an engaging, hour-long free historical tour of the Harvard Campus. The tours leaves form be Events & Information Centre. Not only will you discover the location of fascinating exhibition and programmers on campus, you will also see Harvard’s rich sampling of American history and architecture from the Colonial period to the present. Schedule of Tours.
Schedule of Tours
Tours leave the Events & Information Centre at 10 a. m. and 2 p. m. Monday through Friday, and at 2 p. m. on Saturday through the academic year(February 4 through May 2; September 23 through December 16). Summer tours (June 24 through August 15) are offered at 10 a.m. , 11:15 a.m., 2p.m., and 3:15 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Reser-vacations for special tours of 20 or more people may be made b calling the Events & Information Centre at (617) 495-1583 or emailing icenter@ camail. harvard, edu. Tours are suspended March 23 trough April 2 for Spring Break, May 3 through June 23 for Spring intercession（祷告）,and August 16 through September 22 for Summer intercession.
NOTE: Prospective（未来的）students may take tours originating at the Harvard Admission Office, located at Byerly Hall on 8 Garden Street in Cambridge. Form April through August, the Admissions staff conducts an information session at 10 a. m. , followed by an 11 a. m. tour. Monday through Friday. On Saturdays, there is no information session but the 11 a. m. tour is still scheduled. Another session is held year-round at 2p. m. with a 3 p.m. tour following. For more information on tours for prospective students, please call at (617)495-1551.
Harvard University Events & Information Centre.
Location: Holyoke Centre Arcade. 1350 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge MA 02138
Phone: (617) 495-1537
53．A person can join in a tour at________on Saturday through the academic year.
A．10 a. m. B．2 p. m. C．11:15 a. m. D．3:15 p. m.
54．If you want to go for an information session, you can go on__________.
A．May 2 B．June 23 C．August 20 D．September1
55．A student who wants an information session may___________for more information.
A．call (617) 495-1573 B．call(617) 495-1551
C．email iceter@ camail. Harvard, edu D．go to the Events & Information Centre
56．The above ad. is mainly intended for________ .
A．foreign visitors B．freshmen
C．high school students D．those living near Harvard University
C
Depression （抑郁症）is a serious problem today. Depression causes workers to be unproductive, causing companies and countries to lose billion of dollars. One expert says that depression is like cancer because it is “widespread, costly and deadly”. Depression hits one person in five around the world.
Although people have believed depression to be a problem among the rich and educated, studies show that depression is a problem among everyone. Over any six-mouth period, between five to seven percent of the world’s population will be suffering from a serious depression.
Suicide （自杀）rates among people suffering from the disease in its extreme, or clinical form were 80 percent higher that in the population at large, and suffers were four times more likely to have heart attacks. People who suffer fr
om depression often have problems sleeping, getting up on time, and doing work productively.
Depression, which researchers agree has its origin in the genes（基因）, brings loss of of confidence and ability to concentrate-making it possible for employees and managers to work efficiently.
Depression is made more serious in China by Chinese’s by Chinese inability to face it. Many people believe that depressed people are either weak or lazy. Besides, there is no good treatment, with few specialists available.
“Most patients in China just don’t get help,” a Chinese doctor says. “In my hospital, I have to see 30 or 40 patients in a morning, and just have time to say ‘Hello, how do you feel?’”
In Western countries, people are not afraid to admit that they have depression, but most do not tell it to their boss, because they fear that their boss would fire them.
“In my experience, aging bosses are the most tilling to admit they have it, because they feel the most secure about themselves,” an American doctor says.
Hopefully, in the near future, people around the world will be able to admit that they have depression so that they can get the right treatment.
49．Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A．It is widely believed that everyone may suffer from depression.
B．Depression brings great problems to its suffers in their life and work.
C．Depression is a commonly-existing problem only in rich countries.
D．The poorer and the less educated a person is, the less he will suffer from depression.
50．Compared to normal people, depressed people are likely to be__________.
A．very unconfident and often absent-minded
B．easy to avoid being hit by heart attacks
C．working efficiently and productively
D．either weak or lazy
51．Depression becomes more serious in China because of _________.
A．the understanding of the problem B．the lack for treatment and doctors
C．their unwillingness to tell it to their boss D．the doctors’ careless work
52．What can we infer from the passage?
A．People are suffering from depression because of the shortage of specialists.
B．The aging bosses around the world dare to say they are depressed.
C．More and more patients will turn to specialists for help.
D．Western people are braver than Chinese people.
B
The trend in everyday conversation is to use grandiose（夸大的）words. “Outstanding” is new “good,” “amazing” is the new “OK”, and “huge” is the new “big.”
I was in a restaurant in Washington D.C. last weekend and every question I asked was answered with exaggeration.
Me: How is the salmon?
Sever: Fantastic!
Me: Does it come with rice?
Sever: Absolutely!
Would a “good” and a “yes” have been enough? Of course!
My father is an average-sized man. He hasn’t gained weight or height for the past 30 years. Therefore, his size remains the same. However, in the same amount of time, his T-shirt size has gone from small to medium to large to extra large.
The reason for the exaggerated word is clear: we are bored with our lives. We want the next –next thing now. Immediately!
And we also want others to think that we still care, that we can still be delighted, that we know that everything is just great. Even when deep inside we know it can’t be. Everything can’t be great.
I’m not a scientist, so many methods of proof leave little to be desired, or a lot to be desired, or an immensity（无限）.
Listen to the voices around you. Listen to your own voices. There is nothing on the radio that is good or bad , weather is either beautiful or horrible.
Listen, the next time when someone asks you something and you agree, because when you could simply say “yes”, instead you will say “absolutely ” or “without doubt” or “Oh, yeah, unquestionably—absolutely without doubt.”
Have people forgotten what it is like to be OK? Simply OK with what they have and who they are? If everything is outstanding, if everything is the most amazing thing ever, is anything ever amazing at all?
45．By telling his experience in the restaurant, the author intends to_______.
A．show his interest in exaggerated words
B．prove that exaggerated words are widely used
C．blame the restaurant for using exaggerated words
D．tell us the food in the restaurant is extremely good
46．What do we know about the author’s father?
A．He has gained height and is now a tall man.
B．He likes following the fashin in clothing.
C．His weight is getting greater and greater.
D．The size of his T-shirt is described in exaggerated words.
47．So many people like using exaggerated words because________.
A．they are not satisfied with being normal
B．they don’t want to be looked down upon by others
C．they want to be different from others
D．they are brave in telling their true feelings
48．According to the passage, if you approve of something, you’d better say “ ______ ”.
A．fantastic B．perfect C．OK D．Absolutely
第二部分：阅读理解（共25小题；第一节每小题2分，第二节每小题1分；满分45分）
第一节 阅读下列短文，从每题后的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
A
Many children first learn the value of money by receiving an allowance(pocket money). The purpose is to let children learn from experiences at an age when finacial mistakes are not very costly.
The amount of money that parents give to their children to spend as they wish differs from family to family. Timing is another consideration. Some children get a weekly allowance. Others get a monthly allowance.
In any case, parents should make clear what, if anything, the child is expected to pay for with the money. At first, young children may spend all of their allowance soon after they receive it. If they do this, they will learn the hard way that spending must be done within a budget. Parents are usually advised not to offer more money until the next allowance.
The object is to show young people that a budget demands choices between spending and saving. Older children may be responsible enough to save money for larger costs, like clothing or electronics. Many people who have written on the subject of allowances say it is not a good idea to pay your child for work around the home. These jobs are a normal part of family life.
Paying children to do extra work around the house, however, can be useful. It can even provide an understanding of how a business works.
Allowances give children a chance to experience the three things they can do with money. They can share it in the form of gifts or giving to a good cause. They can spend it by buying things they want. Or they can save it.
Saving helps children understand that costly goals require sacrifice: you have to cut costs and plan for the future. Requiring children to save part of their allowance can also open the door to future saving and investing. Many banks offer services to help children and teenagers learn about personal finance.
A savings account is an excellent way to learn about the power of compound interest.
Compounding works by paying interest on interest. So, for example, one dollar invested at two percent interest for two years will earn two cents in the first year. The second year, the money will earn two percent of one dollar and two cents, and so on. That may not seem like a lot. But over time it adds up.
41．Giving an allowance, parents should consider all the following EXCEPT_______
A．how much the child should get each time
B．whether the child has made a budget
C．where the money really goes.
D．how often a child can get it
42．The author of the passage holds the opinion that__________
A．what children learn by handling allowances may be beneficial in the future
B．children can learn to set up their own business with their allowances
C．keeping allowances in the bank is the best choice for children
D．it is not a good idea to pay children for housework at home
43．The underlined words “compound interest” in the passage probably mean_______.
A．increasing curiosity to learn how to make more money
B．stronger power to hold one’s attention to saving money
C．money paid by the bank on your original money and the gain from it
D．the sum of money that you earn from keeping your money in the bank
44．What is the best title for the passage?
A．Be Generous to Pay Your Children.
B．Be Wise to Avoid Financial Mistakes.
C．Saving Allowances Does Good to Children.
D．Allowances Help Children Learn about Money.
Scientists have devised（发明） a way to determine roughly where a person has lived using a strand of hair, a technique that could help track the movements of criminal suspects or unidentified murder victims.
The method relies on measuring how chemical variations in drinking water show up in people’s hair.
“You’re what you eat and drink, and that’s recorded in your hair,” said Thure Cerling, a geologist at the University of Utah.
While U.S. diet is relatively identical（同一的）, water supplies vary. The differences result from weather patterns. The chemical composition of rainfall changes slightly as rain clouds move.
Most hydrogen and oxygen atoms in water are stable, but traces of both elements are also
present as heavier isotopes. The heaviest rain falls first. As a result, storms that form over
the Pacific deliver heavier water to California than to Utah.
Similar patterns exist throughout the U.S. By measuring the proportion of heavier hydrogen and oxygen isotopes（同位素） along a strand of hair, scientists can construct a geographic timeline. Each inch of hair corresponds（相当） to about two months.
Cerling’s team collected tap water samples from 600 cities and constructed a map of the regional differences. They checked the accuracy of the map by testing 200 hair samples collected from 65 barber shops.
They were able to accurately place the hair samples in broad regions roughly corresponding to the movement of rain systems.
“It’s not good for pinpointing（精确）,” Cerling said. “It’s good for eliminating many possibilities.”
Told Park, a local detective, said the method has helped him learn more about an unidentified woman whose skeleton was found near Great Salt Lake.
The woman was 5 feet tall. Police recovered 26 bones, a T-shirt and several strands of hair.
When Park heard about the research, he gave the hair samples to the researchers. Chemical testing showed that over the two years before her death, she moved about every two months.
She stayed in the Northwest, although the test could not be more specific than somewhere between eastern Oregon and western Wyoming.
“It’s still a substantial area,” Park said, “But it narrows it way down for me”.
72. What is the scientists’ new discovery?
A. One’s hair growth has to do with the amount of water they drink.
B. A person’s hair may reveal where they have lived.
C. Hair analysis accurately identifies criminal suspects.
D. The chemical composition of hair varies from person to person.
73. What does the author mean by “You’re what you eat and drink” (Line 1, Para.3)?
A. Food and drink affect one’s personality development.
B. Food and drink preferences vary with individuals.
C. Food and drink leave traces in one’s body tissues（组织）.
D. Food and drink are similar to one’s existence.
74. What did Cerling’s team produce in their research?
A. A map showing the regional differences of tap water.
B. A collection of hair samples from various barber shops.
C. A method to measure the amount of water in human hair.
D. A chart illustrating the movement of the rain system.
75. What is the practical value of Cerling’s research?
A. It helps analyze the quality of water in different regions.
B. It helps the police determine where a crime is committed.
C. It helps the police narrow down possibilities in detective work.
D. It helps identify the drinking habits of the person under investigation.
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