Scientists have discovered a special biological behavior in dolphins（海豚） that could lead to a treatment for late-onset diabetes（晚发的糖尿病） in humans. Studies on dolphins found that healthy dolphins switch into a diabetic-like state overnight when they are not feeding, but return to normal when they eat the following morning.
The extraordinary finding has led scientists to suggest that dolphins have “genetic switch” that allows them to imitate diabetes while they are not feeding for a night, without suffering any ill effect.
If researchers can identify a similar genetic pathway in human, they may be able to develop drugs to effectively switch off diabetes. Some 2.2 million people in Britain have type 2 (or late-onset) diabetes, a figure that is expected to reach 4 million by 2025 as a consequence of rising levels of obesity（肥胖）.
The tissues of people with type 2 diabetes have become resistant to insulin（胰岛素） so they lose the ability to control sugar levels in their blood. The condition can damage the heart, eyes, kidneys（肾脏） and nerves and contribute to 5% of all deaths, according to the World Healthy Organization.
Dolphins appear to imitate diabetes to keep high levels of blood sugar when food is rare. Like humans, dolphins need some sugar in their blood for their brains to function normally. Venn-Watson’s team analyzed 1,000 blood samples（样本） from 52 dolphins while they didn’t eat anything overnight and fed in the morning. At night time, the dolphins’ metabolism（新陈代谢）changed greatly and showed similar characteristics to that seen in people with type 2 diabetes.
“It is our hope that this discovery can lead to new ways to prevent, treat and maybe even cure diabetes in humans,” said Stephanie Venn-Watson, director of clinical research at the National Marine Foundation in San Diego.What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．Humans get some idea of treating diabetes from dolphins. |
| B．Dolphins can switch into a diabetic-like state overnight. |
| C．Humans can suffer the same disease as dolphins. |
| D．Dolphins should be fed regularly to avoid diabetes. |
The key to applying the finding to curing human diabetes lies in ____________.
| A．producing insulin in a larger amount |
| B．developing drugs from healthy dolphins |
| C．identifying a similar genetic pathway in human |
| D．analyzing more blood samples from hungry dolphins |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Scientists have found a similar genetic switch in humans. |
| B．More British people will suffer type 2 diabetes due to obesity. |
| C．2.2 million people with type 2 diabetes die in Britain every year. |
| D．Dolphins imitate diabetes to avoid a high blood sugar level. |
What will happen to dolphins if not fed for a night according to Venn-Watson?
| A．Their metabolism breaks down. |
| B．They become resistant to insulin. |
| C．Their heart and kidneys are damaged. |
| D．They keep high levels of blood sugar. |
Is there anything more important than health？I don’t think so.You can’t be good at your studies or work when you are ill.
If you have a headache，or a bad cough，if you run a high temperature and have a bad cold，I think you should go to the doctor.
The doctor will examine your throat，feel your pulse，take your temperature，sound your heart and lungs.After that he will advise some treatment，or some medicine.The only thing you have to do is to follow his advice.
Speaking of doctor’s advice，I can’t help telling you a funny story.
An old man came to see the doctor.The man was very ill.He told the doctor about his weakness，memory loss and serious problems with his heart and lungs.The doctor examined him and said there was no medicine for his disease.
He told his patient to go to a quiet place for a month and have a good rest.He also advised him to eat a lot of meat，drink two glasses of red wine every day and take long walks.In other words，the doctor advised him to follow the rule：“Eat at pleasure，drink with measure and enjoy life as it is.”The doctor also said that if the man wanted to be well again，he shouldn’t smoke more than one cigarette a day.
A month later the gentleman came into the doctor’s office.He looked cheerful and happy.
He thanked the doctor and said that he_had_never_felt_a_healthier_man.
“But you know，doctor，”he said，“it’s not easy to begin smoking at my age.”The writer thinks that ________.
| A．health is more important than wealth |
| B．work is as important as studies |
| C．medicine is more important than pleasure |
| D．nothing is more important than money |
The doctor usually tells his patient what to do ________.
| A．without examining the patient |
| B．after he has examined the patient |
| C．if the patient doesn’t take medicine |
| D．unless the patient feels pain |
The underlined part means“________”.
| A． he was feeling better than ever |
| B．he wasn’t a healthy man |
| C．he was feeling worse than before |
| D．he will be well again |
From the last sentence of the passage，we learn the man ________ before the doctor told him not to smoke more than one cigarette a day.
| A．was a heavy smoker | B．didn’t smoke so much |
| C．didn’t smoke | D．began to learn to smoke |
There are many differences between British English and American English.I used to teach a course about the differences between the two.We speak English on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean but we have many differences in our common language.We have examples of the same words having very d ifferent meanings，differing spellings of the same words as well as completely different words for the same things.Here are some examples.
A cookie in the US is called a biscuit in the UK.A biscuit in the US is a small cake in the UK.Crisps in the UK，are known as chips，but we British people eat a plate of chips that you call fries in the US.In the UK，a pie can be made from either meat or fruit，while in the US pies are normally made from fruit；pot pies are made from meat.Most things are measured in grams and kilograms in the US，not pounds and ounces.
One very obvious(明显的)difference is the side of the road we each choose to drive on.Petrol in the UK is gas in the US.The place where we fill up our cars，in the UK，is a garage；while in the US，it’s a gas station.The term garage is also used as a place to store your car next to or close by your house.In the UK we call a lorry what is known as a truck in the US.
An elevator in the US is called a lift here，and the first floor in the US，is calle d the ground floor here，so many visitors get off on the wrong floor in British hotels.
I could continue with this. There are countless examples of differences within our one shared language.With so many differences，no wonder it’s hard to understand each other well.The passage is mainly about the differences between British English and American English in________.
| A．vocabulary | B．grammar | C．sound | D．spelling |
It’s implied in the passage that the author may be________.
| A．a driver from the US |
| B．a cook from the US |
| C．a teacher from the UK |
| D．a gas station worker from the UK |
In the author’s opinion，________.
| A．language differences don’t affect understanding |
| B．the same words in the two different types of English may have different spellings |
| C．there will be fewer differences between American and British English in the future |
| D．it is impossible that some Americans get off on the wrong floor in British hotels |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．“Elevator”is commonly used in the UK. |
| B．Pies mean the same thing in the UK and the US. |
| C．In the UK，things are measured in pounds and ounces. |
| D．British and American people drive on the same side of the road. |
Farah was sitting in the kitchen going over the party list with her mother.The exams were over and Farah wanted to invite her friends for a party.
“Farah，aren’t you going to invite Hafsa？”her mother asked.Hafsa had been her best friend since childhood.
“Mother，you know I am now a part of Purple Girls Club and we have some rules about people we can be friends with，”Farah answered.
“Really？And what are the rules？”her mother asked.
“Well，only very pretty girls can be part of our group.And Hafsa is so...you know...dark.”
“I cannot believe it，”her mother said angrily.
As Farah left the kitchen，her father called her from the living room.
Farah went to her father and paled when she saw the exam report in his hands.“Farah，what has happened to your grades？You have failed in Mathematics，”her father said.
Farah had no answer.The truth was that the activities of Purple Girls Club left her with very little time for studies.
“Farah，it says that you can take part in supplementary exams(补考).If your grades don’t improve then，I’ll cancel(取消) your trip to Spain.”
Farah went to her room and called Gina，the leader of Purple Girls Club， “Gina，can you help me to complete my notes before the exams？”
Gina laughed.“Exams？Who cares about exams？”
One by one，she called her friends in the club but no one seemed to care or wanted to help.
Farah knew Hafsa would help her.Farah also knew Hafsa had been hurt by her，but Hafsa said，“If you need any help，just let me know.We can study together till your exams.”
Next Monday，as two friends entered the school together，Gina called out.
“Farah，you know our rules.You cannot be friends with those who do not belong to our club.”
“Gina，I have a new rule about friendship，”Farah replied.After Farah became a member of Purple Girls Club，she chose a friend according to a person’s________.
| A．looks | B．usual activities | C．grades | D．favorite colors |
Farah became pale after going to her father because________.
| A．he didn’t allow her to go to Spain |
| B．she didn’t do well in her exams |
| C．she had to leave Purple Girls Club |
| D．he asked her to improve her grades |
Which word can best describe Hafsa?
| A．Silly. | B．Beautiful. | C．Rude. | D．Kind. |
What lesson can we learn from the passage?
| A．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
| B．A perfect friend will never be found. |
| C．Be slow in choosing a friend. |
| D．Friendship can be developed easily. |
Looking back on China’s road to outer space, people can easily find it has not been very smooth. In the past years, Chinese people have made hard and determined efforts to realize the dream their ancestors had for thousands of years.
After China’s first satellite into the Earth’s orbit in 1970 came four flights of unmanned Shenzhou missions(飞行) from 1999 to 2002. The country carried out its first one-piloted space flight in October, 2003, making China the third country in the world to have independent human spaceflight ability after the Soviet Union and the United States. Then came another breakthrough on October 12, 2005, when Shenzhou 6, China’s second human spaceflight, was launched, with a crew of two astronauts. What’s more, the landmark spacewalk done by Zhai Zhigang, one of the three boarding Shenzhou 7, launched on Sept. 25, 2008, leads the country further in its space exploration.
Meanwhile, China’s moon exploration project, started in 2004, has also been progressing satisfactorily. Fifty years after the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the world’s first man-made satellite, China’s first circumlunar(绕月的)satellite Chang’e 1 took off on Oct.24, 2007, which became another milestone(里程碑) in China’s space achievements after the above-mentioned manned flights. Chang’e 1 was expected to fulfill four scientific goals, one of which was to probe（勘探）mineral elements on the moon, especially those not existent on Earth. It’s said that the lunar regolith(月壤) is abundant in helium-3, a clean fuel that may support the Earth’s energy demands for more than a century. Nearly 3 years later, Oct. 1, 2010 witnessed the blasting off of Chang’e 2, China’s 2nd unmanned lunar probe, marking another step forward in moon exploration. This time the aim is to test the key techniques of Chang’e 3 and Chang’e 4, as a preparation for a soft lunar landing in the future.
With great expectations, people all over the world are looking forward to China’s greater space achievements. Altogether how many astronauts have made successful spaceflight by Shenzhou spaceship by now?
| A．4 | B．5 | C．6 | D．7 |
According to the text, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．China sent its first satellite into the Moon’s orbit in 1970. |
| B．China is the third country in Asia to make human spaceflight. |
| C．China has blasted off 4 unmanned lunar probes. |
| D．The launching of Chang’e 1 became the third milestone in China’s space achievements. |
We can infer from the text that __________.
| A．China’s road to outer space has not been very smooth for a long time |
| B．the lunar regolith is believed to be rich in a clean fuel called helium-3 |
| C．China’s lunar exploration project was started in 2004 and completed in 2007 |
| D．China’s scientists are researching into techniques for soft lunar landing |
What can be the best title for the text?
| A．Ancient Chinese’s Dream | B．China’s Major Space Achievements |
| C．China’s Moon Exploration | D．The World’s Great Expectations |
Russian President Putin named Time magazine's "Person of the Year"
Russian President Vladimir Putin was named Time magazine's’ "Person of the Year" on December 19th. 2007 for strengthening stability（稳定）that made Russia a world power again.
The magazine recognized Putin's "extraordinary feat（技艺）of leadership in taking a country that was in a mess and bringing it stability，"said Richard Stengel，Time's managing editor.
The magazine noted that "Person of the Year" is not an honor or an endorsement（认可）but a recognition of leadership that shapes the world.
Putin，who is 56 years old，is very popular in Russia，making a great effort to cause economy to come to life on revenue（收入）from oil and natural gas.
Putin recently supported vice-PM Dmitry Medvedev's presidential bid，and said he would accept Medvedev's offer to serve as prime minister if Medvedev is elected on March 2.
The Kremlin said Wednesday the Time recognition was seen there as an acknowledgement of Putin's role in helping Russia pull out of its social and economic troubles in the 1990s.
Others considered for "Person of the Year" included Nobel Prize-winner Al Gore and author J.K. Rowling.
This year's choice was a return to the magazine's tradition of picking an individual rather than last year's choice of "You"，which refers to anyone creating or using content on the World Wide Web.
Putin is the fifth Russian（or Soviet）leader to be named Person of the Year：Gorbachev，Andropov，Khrushchev and Stalin，who was named twice.How did Putin try to make Russia a world power again？
| A．By performing arms race. | B．By making war. |
| C．By strengthening stability. | D．By getting foreign help. |
How many times have Russian leaders been named "Person of the Year" so far？
| A．Five times. | B．Six times. | C．Seven times. | D．Eight times. |
Which of the following is Not True according to the passage？
| A．Russia used to be in a mess. |
| B．Time always picks an individual to be the "Person of the Year". |
| C．Oil and natural gas caused Russia's economy to come to life. |
| D．Putin will leave office on March 2nd, 2007. |
What is the author’s attitude towards the matter?
| A．Negative | B．Positive | C．Criticize | D．Objective |
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