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 Organisation.
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 analysed 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．analysing 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. |
The aims of the Illustrators’ (插图画家的) Exhibition, staged as part of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, organized by BolognaFiere and held from 23to 26 December 2011, are to bring illustrators and publishers together and to promote illustrators and their works among publishers.
QUALIFICATIONS
•Individual illustrators or groups of illustrators of any nationality, if they were born before 31st December 1992, whose artwork is intended for use in children’s books, are qualified to enter the Exhibition, either directly or through publishing houses or schools.
•Please state in the application form whether you are entering work for the Fiction or Nonfiction Category. Illustrators may only enter one category.
•Artwork previously presented to the Exhibition may not be re-entered.
•The confirmation (确认) form must be filled in and a photograph attached, then presented together with illustrations no later than 15 October 2011.
SHIPMENT
Entries may be delivered by post, express delivery service or by hand. From abroad, please use the following forms: Form “A” for registered mail or post by air; Form “B” if using an international forwarding agent or airline. To avoid delays, material should not be sent by normal post. Material should be sent “carriage paid”, including any customs and delivery costs.
BolognaFiere may not be held responsible for the non-arrival or late arrival of artwork. All published works must be accompanied by a declaration bearing the ISBN number, publisher’s name and address.
REQUIREMENTS
The illustrations (i.e. the size of the sheet) must not exceed (超过) the following dimensions:
Fiction: 32×42 cm (or 42 × 32 cm)
Non-fiction: 50 ×70 cm (70 × 50cm)
Illustrations in larger formats will not be considered, nor will they be returned by BolognaFiere. The illustrations must be on paper or flexible board, maximum thickness 2mm (for scanner separation purposes).
SELECTION PROCESS
All artwork received by the stated deadline and meeting the specified requirements will be examined and selected by an international group (whose decision is final), including five members (from publishing house and art schools) appointed each year by BolognaFiere.
EXHIBITIONS ABROAD
After the Bologna event, the Illustrators Exhibition will travel to Japan under the supervision of JBBY. The Illustrators Exhibition may afterwards be transferred to other venues(场馆) in other countries. The exhibitions of illustrations held abroad follow the same rules and regulations as the Illustrators Exhibition, and the provisions (条款) of the regulations are extended to the organizers of the exhibitions held abroad.
RETURN OF ARTWORK
All the works will be returned to their owners by BolognaFiere or directly by the organizers of the exhibitions and held abroad by the end of July 2013.Which of the following of the Illustrators’ Exhibition is true?
| A．It will last five days in all in July every other year. |
| B．It is intended for college students who are good at painting. |
| C．It is held by the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in BolognaFiere. |
| D．It can strengthen the relationship between illustrators and publishers. |
The illustrators of the Illustrators Exhibition __________.
| A．should be at least 16 and no more than 25 |
| B．may re-enter their artwork after it is returned |
| C．should state the category of their artwork clearly |
| D．may choose to attach a photo to the application form |
What is BolognaFiere responsible for?
| A．Paying for the delivery costs |
| B．Late arrival of artwork |
| C．Confirmation of ISBN number |
| D．Returning the illustrators’ works |
The illustrators’ works will not be considered if they .
| A．are received after the day of 15 October 2011 |
| B．are smaller than the required size |
| C．have already been published abroad before |
| D．don’t meet the demands of the international experts |
Katharine Meyer Graham was once described as “the most powerful woman in America.” She was not a government official or elected representative. She owned and published The Washington Post. Under her leadership, it became one of the most important newspapers in the country.
Katharine Meyer was born in New York City in 1917. Her father was a successful investment banker and became an important financial official. Her family was very rich. Katharine grew up in large houses in New York and Washington. Her parents were often away from home, traveling and working, Katharine was often lonely. Katherine Meyer graduated from the University of Chicago in Illinois in 1938. In 1933, her father bought a failing newspaper, The Washington Post. It was the least successful one of five newspapers in Washington.
Katharine Graham returned to Washington and got a job editing letters to the editor of her father's newspaper. She married Philip Graham. He was a clerk for Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter but soon accepted a job at his wife's father's newspaper. Mr. Graham improved The Washington Post. He bought Newsweek and several television stations. He also established close ties with important political leaders. However, Mr. Graham treated his wife badly. He had an affair with a young reporter. For many years, Mr. Graham suffered from mental illness. He killed himself in 1963.
Katharine Graham had four children to raise and a newspaper to operate. At first, she was only concerned about finding a way to keep control of The Washington Post until her sons were old enough. She did not think she had the ability to do an important job. She had no training in business or experience in operating a large company. In those days, it was unusual for a woman to be the head of a business. Women were expected to look after their homes and children.
Katharine Graham met with officials of The Washington Post. She was elected president of The Washington Post Company. She had no idea about how to operate a newspaper. So she decided to learn. She began by hiring Benjamin C.Bradlee. He later became chief editor. Mr. Bradlee improved the newspaper. He hired excellent reporters and editors. They began doing important investigative reporting. In 1969, Mrs. Graham became publisher as well as president of The Washington Post Company. In the 1970s, The Washington Post became famous around the world because of two major successes.Katharine Graham is considered powerful because ____________.
| A．she was born of a very rich family |
| B．she had the most important newspaper |
| C．she was in charge of the The Washington Post |
| D．she gained much money from newspapers |
We can infer from the second paragraph that Katharine Graham _____________.
| A．was one of the top students at university |
| B．helped her father in purchasing the paper |
| C．didn’t take interest in managing a bank |
| D．lived a rich life when she was young |
After Katharine Graham got married ___________.
| A．her husband gave up his previous job |
| B．she got a job editing letters for the editor |
| C．she made The Washington Post improved |
| D．her husband wanted to be a political leader |
Faced with the death of Mr. Graham ____________.
| A．Katharine Graham had confidence to operate the newspaper well. |
| B．Katharine Graham made up her mind to raise the kids. |
| C．KatharineGraham thought more about gaining experience. |
| D．Katharine Graham seemed to be trapped in the dark world. |
What do you think of Benjamin C. Bradlee?
A. He was an expert when it came to earning money.
B. He brought The Washington Post back to life.
C. He intended to buy The Washington Post.
D. He should have given more help to Katharine Graham.
Nearly everyone agrees that money doesn’t buy as much as it used to, no matter when you want to spend it. This is certainly true of the paper money that passes so quickly through one’s hands. But what about coins that seem to do very little except stay in purses and pockets? Unlike notes, metal money becomes more valuable the longer it is held, especially if it is put away where it won’t get scratched or worn. Why is this? One reason is that coins, being more durable, fall more readily into a category for collectors. Naturally, the rarer gold pieces must become more valuable as the price of this metal goes up.
But, curiously, one of the rarest coins in the world is not made of gold, but of the relatively cheaper silver. In 1840, the United States mint (造币厂) struck 19570 silver dollars. That is what its records show. Today only six of this original number remain and these are unlikely ever to reach the auction (拍卖) market. So what happened to some 19564 large silver coins, not the easiest sort of things to lose? One of the more romantic theories is that they were part of the payment to Napoleon for the American land then known as Louisiana. But they never reached France. Somewhere in the Gulf of Mexico, the ship transporting them was sunk, either by a storm or by pirates. The probable answer to the mystery is that they were melted down — since the silver value was greater than the actual value of the coin. What really happened to the rest will probably always remain a mystery. What is known is that whoever can come up with one will find himself instantly rich.We can learn from the passage that _______.
| A．money buys as much as it did before |
| B．money does not buy as much as it did before |
| C．paper money buys more than metal money |
| D．metal money buys more than paper money |
Which of the following is true of a coin?
| A．The longer it is held, the less valuable it becomes. |
| B．The more it wears out, the more valuable it becomes. |
| C．The less it gets scratched, the less it values. |
| D．The longer it lasts, the more it values. |
According to this passage, one of the rarest coins in the world is made of _______.
| A．silver | B．gold |
| C．copper | D．paper |
Coins become more valuable because _______.
| A．they stay in purses and pockets |
| B．the price of metal goes up |
| C．they fall more readily into a category for collectors due to their duration |
| D．Both B and C |
What really happened to some 19564 large silver coins?
| A．They were melted down. |
| B．They were sunk in the Gulf of Mexico. |
| C．It is still a mystery. |
| D．They were stolen by pirates. |
Nuclear power’s danger to health, safety, and even life itself can be summed up in one word: radiation.
Nuclear radiation has a certain mystery about it, partly because it cannot be detected by human senses. It can’t be seen or heard, or touched or tasted, even though it may be all around us. There are other things like that. For example, radio waves are all around us but we can’t detect them, sense them, without a radio receiver. Similarly, we can’t sense radioactivity without a radiation detector. But unlike common radio waves, nuclear radiation is not harmless to human beings and other living things.
At very high levels, radiation can kill an animal or human being immediately by killing masses of cells in vital organs. But even the lowest levels can do serious damage. There is no levels of radiation that is completely safe. If the radiation does not hit anything important, the damage may not be serious. This is the case when only a few cells are hit, and if they are killed immediately. Your body will replace the dead cells with healthy ones. But if the few cells are only damaged, and if they reproduce themselves, you may be in trouble. They can grow into cancer. Sometimes this does not show up for many years.
This is another reason for some of the mystery about nuclear radiation. Serious damage can be done without the victim being aware at the time that damage has occurred. A person can be irradiated（辐射）and feel fine, then die for cancer five, ten, or twenty years later as a result. Or a child can be born weak as a result of radiation absorbed by its grandparents.
Radiation can hurt us. We must know the truth.What is the most dangerous factor of nuclear power?
| A．Radiation | B．Quantity |
| C．Amount | D．Place |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．Nuclear radiation can do harm to human beings. |
| B．Nuclear radiation cannot do harm to human beings. |
| C．Nuclear radiation can be detected by human senses. |
| D．Nuclear radiation is just like common radio waves. |
How can nuclear radiation kill an animal?
| A．By damaging its heart. |
| B．By killing a few cells. |
| C．By killing many cells in important organs. |
| D．By hitting any place in its body. |
Why does nuclear radiation have a certain mystery?
| A．Because human beings learn its harmfulness. |
| B．Because it can do harm to a person while the victim isn't aware the damage has occurred. |
| C．Because nuclear radiation can kill a person very easily. |
| D．Because human beings have no effective machine in order to detect nuclear radiation. |
If a human being is hit by nuclear radiation, he may _______.
| A．die of cancer after many years |
| B．die immediately |
| C．have a child who may be born weak |
| D．all of the above |
American teenager Thomas Cheatham had planned to study Latin during his sophomore year at Hebron High School in Texas. But when he learned that the school district was going to offer a Mandarin class, he quickly changed his mind. “I thought it (Mandarin) would be more beneficial than Latin,” said Cheatham, who is now in his second year of studying the language.
He speaks Mandarin to order food at Chinese restaurants and can read Face book posts from his Chinese-speaking friends.
While it’a difficult language to master, the high school junior, who plans to study computer engineering, thinks it will be a valuable thing in his career.
“Chinese is a good language to know, especially with China becoming a growing power,” he said.
Many experts agree that proficiency in a language spoken by a billion people worldwide will give American students an edge in the global economy.
“People are looking at China as our next economic competitor, and interest in Mandarin is growing,'' said Marty Abbott, executive director of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. ''We're seeing it in all parts of the country.”
The number of students studying Mandarin in public schools nationwide in grades 7 through 12 grew from 20,000 in 2004-2005 to 60,000 three years later, according to the council’s most recent survey.
Abbott estimates that as many as 100,000 students are now studying Mandarin, in public and private schools, throughout the nation.
She said the US government has considered Mandarin to be an “important needs” language and provides professional development programs for teachers.
“Our government wants to increase our language ability for national security and economic competitiveness,” Abbott said.
At the same time, the Chinese government is spreading knowledge of the Chinese language and culture through Confucius Institutes established in many states.
The Confucius Institute at the University of Texas in Dallas, founded in 2007, opens Confucius Classrooms at 11 local public and private schools where more than 700 students are learning Mandarin.Why does the writer mention Thomas in the passage?
| A．To tell us how changeable he is. |
| B．To introduce the topic of the passage. |
| C．To introduce his college life. |
| D．To tell us Latin is less popular now. |
Many experts in America agree that _______.
| A．Mandarin is becoming more beneficial than Latin |
| B．Mandarin is very difficult to learn for most American students |
| C．Mandarin will be of some help to American students in the global economy |
| D．China is a competitor of America in culture |
Why does Mandarin become so popular in America?
| A．Because Mandarin is more interesting than Latin. |
| B．Because there are many good teachers in the Confucius Institutes. |
| C．Because Mandarin is very helpful in the global economy. |
| D．Because the Chinese government has tried his best. |
From the passage we know that the Confucius Institutes _______.
| A．have trained 100,000 students to learn Mandarin in America |
| B．provide professional development programs for teachers |
| C．have been established in many states in America |
| D．were founded in 2007 |
What does the passage mainly talk about?
| A．An increasing number of students in America are learning Mandarin. |
| B．Confucius Institutes have been established in many states in America. |
| C．Latin is less popular in America now. |
| D．China now is becoming a growing power. |
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