More than four decades ago British scientist Robert Edwards first witnessed the miracle of human life growing inside a test tube at his Cambridge lab. Since that ground-breaking moment, more than four million babies have been born through IVF and in 2010 his great contribution to science was finally recognized as he was awarded the Nobel Prize for medicine.
The prize for Dr. Edwards, who was given a Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Award in 2008, includes a £900,000 check. The Nobel Assembly described IVF as a “milestone in modern medicine”.
With the help of fellow scientist Patrick Steptoe, the Manchester-born physiologist developed IVF - leading to the birth of the world’s first test tube baby. Dr. Steptoe died 10 years later but their work has transformed fertility treatment and given hope to millions of couples.
It was a scientific breakthrough that transformed the lives of millions of couples. They said: “His achievements have made it possible to treat infertility, a disease which makes human unable to have a baby. This condition has been afflicting a large percentage of mankind including more than 10% of all couples worldwide.”
Louise Brown, the world’s first test tube baby, made international headlines when she was born in Oldham, Gtr Manchester, in 1978 to parents Lesley and John who had been fruitlessly trying for a baby since 1969.
Ivf-in-vitro fertilization is the process whereby egg cells are fertilized outside the body before being implanted in the womb. After a cycle of IVF, the probability of a couple with infertility problems having a baby is one in five—the same as healthy couples who conceive naturally.
Professor Edwards, who has five daughters and 11 grandchildren, began his research at Cambridge University in 1963, after receiving his PhD in 1955. He once said: “The most important thing in life is having a child. Nothing is more special than a child.” With the help of fellow scientist Patrick Steptoe, Prof. Edwards founded the Bourn Hall clinic in Cambridge shire, which now treats more than 900 women a year. Each year, more than 30,000 women in Britain now undergo IVF and 11,000 babies are born as a result of the treatment.
But his work attracted widespread criticism from some scientists and the Catholic Church who said it was “unethical and immoral”.
Martin Johnson, professor of reproductive sciences at the University of Cambridge, said the award was “long overdue”. He said: “We couldn’t understand why the Nobel has come so late but he is delighted - this is the cherry on the cake for him.”
Professor Edwards was too ill to give interviews but a statement released by his family said he was “thrilled and delighted”.
What is Robert Edwards’ contribution to science?
| A．Enabling millions of couples to live a better life. |
| B．Seeing the wonder of the first tube baby growing |
| C．Helping couples with infertility to have tube babies. |
| D．Challenging a disease which stops human having a baby. |
What does the underlined word “afflicting”(Paragraph 4)most probably refer to?
| A．Troubling | B．Developing |
| C．Improving | D．Confusing |
Why did Professor Edwards begin his research on tube baby?
| A．Because he thought it of great significance to have a child in life. |
| B．Because the birthrate around the world was unexpectedly low then. |
| C．Because a special child did make a difference to an ordinary family. |
| D．Because his fellow scientist wanted to give hope to the unlucky couples. |
It can be inferred from Paragraph 8 and Paragraph 9 that ___________.
| A．Professor Edwards deserved the prize for his breakthrough. |
| B．different opinions were voiced on Professor Edwards’ finding. |
| C．some people envied Professor Edwards for his being awarded. |
| D．the prize was late because the finding was first considered immoral. |
What might be the best title for the passage?
| A．Life Stories of Robert Edwards |
| B．Preparations for Having a Baby |
| C．Nobel Prize for IVF Expert Edwards |
| D．Treatment of Infertility in a Lab |
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We can make mistakes at any age. Some mistakes we make are about money. But most mistakes are about people. "Did Jerry really care when I broke up with Helen?" "When I got that great job, did Jim really feel good about it, as a friend? Or did he envy my luck? “And Paul, why didn't pick up that he was friendly just because I had a car?" When we look back, doubts like these can make us feel bad. But when we look back, it's too late.
Why do we go wrong about our friends—or our enemies? Sometimes what people say hides their real meaning. And if we don't really listen we miss the feeling behind the words. Suppose someone tells you, "You're a lucky dog, "and that's being friendly. But "lucky dog"? There's a bit of envy in those words. Maybe he doesn't see it himself. But bringing in the "dog" bit puts you down a little, what he may be saying is that he doesn't think you deserve your luck.
"Just think of all the things you have to be thankful for" is another noise that says one thing and means another. It could mean that the speaker is trying to get you to see your problem as part of your life as a whole. But is he? Wrapped up in this phrase is the thought that your problem isn't important. It's telling you to think of all the starving people in the world when you haven't got a date for Saturday night.
How can you tell the real meaning behind someone’s words? One way is to take a good look at the person talking. Do his words fit the way he looks? Does what he says agree with the tone of voice? His posture? The look in his eyes? Stop and think. The minute you spend thinking about the real meaning of what people say to you may save another mistake.
66. This passage is mainly about ______.
A. how to interpret what people say
B. what to do when you listen to others talking
C. why we go wrong with people and how to avoid these mistakes
D. why we go wrong with people sometimes
67. According to the author, the reason why we go wrong about our friends is that .
A. we fail to listen carefully when they talk
B. people tend to be annoyed when we check what they say
C. people usually state one thing but mean another
D. we tend to doubt what our friends say
68. The underlined word "it" in the second paragraph refers to______.
A. being friendly B. a bit of envy
C. lucky dog D. your luck
69. When we listen to a person talking, the most important thing for us to do is __.
A. notice the way the person is talking
B. take a good look at the person talking
C. mind his tone, his posture and the look in his eyes
D. examine the real meaning of what he says based on his manner, his tone and his posture
70. The author is most probably a ______.
A. teacher B. psychologist C. philosopher D. doctor
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The International Olympic Committee named a short list of five cities as possible hosts for the 2012 Olympics.
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The five—London, Madrid, Moscow, New York and Paris—became official candidates, beginning a 14-month race that ended with the selection of a winning bid by the IOC's assembly in Singapore in July 2005.
Havana, Leipzig, Rio de Janeiro and Istanbul were the victims in 2004, as the field was cut down from nine applicants.Geography would appear to favor a European city after the 2008 Summer Games in Asia—Beijing and the 2010 Winter Games in North America—Vancouver.
IOC president Jacques Rogge said the list could be further cut in the next month if any of the bidding cities fall short of IOC expectations.
"What we have done today is retain five cities which we believe will deliver, but we will have to check if they do deliver," said Rogge. "I do not like the word 'rejection' and this in no way reflects that we do not trust these countries. "
The nine original competitors launched their bids in January, 2004 with the emphasis on agreement and easily accessible venues（举办场所）.
Favorites Paris and London promoted the attractions of their landmarks, Madrid promised an environmentally friendly Games while New York called itself the "world city".
Paris bid organizers said they would stage beach volleyball at the foot of the Eiffel Tower and host many of the events at two clusters on the edge of the French capital.
"Our experience with previous bids has taught us a great deal about the needs and aspirations of the IOC," Paris bid chief Philippe Baudillon said. "We firmly believe that Paris will meet those needs.”
London organizers countered （反驳）it by promising to hold the beach volleyball competition in Horse Guards Parade.
Seventeen sports, including athletics and swimming, would be staged at a new venue in the city's deprived East End.
"I am very pleased that London has been named a candidate city for the 2012 Olympic Games. But I am not surprised we have cleared this most important hurdle," British Prime Minister Tony Blair said in a statement.
61. Why is the 2012 Olympics likely to be held in a European city?
A. It's impossible for two successive Olympics to be held on the same continent.
B. The 2008 Summer and Winter Olympics will be held in Beijing and Vancouver respectively.
C. Geographically speaking, it's time to hold the 2012 Games in a non-Asian and non-American country.
D. European cities turn out to be more suitable to host the 2012 Games.
62. The underlined sentence in Para. 6 means ______.
A. to keep five cities that can live up to our expectations.
B. to cut five cities that will fail.
C. to pick five cities that will make a good speech.
D. to pick five cities that will produce enough goods.
63. What has Paris got from previous bids for the Olympic Games?
A. What efforts it should make in the future.
B. A lot about the needs and expectations of the IOC.
C. How to host a successful Olympic Games.
D. Why it failed in the past.
64. How did Tony Blair feel about London being named a candidate city for the next Olympic Games?
A. Happy and surprised. B. Disappointed but hopeful.
C. Excited and impatient. D. Happy and unsurprised.
65. Which would be the best title of the passage?
A. The advantages of the five cities. B. The next Olympic Games.
C. Five cities in race for 2012 Games. D. The 2010 Winter Olympics.
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第三部分: 阅读理解（共20小题，每题2分，满分40分）阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。In this age of Internet chat, videogames and reality television, there is no shortage of mindless activities to keep a child occupied. Yet, despite the competition, my 8-year-old daughter Rebecca wants to spend her leisure time writing short stories. She wants to enter one of her stories into a writing contest, a competition she won last year.
As a writer I know about winning contest, and about losing them. I know what it is like to work hard on a story only to receive a rejection slip from the publisher. I also know the pressures of trying to live up to a reputation created by previous victories. What if she doesn’t win the contest again? That’s the strange thing about being a parent. So many of our own past scars and dashed hopes can surface.
A revelation（启示）came last week when I asked her, “Don’t you want to win again?” “No,” she replied, “I just want to tell the story of an angel going to first grade.”
I had just spent weeks correcting her stories as she spontaneously（自发地）told them. Telling myself that I was merely an experienced writer guiding the young writer across the hall, I offered suggestions for characters, conflicts and endings for her tales. The story about a fearful angel starting first trade was quickly “guided” by me into the tale of a little girl with a wild imagination taking her fist music lesson. I had turned her contest into my contest without even realizing it.
Staying back and giving kids space to grow is not as easy as it looks. Because I know very little about farm animals who use tools or angels who go to first grade, I had to accept the fact that I was co-opting（借用）my daughter’s experience.
While stepping back was difficult for me, it was certainly a good first step that I will quickly follow with more steps, putting myself far enough away to give her room but close enough to help if asked. All the while I will be reminding myself that children need room to experiment, grow and find their own voices.
56. What do we learn from the first paragraph?
A. Many children find lots of fun in mindless activities.
B. Rebecca is much too occupied to enjoy her leisure time.
C. Rebecca collects online materials for her writing.
D. Rebecca is different from any other child of her age.
57. What was the author's writing experience?
A. She did not quite live up to her reputation as a writer.
B. Her way to success was full of pains and frustrations.
C. She was constantly under pressure of writing more.
D. Most of her stories had been rejected by publishers.
58. Why did Rebecca want to enter this year's writing contest?
A. She possessed real talent for writing.
B. She wanted to win.
C. She wanted to share her stories with readers.
D. She had won a prize already.
59. The author took great pains to refine her daughter's stories because ______.
A. she believed she had the knowledge and experience to offer guidance
B. she did not want to disappoint Rebecca who wanted to win the contest
C. she wanted to help Rebecca win in the contest
D. she was afraid Rebecca's imagination might run wild while writing
60. What's the author's advice for parents?
A. A writing career, though attractive, is not for every child to pursue.
B. Children should be given freedom to grow through experience.
C. Parents should keep an eye on their kids' activities.
D. Children should be given every chance to voice their opinions.
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Chinese reports say the country’s vast pool of cheap labor is getting smaller, which could hurt an economy that heavily depends on labor-intensive manufacturing.
The academy’s research shows that China’s rural labor surplus, the source of migrant workers for the country’s factories, is about 50 million people—far less than the previously estimated 150 to 200 million.
Jonathan Unger, director of the Contemporary China Center at the Australian National University, says fewer rural residents are willing to leave their farms today. This is partly because there are more employment opportunities in rural areas, and because agricultural prices have gone up.
“And at the same time taxes in the countryside, fees in the countryside have gone down because of new sets of government policies,” he explained. “So people are not eagerly forced in the way they were five, six years ago to leave the farm in order to earn enough money for their families.”
The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences says another reason for the reduced labor pool is the country’s population policy, which allows city residents to have just one child, and farmers up to two if the first one is a girl.
A UN study predicts that China’s workforce will reach its top in 2015 and then gradually drop. Some of China’s major manufacturing areas, such as Guangdong Province, already face labor shortages.
Some economists think these shortages are, at least for now, a regional rather than a national problem. Sun Mingchun, an economist with investment bank Lehman Brothers in Hong Kong, points out that there are still millions of people in China who can not find work.
57. According to the academy’s research, China’ rural labor surplus today is about _______.
A. 150 million B. 50 million C. 200 million D. 175 million
58. The reason why many rural residents don’t leave their farms today is ________.
A. the farmers are older than before.
B. the farmers are lazier than before
C. the farmers have much more money
D. there are more employment opportunities and agricultural prices have gone up
59. Which of the following is TURE according to the passage?
A. A study of UN estimates China’s workforce will come to the top in 2015.
B. No a study shows millions of people can’t find work in China.
C. The country’s population policy isn’t a reason for the reduced labor.
D. Five years ago, few farmers left their homes to earn money for supporting their families.
60. According to some economists, the shortage of Chinese workforce __________.
A. is a national problem B. is a regional problem
C. is not a problem D. can be solved easily
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One of the most wonderful things about having a positive attitude is that it can touch many people, and it often exists in our everyday life.
Recently, I stopped by a store to get a newspaper and a bottle of drink. The young woman at the check-out counter said, “That’ll be three dollars in all please.” She then glanced down at the paper I was buying and said. “I’m sick and tired of all this negative stuff-on the front pages. I want to read some good news for a change.” She then said, “In fact, I think soemone should just publish a Good News newspaper--- a paper with wonderful, inspirational stories about people over-coming difficulty and doing good things for others. I’d buy one every day!” she then thanked me for coming in and said, “Maybe we’ll get lucky tomorrow; maybe we’ll get some good news.” And she laughed. She made my day.
The following day after my business appointments. I dropped by the same store again to pick up bottled water and a piece of newspaper, but a different young lady was behind the counter. As I checked out I said “Good afternoon” and handed her my money. She said nothing, not a word, not a smile or not a gesture. She just handed me my change and in a negative tone ordered “Next!”
It hit me right between the eyes: Two people, the same age; one made me feel great, and the other, well, made me feel that I had inconvenienced her by showing up.
Every morning you should ask yourself this important question. “Who do I want to be today? The Grouch(不高兴的人) or ‘The Good News Girl?’” Your answer will go a long way toward determining the joy and happiness that you will experience in your life.
53. What does the first salesgirl dislike according to her words?
A. Those who have bad manners.
B. The bad news in the newspaper.
C. The advertisements in the newspaper.
D. The bad news who break the laws.
54. After he had bought a newspaper on the first day the author _________.
A. was very lucky and excited that day
B. always remembered the girl’s word
C. read the news in the newspaper carefully
D. was in a pleasant mood the whole day
55. We learn from the passage that the salesgirl the author met the next day was ________.
A. humorous B. enthusiastic C. very cool D. positive
56. What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 4 mean?
A. I was very surprised. B. I was especially angry.
C. I felt very unhappy. D. It hurt my heart badly.
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