Life is full of surprises and you never know how things will turn out.

Sir John Gurdon is a good example of this. As a boy, he was told he was hopeless at science and was at bottom of his class. Now, aged 79,the very same Gurdon shared the 2012 Nobel Prize in Medicine with Japanese stem cell (干细胞) researcher Shinya Yamanaka.

Like so many scientists, Gurdon shows us where the power of curiosity and perseverance(坚持) can lead.

When he was 15 in 1948,Gurdon ranked last out of the 250 boys at his high school in biology and every other science subject. Gurdon’s high school science teacher even said that his dream of becoming a scientist was “quite ridiculous”.

In spite of his teacher’s criticisms(批评), Gurdon followed his curiosity and kept working hard. He went to the lab early and left later than anyone else. He experienced thousands of failures.

“My own belief is that we will, in the end,understand everything about how cells actually work,”Gurdon said.

In 1962, Gurdon took a cell from an adult frog and moved its genetic (基因的) information into an egg cell. The egg cell then grew into a clone of the adult frog. This technique later helped to create the sheep Dolly in 1996,the first cloned mammal(哺乳动物) in the world.

In 2006,Gurdon’s work was developed by Yamanaka to show that a sample(样本) of a person’s skin can be used to create stem cells. Using this technique, doctors can repair a patient’s heart after a heart attack.

“Luck favors the prepared mind,” Gurdon told the Nobel Prize Organization. “Ninety percent of the time things don’t work, but when they do, you have to seize(抓住) the chance.”

1.Who won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Medicine?

A. Sir John Gurdon

B. Shinya Yamanaka

C. Sir John Gurdon and Shinya Yamanaka

D. Gurdon’s science teacher

2.What does the underlined word “ridiculous” mean?

A. 荒谬的 B. 无畏的 C. 荒废的 D. 无知的

3.In what order are the following events mentioned in the passage.

a. create the sheep Dolly

b. take a cell from an adult frog

c. use a person’s skin to create stem cells

d. move a frog’s genetic information into an egg cell

e. grow into a clone of the adult frog

A. b-a-c-d-e B. b-d-e-a-c C. b-d-a-e-c D. b-c-d-a-e

4.According to the passage, which statement is TRUE?

A. Sheep Dolly was the first cloned animal in the world.

B. Gurdon ranked first at his high school in biology.

C. It’s impossible for the doctors to repair a patient’s heart after a heart attack.

D. According to the science teacher, Gurdon was not a gifted student.

5.What’s the main idea of the passage?

A. Ninety percent of the time things don’t work.

B. Luck favors the prepared mind.

C. Life is full of pleasure.

D. How to know cells actually work.

阅读表达

Li Mingyong-who dropped out of school at 16, worked as a guard at college at 22, and finally graduated with a PhD degree(博士学位)at 41-has encouraged many people with his story.

Born in 1977 in a village in Zunyi, Southwest China’s Guizhou province, Li was one of the top students in primary and middle school. His mother’s illness left the family with debts(债务). So when Li graduated from middle school, he went to Guiyang, capital of Guizhou, to make money. In three years time, he helped his father pay off their debts.

In 1999, Li found a job as a guard in Guizhou Education University. He lived in the university and gradually became influenced by everything there. In 2003, he took the adult college entrance examination and got accepted by the university. In 2005, he decided to go for a postgraduate(研究生) education. In order to pass the English test, he tried his best to memorize a dictionary. He succeeded in studying in Guizhou University in 2007. However, he wasn’t satisfied with this achievement, as he wanted to be a teacher. In 2013, he decided to pursue a PhD degree. He failed in 2013 and 2014, but was accepted by Central China Normal University in 2015 and graduated in 2018.

Now he teaches in Guizhou Education University. “I hope my story can touch the students and help them grow in difficult situations,” said Li.

1.Did Li use to have a happy young life?

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2.Why did Li have to make money when he graduated from middle school?

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3.Where did Li worked as a guard?

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4.How did Li pass the English test before entering Guizhou University?

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5.What is Li Mingyong now?

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