An 80-year-old man was sitting on the sofa in his house along with his 45-year-old son. Suddenly a crow (乌鸦) landed on their window.  The father asked his son, “What is that?” The son replied, “That is a crow.” After a few minutes, the father asked his son for the second time, “What is this?”

The son said, “Father, I told you just now. It’s a crow.” After a little while, the father asked his son the same question for the third time, “What is this?” This time, the son said to his father in a low and cold tone, “It’s a crow, a crow.” After a moment, the father yet again asked his son for the fourth time, “What is this?” This time his son shouted at his father, “Why do you keep asking me the same question again and again? I have told you already, ‘IT IS A CROW’. Are you not able to understand this?” A minute later the father went to his room and came back with a diary, which he had kept since his son was born. On opening a page, he asked his son to read that page.

Today my little son aged three was sitting with me on the sofa when a crow suddenly landed on the window edge. My son asked me 23 times what it was, and I replied him 23 times that it was a crow. I hugged him lovingly each time he asked me the same question. I didn’t at all feel angry, but instead felt affection for my son.

If your parents reach old age, do not look at them as a burden, but speak to them gently, and be kind to them. From today say this aloud, “I want to see my parents happy forever. They have cared for me ever since I was a little child. They have always showered me with love. I will take care of my old parents in the best way no matter how they behave.”

1.The old man brought out the diary, which he had kept since his son was born, because ______.

A.he forgot what had happened

B.he would like his son to read it

C.it could remind himself of the past

D.he wanted to find what a crow was

2.The underlined word “affection” (last but one Para.) probably means______.

A.puzzle            B.hatred(恨)         C.love              D.worry

3.The writer mainly intends to ______ .

A.tell us the function (作用) of a diary

B.call on us to love our parents

C.teach us what a crow is

D.introduce a pair of son and father

 

Even if we have an extremely healthy diet and lifestyle, the human body is programmed to wear out at a maximum of about 120 years, and usually less. We all have a biological clock inside us which determines the moment when our organs cease to function properly. This is because our cells have stopped renewing themselves and our body can no longer repair itself. This is also the moment when we are more likely to begin to suffer from the diseases of old age such as arthritis and Alzheimer’s. However, rapid advances in DNA research are beginning to throw light on the secrets of the ageing process. By the end of this century we could literally have the power of life over death.

Although it has long been accepted that humans have a fixed lifespan, it is also a fact that certain other organisms, such as reptiles and amphibians, appear to live indefinitely. The only reason we do not see 500-year-old alligators is because in the wild their lives are always in danger, from man, from pollution and from other animals. When they are kept in zoos they do not seem to age at all after they are fully grown. The same is true of some species of fish, which grow indefinitely and show no signs of ageing. The existence of animals with no fixed lifespan seems to indicate that an age gene really does exist. It is this gene which scientists are searching for, which may delay or repair damage to the body caused by ageing.

Another new area of research involves the oxidation(氧化) theory, which says that ageing is caused by the same process that makes iron rust. In controlled experiments, the lifespans of certain animals were shown to be lengthened with anti-oxidants; for example, the lifespan of mice can be increased by 30%. Antioxidants are already being used in face creams and other cosmetics, and they are likely to play an important part in keeping people physically young.

Perhaps the most immediate advance we are likely to see in the battle to halt(停止)the ageing process will be organ replacement. By the year 2020 it is likely that we will be replacing injured bones or even organs like livers and kidneys with ones “grown” in laboratories. By 2050 perhaps every organ in the body, except the brain, will have become commercially available. Recent experiments also show that it may one day be possible to “grow” new organs inside our body to replace worn-out ones, something which lizards and alligators already do.

Suddenly immortality(不死,不朽) seems within reach. We can begin to imagine a future where we are born, we grow to maturity, but we never grow old and die. But do we really want to live forever?

1. When all humans reach a certain age,         .

A.they suffer the effects of their diet and lifestyle

B.the organs stop to perform appropriately

C.their cells continue to renew themselves

D.they develop arthritis and Alzheimer’s

2. The purpose of showing the case of alligators is to prove         .

A.alligators are in danger in the wild because of the threat from man, pollution and other animals

B.it is widely accepted that humans have a fixed lifespan

C.there exists an age gene which may control ageing

D.the age gene damages the body

3.The underlined phrase “live indefinitely” in Paragraph 2 probably mean         .

A.live for a period of time without a fixed end

B.live without a clear aim

C.live in an uncertain way

D.live without being fully grown

4.It can be inferred from Paragraph 4 that         .

A.by 2050 we might have most of our worn-out organs replaced with new ones commercially

B.never can the ageing process be avoided

C.livers and kidneys are sure to be grown in laboratories by the year 2020

D.lizards and alligators grow new organs inside their body to replace worn-out ones

5. What is the main topic of this passage?

A.DNA researches show how our cells renew themselves.

B.Anti-oxidants are likely to play an important part in keeping people young.

C.How our biological clock works?

D.Eternal(永恒的) youth: new developments in anti-ageing research.

6.By saying “But do we really want to live forever”, the author may probably mean         .

A.a future where we are born, we grow to maturity, but we never grow old and die is on its way

B.he is uncertain whether we can live forever

C.it remains to be seen whether immortality is a blessing or a curse

D.immortality is no longer a dream

 

The Future of Education

David Kelly, founder of the Design School Stanford, said, “In the classroom of the future, education will be custom-made for each student. Every child will have a laptop programmed for his or her learning style and speed. At the same time, more students will go out into the community to learn from business owners. And you’ll see more retirees in the schools as teachers.”

A New Way to Pay

Turn your cell phone into a “mobile wallet” and speed through the checkout line. With a smart phone that uses the same technology as “tap and go” cards, you’ll be able to access your financial data fast. You can select a credit or debit card(借记卡)from the screen, and then tap the phone on the checkout console(操纵台;控制台).

High-Tech Guitar

A 26-year-old Australian designer has invented a brand-new way to be a rock star. The Misa Digital Guitar’s fret board looks like a traditional six-string’s but with no strings attached. There’s a touch pad (垫)where the sound hole normally is, and instead of plucking strings,(弹弦) you tap, drag, or brush the pad to “play” the instrument electronically.

The Future of Phones

Jason Chen, editor of the website gizmodo.com, makes his prediction. “Data connections will get even faster, and you’ll be linked to your environment by cell phone. Fcr example, when you go on vacation, you can point your phone at a monument(纪念碑) and it will give you information about what you’re looking at.’

Needle-Free Vaccines(无针接种)

Boston University researchers are working on a new method of inoculation(接种)—no injection necessary. A mild electrical charge from a small device, shaped like a gun, is used to drive the particles(粒子) into the body. The new idea beats the old needle method.

1.The passage mentions the following EXPECT         .

A.payment      B.medicine     C.education       D.music instrument

2.What can we learn from the text?

A.Even a man with no music knowledge can be a rock star in the future.

B.Students should go out into the community to learn from business owners instead of staying at school to learn from books.

C.We can carry no cash while shopping in the future.

D.We can feel more pain with the method of inoculation.

3.In which column can we read the passage?

A.Entertainment.                   B.Production. 

C.Technology.                     D.Work.

 

The summer I was ten,my mother decided to bring us to the world of art.My brother and I were not very excited when we realized what my mother meant.What she meant was not that we could take drawing classes or painting classes but that we would have to spend one afternoon a week with her at the Fine Arts Museum.Before each visit to the museum,she made us read about artists and painting styles(风格).It was almost as bad as being in school.Who wants to spend the summer thinking about artists when you could be with your friends at the swimming pool?

First we had to read about ancient Egyptians(古埃及人)and their strange way of painting faces and then go to look at them at the museum.My 12-year-old brother thought this was so funny,but I was not interested.Later we had to learn about artists in the Middle Ages who painted people wearing strange long clothing.We had to look at pictures of fat babies with wings and curly(卷曲的)hair and with no clothes on flying around the edges of paintings.I certainly couldn’t see what was so great about art.

On our last visit to the museum,something happened when I saw a painting by a woman called Mary.In it,a woman was reading to a child.The colors were soft and gentle,and you could tell by the mother’s expression how happy she was just to be with the child.I couldn’t stop looking at this painting!I wanted to see every painting Mary had ever made!It was really worth looking at so many paintings to find a painter who could interest me so much.

1.The aim of the mother’s plan was to ________.

A.take them to visit the museum

B.introduce them to the world of art

C.ask them to read about artists

D.show them different painting styles

2.What was the writer’s experience in the museum before the last visit?

A.She came to feel her mother’s love.

B.She liked many paintings.

C.She hardly enjoyed herself.

D.She could understand the pictures of fat babies.

3.What made the writer go through a change that summer?

A.One of Mary’s paintings.

B.A strange way of painting.

C.Artists in the Middle Ages.

D.Her mother’s instruction.

4.From the text,we can see________.

A.the importance of curiosity

B.the effect of art

C.the value of learning

D.the power of family education

 

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