A teenager from Thousand Oaks received a warm welcome as he sailed into Marina Del Rey on July 16,2009,becoming the youngest person to circle the globe by sea alone.

Zac Sunderland arrived in Marina Del Rey with his 36-foot boat Intrepid at about 10 a. m. local time. During his 28,000-nauticaI-mile journey,he braved storms,equipment failures and a conflict with suspected pirates.

  "It's great to be back," Sunderland,of Thousand Oaks,California,said after he was wel?comed home by a group of friends.

  Fewer than 250 people have sailed around the globe alone,according to the American Sail?ing Association,which certified Sunderland's feat.

  He left Marina Del Rey,just south of Los Angeles,on June 14,2008,and celebrated his 17th birthday at sea while off Africa's Cape of Good Hope.

  His return was delayed near the end of his voyage when his boat had a broken bulkhead in rough seas off Mexico,forcing him to stop at Puerto Vallarta long enough to wait for his father to fly there to make repairs.

  Another tense moment occurred in the Indian Ocean off Indonesia where the Intrepid was approached by a suspected pirated boat.

  "The intruders fled after a plane flew overhead and Sunderland climbed onto its deck with a gun to keep them off," said Cilarlie Nobles,executive director of the association.

  Sunderland,who remained in contact with his father by satellite telephone during the voy?age,threw the gun away before entering Mexican waters,where it is illegal to carry private fire?arms.

  He becomes the first person under 18 to travel around the globe by sea alone,and the youngest to date. The previous recordholder was David Dicks of Australia,who completed his voyage in November 1996 at the age of 18.

(   ) 1. Which statement about Sunderland's voyage is true?

   A. He completed his voyage in about 13 months.

   B. He is the first one to travel around the globe by sea.

   C. His father flew a plane to drive the pirates off.

   D. On June 14 ,2008,he reached the Cape of Good Hope.

(   ) 2. Why did Sunderland stop at Puerto Vallarta?

   A. To avoid the terrible weather.

   B. To delay the time of his return.

   C. To wait for help from his father.

   D. To avoid the intruders.

(   ) 3. The youngest person who sailed around the globe alone was         .

   A. Charlie Nobles   B. David Dicks

   C. Marina Del Rey   D. Zac Sunderland

(   ) 4. What is the best title for the text?

   A. A Brave Young Man

   B. The Hardship Sunderland Experienced

   C. Who Has Sailed Around the Globe Alone?

   D. The Youngest Person to Circle the Globe Alone

 The United States government wants to know what the public thinks about its findings on the safety of cloned animals.

  The Food and Drug Administration says meat and milk from clones of adult cattle,pigs and goats are safe to eat. An F. D. A. official called them "as safe to eat as the food we eat every day. " And when those clones reproduce sexually,the agency says,their offspring (后代) are safe to eat as well. But research on cloned sheep is limited. So the F. D. A. proposes that sheep clones not be used for human food.

  The United States this year could become the first country to approve the sale of foods from cloned animals. First,however,the public will have ninety days to comment on three proposed documents. On December 28th the F. D. A. released a long report,called a draft risk assess?ment,along with two policy documents.

  The agency says it must receive comments by April second. The F. D. A. seemed ready to act several years ago,but an advisory committee called for more research.

  For now,the government will continue to ask producers to honor a request that they not sell foods from cloned animals.

  Clones are still rare. They cost a lot and are difficult to produce.

  The F. D. A. says most food from cloning is expected to come not from clones themselves,but from their sexually reproduced offspring. It says clones are expected to be used mostly as breeding animals to spread good qualities.

  Public opinion studies show most Americans do not like the idea of food from cloned ani?mals. But this research also shows the public knows little about cloning.

  Cloning differs from genetic engineering. A cell taken from a socalled donor animals is grown into an embryo (胚胎) in the laboratory. Next,the embryo is placed into the uterus (子宫) of a female animal. If the process is successful,the pregnancy reaches full term and a genetic copy of the donor animal is born.

(   ) 1. From the passage we know that         .

   A. foods from cloned animals are popular in America

   B. cloned adult animals are safe to eat except sheep

   C. cloned animals will be easy to produce

   D. most foods from cloning are expected to take place of other foods

(   ) 2. The main purpose of the text is to         .

   A. tell an interesting story   B. give some advice on foods

   C. give a report   D. compare different opinions

(   ) 3. Who believes that foods from cloning are safe to eat?

   A. Most Americans. B. An advisory committee.

   C. Critics. D. The F. D. A.

(   ) 4. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that         .

   A. cloning has much in common with genetic

   B. not every cell taken from a donor animal can grow into a genetic copy

   C. the donor animal should be a female one

   D. cloned animals grow faster than normal ones

  The Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center's exhibition "The American Twenties" explores the decade's great cultural and social changes,including ambiguities (模梭两可) , contradictions (自相矛盾) ,contrasts and conflicts as well as the many ideas that were born or started to have results in the1920s.

  Featuring more than400 items,the exhibition presents the achievements and events that characterized the period. The exhibition runs from Jan. 30 to July 29at the Ransom Center at The University of Texas at Austin.

  With the opening of this exhibition,the Center begins its celebration of its 50th anniversary year." The American Twenties" is the first of one of many exhibitions and programs planned in a year contributing to" Celebrating the Imagination."

  "This exhibition is an exploration of the1920s through the literature and art that was to become typically American and typically modern."

  The United States came out from World War I with wealth and power and an urge to remake itself. In the decade's struggle to define the future of America,a large number of issues were argued and fought out in poetry,novels,political tracts (小册子) ,music and the movies. The exhibition takes a deeper look at many of the most important events and ideas that shaped the period.

  As these fundamental issues came to the surface,the idea of the "modern" became clear and the" American" century born.

  "The exhibition offers visitors a unique opportunity to witness the emergence of a distinctly modern American culture," Phillips said.

"The American Twenties" can be seen at the Ransom Center Galleries on Tuesdays through Fridays from10 a.m. to5 p.m., with extended Thursday hours until7 p.m.. On Saturdays and Sundays the galleries are open from noon to5 p.m.. The galleries are closed on Mondays. 

(   ) 1. The purpose of writing this passage is to introduce         .

   A. American history in1920s

   B. an exhibition called The American Twenties

   C. the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center

   D. celebrations of the 50th anniversary year of the center

(   ) 2. 1920s became a distinctive period of time in American history for the following reasons EXCEPT that         .

   A. America modern culture was shaped

   B. America had just experienced World War I

   C. America accumulated great wealth during this period of time

   D. a lot of literature and art works at that time reflected the struggling time

(   ) 3. If you are a teacher,you can go to the exhibition         .

   A. on the afternoon of Monday

   B. on a morning during the weekends

   C. after a whole day's work on Wednesday

   D. on a Tuesday during your summer vacation

(   ) 4. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

   A. The exhibition only displays works in literature and arts.

   B. The exhibition will last seven months only closed on Mondays.

   C. During the early1920s,the Americans were in a state of confusion.

   D. There was such kind of exhibition as The American Twenties before.

违法和不良信息举报电话:027-86699610 举报邮箱:58377363@163.com

精英家教网