【题目】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 Organization.

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 analyzed 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.

1What’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.

2The 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. analyzing more blood samples from hungry dolphins

3Which 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.

4What 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.

【题目】Each Sunday, people can hear the music of the Mission Dolores Basilica in San Francisco. The Spanish missionaries(传教士)built the church in 1791. It was the start of a special kind of neighborhood: the Mission District.

The area is a place with a long and varied history. One community member says that it’s important for people to understand the many levels of history in the neighborhood. He feels that_______is a big part of understanding what it means to be a real San Franciscan.

One of the most interesting parts of the district is its people. Over the years, immigrants have come to the area from Ireland, Germany, and Italy. But the most recent immigrants are mainly from Latin America. It’s easy to see the style that these recent additions give to the neighborhood. You can see it in the art on the walls, taste it in the food, and hear it in the music!

Juan Pedro Gaffney, the director of the Spanish Choir(唱诗班)of San Francisco, says that the people there share the pain and the happiness of their friends and family members and that music has always been a basic part of cultural identity in the district. He feels that the music of the district is colorful and lively.

But it isn’t just its music that’s colorful and lively. Its art is full of life as well.

The local art community stays close to the area’s culture and tradition. A local arts organization often leads people on walks through the district. They visit streets like Balmy Alley, which is famous for its murals (壁画). Even though the meanings behind the murals are always changing, they are still very powerful. One artist explains that they are fighting for fairness in the community and to help the environment through murals. Apparently, they’re something the community likes.

Many of these artists feel that the district is a successful neighborhood where new immigrants are welcome. “People see that they’re not so different from each other,” says one artist. “There are a lot of things that bind(捆绑)the immigrants through culture and tradition.”

1The underlined phrase “this knowledge” in Paragraph 2 refers to ____________.

A. having memories of the Spanish missionaries

B. knowing the history of the Mission Dolores Basilica

C. realizing what it means to be a real San Franciscan

D. understanding the many levels of history in the neighborhood

2The author shows the multi-culture of the Mission District from the aspects of ____________.

A. literature and sports

B. music and murals

C. buildings and clothes

D. customs and festivals

3It can be inferred from the passage that in the Mission District ____________.

A. immigrants from different cultures live in harmony

B. Latin American music and foods are the most attractive

C. the Spanish Choir stands out in the competition of different cultures

D. new immigrants have to give up their own culture to be welcome

4What would be the best title for the passage?

A. The Mission Dolores Basilica

B. A Special Type of Neighborhood

C. Music of the Mission District

D. The Spanish Choir of San Francisco

【题目】When tea was first brought to England between 1652 and 1654, it was so expensive that only the rich could buy it. It was said that an old couple had some sent to them as a great treat. But they did not know how it ought to be used. Eventually they boiled the leaves, put some of them on a piece of bacon for dinner, ate the leaves, and threw the tea soup away. However, tea quickly proved popular enough to replace ale(麦芽酒)as the national drink of England after King Charles II and his Portuguese wife began to follow this foreign tea tradition.

Before the introduction of tea into Britain, the English had two main meals — breakfast and dinner. Breakfast was ale, bread and beef. Dinner was a long, massive meal at the end of the day. It was no wonder that Anna, the Duchess of Bedford (1788 — 1861) experienced a________in the late afternoon. So she invited friends to join her for an additional afternoon meal at five o’clock in her castle. The menu centered around small cakes, bread and butter sandwiches, and, of course, tea. This summer practice proved so popular that the Duchess continued it when she returned to London, sending cards to her friends asking them to join her for “tea and a walking the fields”.

The practice of inviting friends to come for tea in the afternoon was quickly picked up by other social hostesses. A common pattern of service soon came into practice. The first pot of tea was made in the kitchen and carried to the lady of the house who waited with her invited guests, surrounded by fine porcelain(瓷器)from China. The first pot was warmed by the hostess from a second pot (usually silver) that was kept heated over a small flame. Food and tea was then passed among the guests, the main purpose of the visiting being conversation.

1The story of the old couple in Paragraph 1 is to show ____________.

A. how impolite the old couple were

B. how English people cooked tea

C. how difficult it was to introduce tea to England

D. how little English people knew about tea in those days

2The underlined phrase “sinking feeling” in Paragraph 2 refers to a feeling of ____________.

A. hunger B. loneliness

C. thirst D. anger

3According to the passage, the key factors of a typical afternoon tea include ____________.

a. cakes and bread

b. a massive meal

c. tea d. ale

e. fine porcelain

f. silver tea pot

g. a small flame

A. a, b, c, d, f B. a, c, e, f, g

C. a, b, e, f, g D. a, c, d, e, g

4We can know from the passage that afternoon tea ____________.

A. leads to the wide planting and large production of tea in England

B. helps bring King Charles II and his wife together in their childhood

C. is not only an additional afternoon meal but helps bring people together

D. contributes to the increasingly high price of tea and porcelain in England

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