“Can I see my baby?” the happy new mother asked. When the wrapped baby was laid in her arms and she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face, she was shocked. The doctor turned quickly and looked out the tall hospital window. The baby had been born without ears.

       Time proved that the baby’s hearing was perfect. It was only his appearance that was problem. When he rushed home from school one day and threw himself into his mother’s arms, she sighed, knowing that his life was to be filled with heartbreaks. He spoke out the tragedy. “A boy, a big boy...called me a monster.”

       He grew up, handsome for his misfortune. A favorite with his fellow students, he might have been class president, but for that. He developed a gift, a talent for literature and music. The boy’s father had a talk with the family physician. “Could nothing be done?” “I believe I could transplant a pair of outer ears, if they could be available,” the doctor decided. Then the search began for a person who would make such a sacrifice for a young man. Two years went by. One day, his father said to the son, “You’re going to the hospital, son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it’s a secret.” The operation was a brilliant success, and a new person appeared. His talents blossomed into genius, and school and college became a series of successes. Later he married and entered the diplomatic service.（外交工作）.

       One day, he asked his father, “Who gave me the ears? Who gave me so much? I could never do enough for him or her.” “I do not believe you could,” said the father, “but the agreement was that you are not to know...not yet.” The years kept their great secret, but the day did come. One of the darkest days that ever pass through a son, he stood with his father over his mother’s coffin. Slowly, tenderly, the father stretched forth a hand and raised the thick, reddish brown hair to show the mother had no outer ears. “Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut,” his father whispered gently, “and nobody ever thought mother less beautiful, did they?”

1．What’s the problem with the baby?        

       A．It was unhealthy.                                 B．It had a bad hearing.

       C．It had been born without ears.               D．It had a bad appearance.

2．Which is true about the passage?

       A．The boy became successful because of the ear operation.

       B．The boy was given the ear operation when he was born.

       C．The boy’s father was unwilling to donate his outer ears.

       D．The boy learned the truth after his mother died.

3．In order to enter the diplomatic service, a person should          .

       A．have talent for literature and music        B．be a genius

       C．have a good appearance                        D．be perfect both inside and outside

4．Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?        .

       A．Mother        B．Ears        C．A secret         D．Love

  Want to lose weight? Try eating. That’s one of the ways being developed by scientists experimenting with foods that trick the body into feeling full.

  At he Institute of Food Research in Norwich, England, food expert Peter Wilde and his colleagues are developing foods that slow down the digestive system, which then sends a signal to the brain that stops appetite. “That fools you into thinking you’ve eaten far too much when you really haven’t,” said Wilde. From his studies on fat digestion, he said it should be possible to make foods, from bread to yoghurt, that make it easier to diet. While the research is still in its early stages, Wilde’s approach to controlling appetite is one that some doctors say could be a key to solving the problem of obesity.

  “Being able to switch off appetite would be a big help for people having trouble losing weight,” said Steve Bloom, a professor of investigative medicine at London’s Imperial College, who is not connected to Wilde’s research. Bloom said that regulating appetite through foods is theoretically possible. But Bloom warned that controlling appetite may be very challenging. “The body has lots of things to prevent its regulatory systems from being tricked,” he said.

  Wilde’s research makes use of the body’s ways of digesting fat. Fat normally gets broken down in the first part of the small intestines (肠道). When you eat a high-fat meal, however, the body can only digest the fat entirely further down in the intestines, which then causes the body to produce a kind of chemical to stop the appetite.

  Wilde’s approach copies what happens with a high-fat meal. He coats fat droplets (滴) in foods with modified proteins from plants, so it takes longer for the chemical that breaks down fat to reach it. That means that the fat isn’t digested until it hits the far reaches of the intestines. At that point, intestinal cells send a signal telling the brain it’s full. Even though the body hasn’t had a high-fat meal, it stops the appetite as if it has. If the fat had been digested earlier in the intestines, no such signal would be sent.

51. According to Wilde’s research, what could people do if they want to lose weight?

   A. Eat more bread and yoghurt.                    B. Trick the body by eating nothing.

   C. Have foods with fat droplets coated.         D. Control their digestive system strictly.

52. The underlined word “obesity” in Para. 2 most probably means “________”.

   A. being too fat                            B. eating too much food       

   C. stopping appetite                D. being unhealthy

53. What can be inferred about Professor Bloom’s opinion towards Wilde’s approach?

   A. It won’t work since the body’s regulatory systems will never be tricked.

   B. It is sure to switch off the appetite of people with a weight problem.

   C. It sounds terrible because regulating appetite through foods is not practical at all.

   D. It’s no that easy to trick the body so more research should be done.

54. Which of the following is TRUE about Wilde’s approach?

   A. A kind of chemical is added to make a high-fat meal less fatty.

   B. Fat is digested earlier and the body sends a signal telling the brain it’s full.

   C. Fat won’t get broken down in the first part of the small intestines.

   D. The chemical that breaks down fat will not reach the fat.

55. The passage is written to ________.

   A. give advice on how to stop eating high-fat meals

   B. introduce a research on controlling appetite

   C. discuss the argument between two professors

   D. show different ways to trick the body

Five steps to take if your child is being bullied
  51  The worst thing you can do is ignore it. Too often parents feel children and teens need to “work things out” on their own. If the problem is ignored, your child’s self-esteem will become unhealthy, he will be hurt mentally or physically, and he could become a bully himself.
Here are five steps you can take if your child is having problems with a bully:
  52  This is an important first step and will help your child trust that you are able to help him with his problem. Accept what he has to say at face value by using your active listening skills.
Let your child know that he is not alone.   53  Reassure your child that he is not the problem. Nothing he did caused the bully to go after him.
If your child is being threatened in a physical or illegal way at school, report the problem. Your child may not want you to do this, or the school may not take it seriously, but violence cannot be tolerated.   54  You will need to model assertive (果断的) behavior by alerting those in charge where the bullying is taking place.
Teach your child assertive behavior and how to ignore routine teasing. Let them know it is okay to say “No.” sometimes even friends bully, so letting your child know they can be true to their own feelings and say “No” can go a long way.
  55  Giving up possessions or giving in to a bully in anyway encourages the bully to continue. Identify ways for your child to respond to a bully---showing assertive but not aggressive behavior---and role-play them.