How far would you be willing to go to satisfy your need to know？Far enough to find out your possibility of dying from a terrible disease？These days that’s more than an academic question，as Tracy Smith reports in our Cover Story.

There are now more than a thousand genetic(基因的) tests，for everything from baldness to breast cancer，and the list is growing.Question is，do you really want to know what might eventually kill you？For instance，Nobel Prize?winning scientist James Watson，one of the first people to map their entire genetic makeup，is said to have asked not to be told if he were at a higher risk for Alzheimer’s(老年痴呆症)．

“If I tell you that you have an increased risk of getting a terrible disease，that could weigh on your mind and make you anxious，through which you see the rest of your life as you wait for that disease to hit you.It could really mess you up.” said Dr.Robert Green，a Harvard geneticist.

“Every ache and pain，” Smith suggested，could be understood as “the beginning of the end.”“That’s right.If you ever worried you were at risk for Alzheimer’s disease，then every time you can’t find your car in the parking lot，you think the disease has started.”

Dr.Green has been thinking about this issue for years.He led a study of people who wanted to know if they were at a higher genetic risk for Alzheimer’s.It was thought that people who got bad news would，for lack of a better medical term，freak_out.But Green and his team found that there was “no significant difference” between how people handled good news and possibly the worst news of their lives.In fact，most people think they can handle it.People who ask for the information usually can handle the information，good or bad，said Green.

1.The first paragraph is meant to________.

A．ask some questions

B．introduce the topic

C．satisfy readers’ curiosity

D．describe an academic fact

2.Which of the following is TRUE of James Watson?

A．He is strongly in favor of the present genetic tests.

B．He is more likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease.

C．He believes genetic mapping can help cure any disease.

D．He doesn’t want to know his chance of getting a disease.

3.According to Paragraphs 3 and 4，if a person is at a higher genetic risk，it is________.

A．advisable not to let him know

B．impossible to hide his disease

C．better to inform him immediately

D．necessary to remove his anxiety

4.The underlined part “freak out” in Paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to “________”．

A．break down? B．drop out

C．leave off? D．turn away

Exchanging music over the Internet is fun and easy. Better yet, it's free, which means you don't have to pay for any more expensive music CDs. Several online file-sharing services make it easy for music lovers to exchange their favorite tunes with one another.

However, this illegal sharing of music — a form of music piracy(盗版)— is doing harm to the music industry. Industry experts estimate (估计) that US$4.3 billion in worldwide sales was lost to music piracy last year. These lost profits could force record companies to stop producing the music of many popular artists. That would hurt both musicians and music fans alike.

Music producers are puzzled about how to fight music piracy. Their efforts to fight piracy using the law have had only limited success. The music industry did win a legal victory against Napster, a famous music website. The courts ordered Napster to stop giving away copyrighted music from their site. But a number of other music-sharing networks have sprung up in its place.

These new networks are made up of thousands, or even millions, of individuals. Unlike Napster, there's no one company controlling the distribution(发行)of music over each network. So it's nearly impossible to stop the illegal activities.

Now people in the music industry have decided that " if you can't beat them, join them." They've begun to offer legal alternatives to online music piracy. Major music producers have given companies like Apple Computer permission(许可) to sell their music online. Apple's iTune Music Store allows computer users to legally download any song for 99 cents.

Will these new measures save the music industry from piracy? That depends on whether music fans are willing to pay 99 cents fro a song that they can download illegally for free. Unfortunately, many people believe music should be free. The music industry, however, hopes to persuade these music fans to change their tune.

1.This text is written to _____.

A．discuss music piracy on the Internet

B．introduce the popularity of online music

C．persuade music fans to give up downloading music

D．protect copyrighted music from being downloaded illegally

2.Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．Some online file-sharing services are responsible for music piracy.

B．Napster, a famous music website, broke down because of its piracy.

C．There have been no perfect measures to put an end to piracy.

D．Legal sharing of music is available at Apple's iTune Music Store.

3.Which of the following statements would the author agree with?

A．The only effective way to fight music piracy is to stop it by law.

B．Music lovers will be persuaded to pay for online music in time.

C．It is certain that no one will be willing to pay for online music.

D．There is a long way for music industry to go in fighting piracy.

4.The underlined word "illegal" in Paragraph 2 probably means _____.

A．being protected by the law                B．popular           C．being against the law  D．surprising

Coupons to spend

“How did you spend your coupons?”

On their first day back to school, many students in Hangzhou greeted each other this way.

The coupons referred to the 100 yuan coupons each student received form the city government before the Spring Festival holidays. Over 260,000 primary school and middle school students were given coupons. They could use them in local stores and supermarkets, or to see movies and buy books.

The same coupons have also been given to low income families in Hangzhou. Other cities, including Chengdu and Nanjing, also gave coupons to their citizens. More cities are expected to follow their lead.

Why are local governments doing this?

These programmes are all part of a broader effort in China to increase domestic demand in the face of the global financial crisis.

The crisis has seriously affected China’s exports and investments (投资). Many factories in southern cities have been closed down. Some companies are laying off workers or reducing their pay. The stock market and real estate market have been falling.

In a time of financial crisis, people usually respond by saving money. They are uncertain about the future and are afraid that more difficult times may be ahead. Now many people are choosing not to spend money carelessly. Major chain stores have seen a sharp slowdown in sales, analysts say.

But spending keeps an economy healthy. If people don’t spend, there will be too many products in the market. Then shops will stop buying products from factories. When factories receive no orders, they close down. The workers there accordingly lose their jobs. Also, if people don’t spend, the service industry suffers. The total result is that the whole economy breaks down.

Issuing coupons is a practical and effective way to increase domestic demand in the current situation, said Jiang Zengwei, vice-minister of China’s Ministry of Commerce. Hangzhou reported a rise in customers in local markets during Spring Festival holiday.

However, issuing coupons is only a temporary measure. To increase consumers’ confidence, the government needs to establish a sound secure social system in the long term. When people don’t have to worry about education, health care and their pension, they will be more willing to spend instead of saving.

Why are local governments issuing coupons?

A. To increase domestic demand in the face of the global financial crisis.

B. To enable students to use them in local stores and supermarkets, or to see movies and buy books independently.

C. To help those low income families in the global financial crisis.

D. To show the government’s ability to solve economic problems

What is NOT the influence that the global financial crisis has brought us?

A. China’s exports and investments have been seriously affected.

B. People begin to spend money without a second thought.

C. Workers are faced with losing jobs and the reduction of the salaries.

D. The active stock market and real estate market have gone. 

What can be inferred from the passage?

A. Issuing coupons is a practical and effective way to increase domestic demand in a long term.

B. The total result of saving money is that the whole economy breaks down.

C. The government may carry out new policies to encourage citizens to be willing to spend in the near future.

D. After issuing the coupons, the local markets have seen a rise in customers during Spring Festival holiday.

If the government is to print a slogan on the coupons to restore consumers’ confidence, what might be used to promote the idea?

A. Spend now, save later.

B. Spend money like there’s no tomorrow; come on!

C. Spend money like it’s going out of style; let’s do it!

D. Big spender, wise spender.

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项，选项中有两项为多余选项。

The Winner’s Guide to Success

How do successful people think? What helps them to make success? To find out the answers, an American scholar recently visited some of the most successful people in America.    1  

Be responsible for yourself

Sometimes you may want to blame others for your failure to get ahead.    2    You’re saying, “You have more control over my life than I do.”

Live life “on purpose”

Almost all successful people live life “on purpose”— they are doing what they believe they should and want to do. When you live your life on purpose, you’ll try your best to do your job or study as well as you can. You love what you do and you can find pleasure in what you do.

Write a plan

It is very difficult trying to get what you want without a good plan.     3    A good plan is like a map to you. Without this “map”, you may waste your time, money and also your energy; while with the “map” you’ll enjoy the “trip” and get what you want in the shortest possible time.

Be willing to pay the price

Nothing great is easy to get. So you must be ready to work hard — even harder than you have ever done. If you are not willing to pay the price, you won’t get anything valuable.

Never give up

   4   When you are doing something, you must tell yourself again and again: Giving up is worse than failure because failure can be the mother of success, but giving up means the death of hope.

   5   

Once an American writer was writing a novel. He could not have a good ending for his book until one night when he had a very good idea. He was so excited that he made a phone call to one of his best friends. “I’ve got a perfect idea,” he said, “I’ll put it down later and show it to you.” But he never did, because he died that night. His book was left without a perfect ending. So remember, do what you can right away. Never delay at all. 

A．It is just like trying to drive through strange roads to a city far away.

B．It seems to us that everyone knows this. But it is easier said than done.

C．Some people achieve success much later in life because they fail to realize earlier the importance of hard work.

D．In fact, when you say someone or something outside of yourself is stopping you from making success, you’re giving away your own power.

E. Someone else’s opinion of you doesn’t have to become your reality.

F. Don’t delay

G. Here are some keys to success that they give.

We are looking for energetic volunteers who might be willing to volunteer their time. It’s a great way to build your volunteer experience, get involved in your community, meet new people and show your pride.

Computer Teacher

The computer teacher will be responsible for teaching older adults computer skills, including basic skills such as turning on computer or more media skills such as setting up email. This position requires patience, dedication and long hours on your feet. Computer skills needed. Ask Mandy, 01313377227.

Meals on Wheels

Do you have time in your schedule to make a difference in the lives of seniors in your community? Meals on Wheels drivers deliver nutritious lunchtime meals to homebound seniors on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Our aim is to help seniors who are unable to go out themselves due to age or disability. A valid driver’s license and personal vehicle is required. Call Lucy,（781）2727177.

Tree Nursery Volunteer

Tasks are different according to season, but may include: collecting tree seeds from ancient woodland, preparing seeds for sowing, planting trees and tree aftercare. Some of the work is physical and outdoors, others such as seed preparation can be done indoors. No experience is necessary, but a knowledge or interest in botany would certainly be helpful. Ask Amrita, 07748623073.

Photography Volunteer

     If you have a talent for photography, this may be the role for you. We need someone who can take great photos for posters and websites. We especially need photos of our events and volunteers. This is a great opportunity to gain valuable work experience. You’ll also gain the satisfaction of seeing your work being displayed on the National Trust website and in literature. Ask Sarah, 01248600954.

1.If you are interested in teaching, you can get in touch with ________.

A. Mandy  B. Lucy      C. Amrita  D. Sarah

2.What do Meals on Wheels volunteers deliver for the seniors?

A. Breakfast.      B. Lunch.  C. Supper. D. Snack.

3.Which kind of voluntary work doesn’t require special experience or skills?

A. Computer Teacher.                 B. Meals on Wheels.

C. Tree Nursery Volunteer.         D. Photography Volunteer.