A super drug that could remove Alzheimer’s (老年痴呆症)，heart disease and diabetes (糖尿病) and help people live to 100 is being developed by scientists. Their research is based on the identification of three genes that help prolong lives and prevent diseases which occur in old age. Medically controlling the proteins made by the “ longevity genes” will allow millions to live longer, predicts Dr Nir Barzilai.
Those whose DNA strongly features the three genes are 80 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s. The genes also fight against the deadly impact of smoking, poor diet, obesity and lack of exercise.
Already, several laboratories are working on a pill to imitate the benefits of the genes and Dr Barzilai thinks it could be tested within three years. The pill could remove some diseases that damage old age. “ The advantage of finding a gene that involves longevity is that we can develop a drug that will imitate exactly what this gene is doing,” he said.
Of the three longevity genes, two genes increase the production of so-called good cholesterol(胆固醇), which reduces the risk of heart disease. The third prevents diabetes. They were discovered by Dr Barzilai’s team while studying the DNA of 500 Ashkenazi Jews with an average age of 100. The chances of living that long are one in 10,000 but the group, which shared relatively few common ancestors, was 20 times more likely to hit the entury. Dr Barzilai said: “ 30 percent of them were obese or overweight and 30 percent smoked two acks of cigarettes a day for more than 40 years, however they can live to 100.”
But Andrew Ketteringham of the Alzheimer’s Society said: “Alzheimer’s disease, a most common disease, is likely to be caused by a combination of genetic disosition(遗传倾向), lifestyles and life events. Many genes are probably involved.
【小题1】Some people are able to live to 100 years because of ______.

A machine which makes water out of air could become the greatest household invention since the microwave． Using the same technology as a dehumidifier (除湿器)， the Water Mill is able to create a ready supply of drinking water by getting it from a limitless source－the air． The company behind the machine says not only does it offer all alterative to bottled water in developed countries，but it is a solution for the millions who face a daily water shortage．

The machine works by drawing in damp air through a filter(过滤器) and over a cooling element which changes it into water droplets．It can produce up to 12 liters a day．The Water Mill will also produce more water when storms pass over, as the humidity（湿度）in the air increases．In keeping with its ecodevelopment，the machine uses the same amount of electricity as three light bulbs．

  Inventor Jonathan Ritchey said：“The demand for water is off the chart．People are looking for freedom from water distribution systems that are shaky and unreliable”．

  The machine，which is about 3 feet wide，is likely to cost￡800 when it goes on sale here in the spring．Its maker, Canadian firm Element Four, estimates that a liter of water will cost around 20 pence to produce．

  Environmentalists claim half the world’s population will face water shortage because of climate change by 2080．One in five humans is said to lack access to safe drinking water．

  The Water Mill is not effective in areas with below about 30 percent relative humidity, but with average relative humidity in England of more than 70 percent that won’t be much of an issue here.

1.According to the author, the biggest advantage of the machine is its ______．

A．little power use  B．unlimited source  C．proper size  D．high production

2.We can conclude from the passage that the machine________．

A．can be used everywhere

B．has not been on sale

C．will replace the water distribution system

D．will solve the problem of water shortage

3.The underlined phrase “off the chart” in the passage means ________

A．record-breaking．  B．urgent．  C．unbelievable．D．amazing．

4.What would be the best title for this passage?________

A．Microwave for Household Use     B．Filter to Draw in Damp Air         

C．Mode Dehumidifier on Sale        D．Machine to Make Water out of Air

For the most part, you are probably only exposed to the music that is played on your favorite radio stations and TV shows, music Web sites, or the music that your friends and family members enjoy. While you probably know a lot about your favorite type of music, it can be a rewarding experience to enlarge your horizons (眼界), discovering artists and types of music that you’re not familiar with. Who knows, you might discover you like certain types of music you never even considered.
Have you ever wondered about the history and influences of your favorite types of music? For example, did you know that rock ’n’ roll originated (起源) from the blues, and that the blues began as a form of musical expression for African Americans during slavery(奴隶制度)? Did you know that most hip-hop is heavily influenced by early rhythm blues and jazz?
There are many fun ways to learn about different musical styles and their historical roots. For example, if you like hip-hop, listen to some of your favorite CDs and take note of the samples the performers used to create the songs. There is a possibility that the artist used parts of older songs to create the music. You can go to the library or online to learn more about the artists and listen to more of their music by checking out CDs from the library or downloading songs online for a small fee.
You can learn so much about culture and history just by paying attention to different types of music and what is being expressed in the songs. There are so many different styles of music to learn about, and you owe (欠) it to your-self to make an effort to listen to and learn about them.
【小题1】The main topic of this passage is _______.

The Food and Drug Administration is, again, threatening to impose(征税) milk and meat from cloned animals on a public that opposes the technology and its products.
Respected polls report that more than 60% of Americans think animal cloning is immoral, and that most people said they wouldn’t knowingly eat the products even if the FDA approved them. But because the FDA would allow cloned meat and milk to be sold without identifying labels, consumers wouldn’t be able to avoid them. The FDA has consistently tilted toward those who want cloned milk and meat in our food. Agency officials have repeatedly asserted that science shows cloned milk and meat are safe for humans. But the FDA has never published the complete scientific studies it says support that claim.
The argument that cloning is safe for animals is unconvincing. Cloned meat and milk offer no public economic benefits. Having cloned cows produce more milk wouldn’t reduce milk prices. US farmers produce more milk than we drink, and the government is required to buy the surplus. Since 2000, dairy support programs have cost taxpayers more than $ 5 billion.
Most important, this first decision to advance animal biotechnology raises ethical issues beyond the FDA’s expertise（专家意见）. Techniques used to clone animals will advance the ability to clone humans－and create animals with human genes. Neither the agency nor animal scientists are qualified to tell us whether and when it is ethically acceptable for humans to alter the essential nature of animals. We need a national discussion, including ethicists and religious leaders, to consider the wisdom of cloned and transgenic animals. Given the risk of unintended consequences, we should proceed cautiously. The president should halt further FDA action on cloning and set in motion(运作) a process for beginning this broader discussion.
1. The author’s attitude towards cloning is __________.
A. standing in the middle      B. opposed     C. approving     D. supportive
3. In US many people buy cloned foods __________.
A. to support the new technique
B. because FDA approved them
C. because they cannot tell which is cloned food
D. because they cannot read the labels.
3. From the text we know that cloning technique ___________.
A. developed well enough to clone human beings
B. may cause unintended bad results to human beings
C. will bring more unexpected economic benefits
D. is supported by ethicists and religious leaders
4. What’s the best title of this passage?
A．Public Is Against Cloned Food     B．Benefits of Cloned Food
C．Cloned Food Is Illegal            D．Technique in Cloned Food

请认真阅读下列短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入一个最恰当的单词。注意：每个空格只填1个单词。请将答案写在答题卡上相应题号的横线上。
Advertisers tend to think big and perhaps this is why they’re always coming in for criticism. Their critics seem to offend them because they have a talent for self-promotion and because they have so much money to throw around. ‘It’s unfair,’ they say, ‘that this entirely unproductive industry (if we can call it that) should absorb millions of pounds each year. It only goes to show how much profit the big companies are making. Why don’t they stop advertising and reduce the price of their goods? After all, it’s the consumer who pays…’
The poor old consumer! He’d have to pay a great deal more if advertising didn’t create mass markets for products. It is precisely because of the heavy advertising that consumer goods are so cheap. But we get the wrong idea if we think the only purpose of advertising is to sell goods. Another equally important function is to inform. A great deal of the knowledge we have about household goods comes largely from the advertisements we read. Advertisements introduce us to new products or remind us of the existence of ones we already know about. Supposing you wanted to buy a washing machine, it is more than likely you would obtain details regarding performance, price, etc., from an advertisement.
Lots of people pretend that they never read advertisements, but this claim may be seriously doubted. It is hardly possible not to read advertisements these days. And what fun they often are, too! Just think what a railway station or a newspaper would be like without advertisements. Would you enjoy gazing at a blank wall or reading railway rules while waiting for a train? Would you like to read only closely printed columns of news in your daily paper? A cheerful, witty advertisement makes such a difference to a dull wall or a newspaper full of disasters.
We must not forget, either, that advertising makes a positive contribution to our pockets. Newspapers, commercial radio and television companies could not survive without this source of revenue(收益). The fact that we pay so little for our daily paper, or can enjoy so many broadcast programmes is due entirely to the money spent by advertisers. Just think what a newspaper would cost if we had to pay its full price!
Another thing we mustn’t forget is the ‘small ads.’ which are in virtually every newspaper and magazine. What a greatly useful service they perform for the community! Just about anything can be accomplished through these columns. For instance, you can find a job, buy or sell a house, announce a birth, marriage or death in what used to be called the ‘hatch, match and dispatch’ column but by far the most fascinating section is the personal or ‘agony’ column（读者来信专栏）. No other item in a newspaper provides such entertaining reading or offers such a deep insight into human nature. It’s the best advertisement for advertising there is!