66．What does the underlined “it” in the last paragraph refer to?

A．Child-caring. 　　　　 B．Liz’s advice. 　　　　　 C．Downshifting. 　　　　　　　　　　 D．Liz’s job.

65．Daniel and Liz both agree that the move to the farm_______.

A．was easy to organize　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B．has improved family life

C．was extremely expensive　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D．has been a total success

64．When Daniel was a reporter, he _______.

A．lived in central London　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B．disliked his job

C．missed his children　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D．was well paid

63．David King’s comment in the last paragraph implies that________.

A．he agrees with the research findings of the gene MAOA

B．he criticizes strongly the possible role of the less active variant

C．he considers that the research is of no great importance

D．he thinks the findings oversimplify the solution to social problems

C

As you move around your home, take a good look at the things you have. It is likely that your living room will have a television set and a video, and your kitchen a washing machine and a microwave oven. Your bedroom drawers will be filled with almost three times as many clothes as you need. You almost certainly own a car and possibly a home computer, holiday abroad at least once a year and eat out at least once a week.

Now, perhaps, more than ever before, people are wondering what life is all about, and what it is for. Seeking material success is beginning to trouble large numbers of people around the world. They feel that the long-hours work culture to make more money to buy more things is eating up their lives, leaving them very little time or energy for family or pastimes. Many are turning to other ways of living and downshifting is one of them.

Six percent of workers in Britain took the decision to downshift last year. One couple who downshifted is Daniel and Liz. They used to work in central London. He was a newspaper reporter and she used to work for an international bank. They would go to work by train every day from their large house in the suburbs, leaving their two children with a nanny(保姆). Most evenings Daniel wouldn’t get home until eight or nine o’clock, and nearly twice a month he would have to fly to New York for meetings. They both earned a large amount of money but began to feel that life was passing them by.

Nowadays, they run a farm in the mountains of Wales. “I always wanted to have a farm here,” says Daniel, “and we took almost a year to make the decision to downshift. It’s taken some getting used to, but it’s been worth it. We have to think twice now about spending money on car repairs and we no longer have any holidays. However, I think it’s made us stronger as a family, and the children are a lot happier. ”

Liz, however, is not quite sure. “I used to enjoy my job, even though it was hard work and long hours. I’m not really a country girl, but I suppose I’m gradually getting used to looking after the animals. One thing I do like, though, is being able to see more of my children. My advice for other people wanting to do the same is not to think about it too much or you might not do it at all. ”

62．According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

A．One third of the population carry the less active variant.

B．Boys with the less active variant will not live normal lives.

C．Some people disagree with the concept of “violence” gene.

D．The less active variant and ill-treated experience contribute to violence.

61．We can learn from the passage that those men who have stronger ability to endure mental stress usually________.

A．have the more active variant of the gene　　　　 B．have the less active variant of the gene

C．had ill-treated childhood　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D．had no ill-treated childhood

60．According to the passage, the less active variant of the gene _______.

A．will totally determine men’s personality and behavior

B．always leads to trouble-making feature

C．might the responsible for boys’ criminal behavior

D．plays no significant role in children’s development

59. In the last sentence of paragraph 2 the phrase “the practical results” refers to the results 　　　　　.

A. that are obtained from experience　　 B．that can be learned as knowledge

C. that can be made use of　　　　　　 D．helping us make further exploration

B

Scientists have identified a gene(基因)that plays a role in violence in men ill-treated in childhood. The discovery could explain why some survive unhappy childhoods and go on to normal lives, while others turn to violence, crime or antisocial behavior. But it will also restart the argument about the influence of nature and nurture(后天培养)in criminal behavior.

Terrie Moffitt and Avshalom Caspi report in Science today that one common form of a gene in the brain makes men more likely to be violent-but only if they have experienced cruelty or rejection in childhood. The researchers followed up the life histories of 442 boys born in New Zealand in 1972. Of these, 154 had been ill-treated in the first 10 years, 33 of them severely. They had either experienced sexual attack, beatings or rejection by mother or stepparents. Of the 154 children, 55 had a less active variant(变异体)of a gene called MAOA, which controlled the balance of neurotransmitters(神经传递素)in the brain, and 99 had the more active variant. The 55 boys were more than twice as likely to have been involved in criminal behavior than the other ill-treated group. They made up 12% of the total, but were responsible for 44% of all crimes committed among the 442 boys.

Prof Moffitt stressed a “violence” gene had not been discovered. Boys with the less active form who were not ill-treated during childhood lived perfectly normal lives. “It is very common in the population. One third of us have it,” she said. “So the gene apparently doesn’t do much of anything, it doesn’t cause an obstacle in any way, unless we are also ill-treated. ”

The gene might also indicate the ability to endure mental stress. The military or the police might examine applicants to see if they have the more active form. But the discovery also raises the view of biology as fate, and the argument that people with the less active form of the gene could be social risks, to be treated with drugs. “This research can easily play into the tendency to fix social problems through medical treatment, ”said David King of the UK Gene Alert Group.

58．The author seems to be in favor of　　　　 ．

A. doubting the necessity of the space exploration

B. the exploration of space

C. exploring more in space than in sea

D. his experience in space

57．The word “manifold” in the second paragraph probably means　　　　 ．

A. vast　　 B. various　　 C. valuable　 D．practical