One _____ needed when making a cake is flour; another is sugar.A. containerB. ingredientC. contentD. equivalent

Israeli scientists find the specific gene to block the aging process in bananas, allowing them to stay fresh for longer.Bananas never last very long—within a few days of buying them, the rot sets in.But now Israeli scientists have found a way to significantly slow down the decomposition by altering their genetic make-up.In fact, researchers say their GM fruit can stay fresh for at least double the time of regular bananas.Dr. Haya Friendman, a researcher at Volcani Institute—Agricultural Research Organization, said, “You can see here that these are bananas that we changed the expression of the gene and the ripening is delayed. In control fruits the ripening is still developing fast and normally. You have to understand that these fruits were picked more than a month ago.”The research was initially based on previously-known findings in tomatoes. But it took these findings a step further to isolate the specific gene that drives the aging process in bananas and interrupt its normal function.Lab tests show that the genetic intervention does not harm the bananas’ quality or taste.The team now hopes to find ways to commercialize the findings to benefit farmers and wholesalers.1.What is the passage mainly about?A) Taste of GM bananas.B) Quality of GM bananas.C) Aging process of bananas.D) Freshness duration of GM bananas.2.What do we learn about the research from the passage?A) The research is done by Israeli scientists.B) Customers benefit from the GM fruit.C) The GM bananas’ taste is better than regular ones.D) The scientists repair the specific gene of bananas.3.How long can GM bananas stay fresh?A) More than a few days.B) More than a few weeks.C) At least double the time of regular bananas.D) At least a month longer than regular bananas.

Why do few men take a long parental leave?A. A long leave will have a negative impact on their career.B. They just have too many responsibilities to fulfill at work.C. The economic loss will be too much for their family to bear.D. They are likely to get fired if absent from work for too long.

【题文】 The 65-year-old Steve Goodwin was found suffering from early Alzheimer’s(阿尔兹海默症). He was losing his memory.A software engineer by profession, Steve was a keen lover of the piano, and the only musician in his family. Music was his true passion, though he had never performed outside the family.Melissa, his daughter, felt it more than worthwhile to save his music, to which she fell asleep each night when she was young. She thought about hiring a professional pianist to work with her father.Naomi, Melissa’s best friend and a talented pianist, got to know about this and showed willingness to help.“Why do this?” Steve wondered.“Because she cares.” Melissa said.Steve nodded, tear in eye.Naomi drove to the Goodwin home. She told Steve she’d love to hear him play. Steve moved to the piano and sat at the bench, hands trembling as he gently placed his fingers on the keys.Naomi put a small recorder near the piano. Starts and stops and mistakes. Long pauses, heart sinking. But Steve pressed on, playing for the first time in his life for a stranger.“It was beautiful.” Naomi said after listening to the recording. “The music was worth saving.”Her responsibility, her privilege, would be to rescue it. The music was still in Steve Goodwin. It was hidden in rooms with doors about to be locked.Naomi and Steve met every other week and spent hours together. He’d move his fingers clumsily on the piano, and then she’d take his place. He struggled to explain what he heard in his head. He stood by the piano, eyes closed, listening for the first time to his own work being played by someone else.Steve and Naomi spoke in musical code lines, beats, intervals, moving from the root to end a song in a new key. Steve heard it. All of it. He just couldn’t play it.Working with Naomi did wonders for Steve. It had excited within him the belief he could write one last song. One day, Naomi received an email. Attached was a recording, a recording of loss and love, of the fight. Steve called it “Melancholy Flower”.Naomi heard multiple stops and starts, Steve struggling, searching while his wife Joni called him “honey” and encouraged him. The task was so hard, and Steve, angry and upset, said he was quitting. Joni praised him, telling her husband this could be his signature piece.Naomi managed to figure out 16 of Steve’s favorite, and most personal, songs. With Naomi’s help, the Goodwin family found a sound engineer to record Naomi playing Steve’s songs. Joni thought that would be the end. But it wasn’t.In the months leading up to the 2016 Oregon Repertory Singers Christmas concert, Naomi told the director she had a special one in mind: “Melancholy Flower. ”She told the director about her project with Steve. The director agreed to add it to the playing list. But Naomi would have to ask Steve’s permission. He considered it an honor.After the concert, Naomi told the family that Steve’s music was beautiful and professional. It needed to be shared in public.The family rented a former church in downtown Portland and scheduled a concert. By the day of the show, more than 300 people had said they would attend.By then, Steve was having a hard time remembering the names of some of his friends. He knew the path his life was now taking. He told his family he was at peace.Steve arrived and sat in the front row, surrounded by his family. The house lights faded. Naomi took the stage. Her fingers. His heart.【小题1】Why did Melissa want to save her father’s music? A．His music could stop his disease from worsening. B．She wanted to please her dying old father. C．His music deserved to be preserved in the family. D．She wanted to make her father a professional. 【小题2】After hearing Steve’s playing, Naomi ________. A．refused to make a comment on it B．was deeply impressed by his music C．decided to free Steve from suffering D．regretted offering help to her friend 【小题3】How can the process of Steve’s recording be described? A．It was slow but productive. B．It was beneficial to his health. C．It was tiresome for Naomi. D．It was vital for Naomi’s career. 【小题4】Before Steve finished “Melancholy Flower,” his wife Joni _______. A．thought the music talent of Steve was exhausted B．didn’t expect the damage the disease brought about C．didn’t fully realize the value of her husband’s music D．brought her husband’s music career to perfection 【小题5】How did Steve feel at the concert held in downtown Portland? A．He felt concerned about his illness. B．He sensed a responsibility for music. C．He regained his faith in music. D．He got into a state of quiet. 【小题6】What can be a suitable title for the passage? A．The Kindness of Friends B．The Power of Music C．The Making of a Musician D．The Value of Determination

___________, he does get annoyed with her sometimes.A. Though much he likes herB. Much although he likes herC. As he likes her muchD. Much as he likes her

Low-carbon Future：We Can Afford to Go Green Tackling climate change will cost consumers the earth．Those who campaign for a green revolution are out to destroy our western lifestyles．Such are the cries of opponents of emissions cuts，and their message has political impact：a number of surveys have found that the enthusiasm of voters for policies to reduce climate change falls off as the price tag increases． However，a new (模型化)exercise suggests that these fears are largely unfounded．It projects that radical cuts to the UK’s emissions will cause barely noticeable increases in the price of food，drink and most other goods by 2050．Electricity and petrol costs will rise significantly，but with the right policies in place，say the modellers，this need not lead to big changes in our lifestyle． "these results show that the global project to fight climate change is feasible，"says Alex Bowen，a climate policy expert at the London School of Economics．"It’s not such a big ask as people are making out．" Although it is impossible to precisely predict prices four decades from now．the exercise is one of the most detailed examinations yet of the impact of climate change policies on UK consumers．It provides a useful rough guide to our economic future． Though its results speak directly to the UK consumer，previous research has come to similar conclusions for the US．In June，one study found that if the US were to cut emissions by 50 per cent by 2050，prices of most consumer goods would increase by less than 5 per cent．The findings are also consistent with analyses by the Pew Center on Global Climate Change in Washington DC．"Even cutting emissions by 80 per cent over four decades has a very small effect on consumers in most areas，”says Manik Roy of the Pew Center．"The challenge is now to convince consumers and policy-makers that this is the case．" The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recommends that wealthy nations cut their emissions to between 80 and 95 per cent below 1990 levels by 2050 in order to avoid the worst effects of climate change．The UK government aims to reduce its contribution by 80 per cent and leaders of the other G8 nations have discussed following suit．To meet this goal，industries will have to cut down fossil fuel consumption，and low-carbon power sources will have to massively expand. Companies will have to pay increasingly higher prices for the right to emit greenhouse gases. How will this affect the average citizen’s wallet To measure the impact of the 80 per cent target on the UK population, New Scientist approached Cambridge Econometrics, a firm known for its modelling of the European economy. The firm used historic economic data to predict the impact of emissions reductions on prices in over 40 categories of goods and services. It compared the impact of the 80 per cent cut with a baseline situation in which the government takes no action other than the limited emissions restrictions already in place as a result of the (京都议定书). Most of the price increases are a consequence of rising energy costs, in part because coal and gas are re-placed by more expensive low-carbon sources. The price of electricity is projected to be 15 per cent higher in 2050 compared with the baseline. In today’s prices, that would add around ￡5 onto typical monthly household electricity bills. It will also result in higher prices elsewhere, as every industrial sector uses electricity. But electricity and other forms of energy make up only a small part of the price of most goods. Other factors-raw materials, labour and taxes-are far more important. The energy that goes into producing food, alcoholic drinks and tobacco, for example, makes up just 2 per cent of the consumer price. For motor vehicle purchases and hotel stays, the figure is 1 per cent. Only for energy-intensive industries does the contribution climb above 3 per cent. As a result, most products cost just a few per cent more by 2050. At current prices, going low-carbon is forecast to add around 5 pence to the price of a slice of bread or a pint of beer. The price of household appliances such as washing machines rises by a few pounds. There is one major exception to the pattern. Airlines do not currently have a low-carbon alternative to jet fuel. Unless one is found, they will bear the full burden of carbon pricing, and average fares will rise by at least 140 per cent--raising the cost of a typical London to New York return trip from around ￡350 to ￡840. Achieving the overall picture of low prices does require government action. The model forecasts that by 2050 natural gas and petrol will cost 160 per cent and 32 per cent more respectively. To avoid large price rises in home heating and road transport while still hitting the 80 per cent target, the Cambridge researchers had to build two major policies into their analysis. They assumed that future governments will provide grants to help switch all domestic heating and cooking to electricity, and invest in the basic facilities needed for electric cars to almost completely replace petroleum-fuelled vehicles. Both policies have been discussed in recent UK government strategy documents, though the detail of how they would be implemented still needs further discussion. Firm policies must follow if ambitious emissions cuts are going to be made, says Chris Thoung of Cambridge Econometrics. So is tackling climate change going to be easier than expected, in terms of consumer costs While the Cam-bridge Econometrics model is widely respected and regularly used by the UK government’s climate change advisers, any attempt to forecast four decades ahead can be diverted from its intended course by unforeseen events. That leads some economists to question the model’s results. For example, companies could move to countries with less strict carbon regulations, points out Richard Tol of the Economic and Social Research Institute in Dublin, Ireland. Incomes in the UK would fall, making goods relatively more expensive. Tol also questions whether it is reasonable to use historical prices as a basis for projecting beyond 2020. Despite this, the Cambridge Econometrics results, together with other recent studies, do provide a useful guide for governments, says Michael Grubb of the University of Cambridge. They suggest that the overall challenge is conquerable, even if many of the details will only become clear in years to come.The two major policies built by the Cambridge researchers include______. A．imposing higher taxes for petroleum-fuelled vehiclesB．stabilization of the price of daily goods and serviceC．the electrification of residential heating and cooking systemD．the prohibition of driving petroleum-fuelled vehicles

We all laugh. We all hurt. We all make mistakes. We all dream, that's life. It's a journey. Please follow these rules to make the journey of your life a journey of joy! Staying positive through the cold season could be your best defense against getting ill, new study findings suggest.In an experiment that exposed healthy volunteers to a cold or flu virus, researchers found that people with a generally sunny disposition (性格) were less likely to fall ill. The findings, published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine, build on evidence that a "positive emotional style" can help ward off the common cold and other illnesses.Researchers believe the reasons may be both objective as in happiness boosting immune function and subjective as in happy people being less troubled by a scratchy throat or runny nose. "People with a positive emotional style may have different immune response to the virus," explained lead study author Dr Sheldon Cohen of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. "And when they do get a cold, they may interpret their illness as being less severe." Cohen and his colleagues had found in a previous study that happier people seemed less likely to catch a cold, but some questions remained as to whether the emotional trait itself had the effect.For the new study, the researchers had 193 healthy adults with complete standard measures of personality traits, self-perceived health and emotional "style". Those who tended to be happy, energetic and easy-going were judged as having a positive emotional style, while those who were often unhappy, tense and hostile had a negative style. The researchers gave them nose drops containing either a cold virus or a particular flu virus. Over the next six days, the volunteers reported on any aches, pains, or sneezing (打喷嚏) they had, while the researchers collected objective data. Cohen and his colleagues found that based on objective measures of nasal woes (鼻部的不适), happy people were less likely to develop a cold.(1) (单选题)The new study findings in the experiment suggest that _________.A.Being optimistic is more probable to keep healthy.B.Staying positive is more likely to catch cold.C.Having a negative emotion is harmful to the character.D.Having a good disposition is more likely to get ill.(2) (单选题)The phrase "ward off" in Paragraph 2 most probably means "_________".A.set asideB.give inC.shrug offD.keep away(3) (单选题)It can be inferred from Dr. Sheldon Cohen's interpretation that ______________.A.people with a positive emotion are more likely to regard their illness as less serious.B.people with a negative emotion are more likely to boost immune function to the virus.C.people with a positive emotion are more likely to interpret their illness objectively.D.people with a negative emotion are more likely to interpret their illness subjectively.(4) (单选题)It can be learnt from the passage that the benefits of having a positive emotional style are _____________.A.still dubiousB.to be further studiedC.proven by scientific researchD.self-evident(5) (单选题)Which of the following would be the best TITLE for the passage?A. Happy Journey Full of JoyB.The Health Benefits of Staying PositiveC.Scientific Evidence of Staying HealthyD.The Secrets of Staying Positive

Directions Complete the sentences with the words or expressions below.Change the form if necessary. thankful consensus permission mystery verbal respectively rejection grief diagnosis interfere disorder gratitude grief despair poisonous derive （1）Sarah shook her head in ____ as she realized she would never know her son's secret.（2）I hope that my parents don't try to ____ in my choice of future career.（3）I tried very hard to persuade him to join our group but I met with a flat ____ .（4）In 2011，the growth rates of the three countries reached 7.6 percent，5.3 percent，and 5.9 percent ____ .（5）I wish to express my ____ to Kathy Davis for her help when my kids were in trouble.（6）He believes that all scientists should ____ their theories from the first-hand experiments.

Happiness doesn t always _ money.A. go in forB. go throughC. go overD. go with

Medical accidents ______ by drugs have attracted much attention in that country.A. causingB. to be causedC. be causedD. caused