Scientists have not come close to understanding all the different kinds of life on the planet, but US researcher Craig Venter is already working on creating the first artificial life.
Venter and his researchers made a breakthrough this August. They successfully moved the DNA of one type of bacteria(細(xì)菌) to a yeast(酵母) cell, changed it, then put it into another bacterial cell.
“Bacteria have systems that protect them from foreign DNA,” Venter explained to the BBC. In the experiment, the team managed to block this system.
The experiment was performed on a simple type of bacteria called Mycoplasma mycoides. The team took the bacteria’s genes and put them into a yeast cell.
Putting the DNA in a yeast cell allowed the team to change the genes----in this case, taking out a gene that was not necessary for the bacteria to live.
They then put the gene into a host bacteria cell. The cell went on to divide normally, producing new healthy bacteria.
In January, the team created artificial genes of a new type of bacteria. Their next goal is to put the artificial DNA into a host cell to create a new species, according to a report in Science magazine.
“If we don’t make any errors, I think it should work and we should have the first artificial species by the end of the year,” Venter said in the report.
The first artificial life from is likely to be a simple man-made bacteria, to prove that the technology can work. But that form will be followed by more complex bacteria that turn coal into cleaner natural gas, or algae that can take in carbon dioxide and change it into fuel.
Many scientists think it’s good news to have this artificial life, but others are worried that the technology to create new organisms might end up in the wrong hands, with dangerous results.
小題1:Craig Venter and his team are working to ______.

A．create a new animal

B．clone a new species

C．produce the first artificial bacteria

D．develop a new system

小題2:Which of the following is the right order of the experiment?
a. A gene was removed and put into a host bacteria cell.
b. The genes were put into a yeast cell.
c. The cell produced new healthy bacteria.
d. The genes were changed.
e. Some genes were taken out of Mycoplasma mycoides.

A．d-e-a-c-b	B．e-b-d-a-c
C．a(chǎn)-d-e-c-b	D．b-e-d-c-a

小題3:According to the passage, complex artificial bacteria, which will follow the first simple man-made bacteria, are intended to ______.

A．cure deadly diseases

B．prepare the Earth for natural disasters

C．prove that the technology can work

D．improve the earth’s environment

小題4:We can learn from the passage that ______.

A．Venter and his team are the only scientists trying to create artificial life

B．The experiment was based on research into different kinds of life on Earth

C．A new type of bacteria was created in January

D．All scientists are not in favor of the research

President Barack Obama has complained about the loss of privacy that comes with being leader of the United States, regretting the loss of simple pleasures such as a long walk or a trip to the car wash or supermarket.
"I just miss – I miss being unknown," he said. "I miss Saturday morning, rolling out of bed, not shaving, getting into my car with my girls, driving to the supermarket, squeezing the fruit, getting my car washed, taking walks. I can't take a walk."
His dream, he said, was to "go through Central Park and watch folks passing by ... spend the day watching people – I miss that".
Faced with criticism for playing more golf than most previous occupants of the White House, he explained that the sport was simply the best way of getting relaxed.
"It's the only excuse I have to get outside for four hours," he told Hearst magazines.
Though he said he enjoyed his life in the White House, he felt disillusioned（醒悟的，幻想破滅的） with the some of the ways of Washington, which he has failed to change, such as the "kabuki dance（日本歌舞）" among political parties before serious policy discussions begin. His comments may be seen as excuse by critics who have accused him of appearing too detached（漠然）, and being slow to engage in important issues such as Libya and the near shutdown of the US government last week.
Since arriving at the White House in January 2009, Mr Obama has already racked up（打）60 rounds of golf in office, more than George W Bush did in his eight years.
In terms of ability, Golf Digest magazine has ranked Mr Obama eighth out of the 18 presidents who played the game since it became established in the early 20th century.
小題1:What do the second paragraph and the third paragraph mainly tell us?     .

A．Obama wishes to enjoy simple pleasures.

B．Obama likes going shopping with his girls.

C．Obama likes to take a walk.

D．Obama likes to watch folks passing by.

小題2:According to Obama, he plays golf to ___________.

A．a(chǎn)void criticism

B．show his ability

C．get relaxed

D．show his advantage over the former presidents

小題3:What does the underlined word “It” refer to in the fifth paragraph?

A．Playing golf.	B．Getting relaxed.
C．Changing some ways of Washington.	D．Watching people

小題4:What is the best title of the passage?

A．Obama complains about lack of privacy as president

B．Obama can’t live a normal life

C．Obama is often criticized

D．Obama likes to play golf

London taxis, with their friendly drivers who actually know where they are going, are ranked best in the world, according to an annual taxi survey.
The survey by travel website hotels.com found London taxis, despite being the most expensive, beat rivals（對(duì)手）across the globe to head the list for the third consecutive（連續(xù)的）years, scoring a total of 59 percent in votes on several categories by travelers.
London taxi drivers were voted both friendliest and most knowledgeable. Drivers in the English capital must pass a rigorous examination called The Knowledge to earn their taxi license.
New York's yellow taxis came second in the list, scoring 27 percent which was up 10 percentage points from last year even though Manhattan's cab drivers tied （打成平局）with Parisian taxi drivers as the rudest.
Travelers said New York had the most convenient taxis.
Taxi drivers in Rome were voted the worst drivers in the world with almost one in 10 travelers thinking the Italian capital had the world's worst taxi drivers when it came to the quality of driving.
"Traveling by taxi is one of the first experiences that many travelers have upon arrival in a new city. In fact, the research found that cabs are by far the most popular method of traveling from the airport to their hotel," a spokesman for hotels.com said in a statement.
The global survey scored city based taxis for their levels of cleanliness, value, quality of driving, knowledge of the area, friendliness, safety and convenience.
Rounding out the top five were Tokyo with a total score of 26 percent, Berlin with 17 percent, and Bangkok famed for its tuk-tuks scoring 14 percent.
The survey for hotels.com, part of the Expedia group, was conducted among over 1,900 travelers between May 11-28 this year.
小題1:Which of the following about London’s taxi drivers is wrong?     

A．They are the friendliest.	B．They are the most knowledgeable.
C．They charge the most money.	D．They drive fastest.

小題2:What does the underlined word “rigorous” mean in the third paragraph?         .

A．strict

B．important

C．official

D．lawful

小題3:The writer introduced the result of the study by ___________.

A．interviewing city leaders	B．interviewing the taxi drivers
C．listing the ranks of cities concerned	D．reading forms concerned

小題4:Rome’s taxi drivers are lack of __________.

A．good manners	B．driving skills
C．the sense of cleanliness	D．the sense of safety

GAOMI,  Shandong, Oct．11（ Xinhua）—Chinese writer Mo Yan said last Thursday that he was "very surprised" at winning the Nobel Literature Prize．
Speaking to reporters at a hotel in his hometown Gaomi city in east China's Shandong Province, Mo said, "（I was）very surprised upon winning the prize because I felt I was not very senior in terms of qualification（among Chinese writers）．There are many good writers and my ranking was not so high．"
"I am very happy," he said．"I was having dinner when I received the news．I was surprised．”
"Thank you for coming all the way to Gaomi．This should be a season of red sorghum, but no such crop is planted any more．I believe none of you have seen the crop," he said．
"The Nobel Literature Prize is a very important literature prize, but not the top award．It represents the opinions of the jury（評(píng)審團(tuán) ）．I am satisfied with my major works and I still keep writing by hand．My works are Chinese literature, which is part of world literature．They show the life of Chinese people as well as the country's unique culture and folk customs．Meanwhile, my novels described human beings in the broad sense．I wrote in the perspective of a human being．These works stand beyond regions and ethnic groups," he said．
"The folk arts and folk culture accompanied my growth and I was influenced by the cultural elements I witnessed through my childhood．When I picked up the pen for literature creation, the folk cultural elements inevitably entered my novels and affected and even determined the artistic styles of my works," he added．
Mo's win brought joy to other writers and readers throughout the country as he is the first Chinese national to win the Nobel Literature Prize in its century--long history．
Born into a farmer's family in a village in Gaomi, Mo has been known since the late 1980s for his novels such as Big Breasts and Wide Hips and Red Sorghum, which was later adapted into a film by director Zhang Yimou．
小題1:Mo Yan was surprised at winning the Nobel Prize because he felt        ．

A．he was not the best writer in China

B．he was not as famous as other writers

C．he was born in a farmer's family

D．he didn't have good education

小題2:By reading Mo Yan's works, we can               ．

A．increase our sense of national pride

B．learn a lot about the Chinese folk culture

C．form a vivid picture of his childhood

D．learn more about the history of the Nobel Prize

小題3:Which of the following words can best describe Mo Yan?

A．romantic	B．self--confident
C．modest	D．humorous

小題4:Where might you find the article?

A．In a novel．	B．In a travel book．
C．In a student book．	D．In a newspaper．

Researchers at the University of Kansas say that people can accurately judge 90 percent of a stranger's personality simply by looking at the person's shoes．
"Shoes convey a thin but useful slice of information about their wearers," the authors wrote in the new study published in the Journal of Research in Personality．"Shoes serve a practical purpose, and also serve as nonverbal cues with symbolic messages．People tend to pay attention to the shoes they and others wear．"
Medical Daily notes that the number of detailed personality traits detected in the study include a person's general age, their gender, income, political affiliation, and other personality traits, including someone's emotional stability．
Lead researcher Omri Gillath said the judgments were based on the style, cost, color and condition of someone's shoes．In the study, 63 University of Kansas students looked at pictures showing 208 different pairs of shoes worn by the study's participants．Volunteers in the study were photographed in their most commonly worn shoes, and then filled out a personality questionnaire．
So, what do your shoes say about your personality?
Some of the results were expected: People with higher incomes most commonly wore expensive shoes, and flashier footwear was typically worn by extroverts（外向性格的人）．
However, some of the more specific results are intriguing．For example, "practical and functional" shoes were generally worn by more "agreeable" people, while ankle boots were more closely aligned with "aggressive" personalities．
The strangest of all may be that those who wore "uncomfortable looking" shoes tend to have "calm" personalities．
And if you have several pairs of new shoes or take exceptional care of them, you may suffer from "attachment anxiety," spending an inordinate amount of time worrying about what other people think of your appearance．
There was even a political calculation in the mix with more liberal types wearing "shabbier and less expensive" shoes．
The researchers noted that some people will choose shoe styles to mask their actual personality traits, but researchers noted that volunteers were also likely to be unaware that their footwear choices were revealing deep insights into their personalities．
小題1:We learn from the text that shoes one wears may            ．

A．be used to judge others’ personality accurately

B．show thick and useful information about one’s personality

C．convey useful information including one’s emotional stability

D．only convey some information about one’s personality

小題2:Which of the following is not true according to the text?

A．People who wear practical and functional shoes may be hard to deal with．

B．People with high incomes probably wear expensive shoes．

C．Ankle boots are closely aligned with “aggressive” personalities．

D．People wearing “uncomfortable looking” shoes tend to be calm．

小題3:What can be the best title for this article?

A．Shoes and Information	B．Shoes and One’s Personality
C．Shoes One Wears	D．Judging One’s Personality

There are two basic ways to see growth: one as a product, the other as a process．People have generally viewed personal growth as an external（外部的） result or product that can easily be identified and measured．The worker who gets a promotion, the student whose grades improve, the foreigner who learns a new language--- all these are examples of people who have measurable results to show for their efforts．
By contrast, the process of personal growth is much more difficult to determine, since by definition it is a journey and not the specific signposts or landmarks along the way．The process is not the road itself, but rather the attitudes and feelings people have, their caution or courage, as they go through new experiences and unexpected obstacles．In this process, the journey never really ends; there are always new ways to experience the world, new ideas to try, new challenges to accept．
In order to grow, to travel new roads, people need to have a willingness to take risks, to be faced with the unknown, and to accept the possibility that they may “fail” at first．How we see ourselves as we try a new way of being is essential to our ability to grow．
These feelings of insecurity and self – doubt are both unavoidable and necessary if we are to change and grow．If we do not face and overcome these internal fears and doubts, if we protect ourselves too much, then we cease to grow．We become trapped inside a shell of our own making．
小題1:A person is generally believed to achieve personal growth when______．．

A．he has given up his smoking habit

B．he has made great efforts in his work

C．he is interested in making anything new

D．he has tried to determine where he is on his journey

小題2:In the author’s eyes, one who views personal growth as a process would______．

A．judge his ability to grow from his own achievements

B．succeed in climbing up the social ladder

C．face difficulties and take up challenges

D．a(chǎn)im high and reach his goal each time

小題3:When the author says “a new way of being” （para．3）, he is referring to _____．

A．a(chǎn) new way of taking risks

B．a(chǎn) new approach to experiencing the world

C．a(chǎn) new system of adapting to change

D．a(chǎn) new method of finding ourselves

小題4:For personal growth, the author may not support __________．     ．

A．curiosity and more chances

B．being quick in self – adaptation

C．open – minded to new experiences

D．a(chǎn)voidance of internal fears and doubts

New York, the city that never sleeps, fell silent last week—schools were closed; bus and subway services were stopped; flights were canceled, and even the stock market closed for the first time since 1985. All the disorder was caused by one thing, the arrival of hurricane Sandy.
This big storm landed on Oct 29 on the US east coast and brought damaging winds, flooding, blackouts (停電) and heavy snow.
Sandy is one of the largest storms that have ever hit the US, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. By the afternoon of Nov1 (Beijing time), about 140 deaths were caused by the storm as it traveled across the Caribbean islands and into the US.
Unlike most hurricanes that happen during summer, Sandy was strengthened not only by warm ocean water, but also by the cold air coming from the northwest. Sandy’s power grew because of the difference in masses between the warm and wet air and cool and dry air. It became a kind of “super-storm”, the Guardian reported.
The flooding was particularly severe. Scientists said it was because Sandy’s arrival happened together with a full moon, which normally means higher-than-usual tides (潮水).
“The most worrying aspect of Sandy is the high tides,” Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee told Reuters before the storm arrived. “With the full moon on Monday, with Sandy coming up the bay, we’re very concerned about flooding in our low-lying coastal areas.”
Apart from the power of Sandy itself, another reason why her arrival has caused so much damage is that its target area is crowded with big cities such as New York and Philadelphia. These urban areas are home to tens of millions of people. The flood, the snow and the blackout have brought the country’s financial and political centers to a stop. 
“The size of this alone, affecting a heavily populated area, is history making.” Said Jeff Masters, a hurricane specialist.
小題1:The author mentioned the disorder in New York city at the beginning of the article to _______.

A．remind us of the problems people might face when disaster strikes

B．introduce the disastrous influence of hurricane Sandy

C．criticize the poor management of the city by the New York government

D．prove New York suffered most from hurricane Sandy

小題2:According to the text, hurricane Sandy _______.

A．only got its power from the warm ocean water

B．grew stronger than other hurricanes because of the full moon

C．led to flooding in many cities around the US

D．brought with it strong winds, high tides, blackouts and heavy snowfall

小題3:From the article, we learn that areas hurricane Sandy targeted _______.

A．were mostly high land

B．were mostly near the sea

C．were far away from important cities

D．were empty as people were evacuated (疏散)

小題4:What is the main point of the article?

A．To show how a super-storm comes into being.

B．To explain why hurricane Sandy was so destructive.

C．To show that big cities in the US are easily affected by huge hurricanes.

D．To explore the best ways to avoid loss when a hurricane hits.

Teens’ lives hit by economy
Some teenagers are crossing their dream colleges off their lists. Others are thinking of skipping（略過(guò)）their senior trips or reducing prom(畢業(yè)舞會(huì))costs. Many are finding their work hours cut while their expenses rise.
So, who exactly is punishing them？Is it their parents, teachers or employers？No, it’s the economy（經(jīng)濟(jì)狀況）.
If you are like most teenagers, you probably don’t understand what “recession”, “negative economic growth” and “subprime mortgage crisis (次貸危機(jī))”actually mean. And you probably don’t spend your days watching the ups and downs of the stock market.
It’s safe to say that most teens don’t know much about the economy except for one thing：it’s bad. But just how exactly is the economy affecting teens?
“The single largest thing I have noticed is the recession’s ability to affect my college choice, “said Heather Richars from Downey High School in California, US. “With the economic situation the way it is, I have thought less about going to a private or out-of-state university, and more about public schools in California, mainly because of the price of tuition, “said Richars. “I had been a fan of attending a private school up until this year.”
The economy cuts into other areas of teenagers’ lives, too.
Joey Camarda, a student at Modesto High School in California, who works at an ice cream store,  said,“ Probably due to the economy, I have been getting less hours at my job, and because of that, I am not getting enough money to help pay for college.”
Tara Mooney, a senior at Beyer High School, has also begun to notice that money is tight.
“Things are getting expensive,” she said. “When it comes to applying for colleges and wanting to go on senior trips, I have to pick and choose instead of doing it all.”
小題1:The purpose of writing the passage is mainly to tell us ________.

A．the economic recession has had a big effect on teens’ work, life and study

B．teenagers are now having difficulty in deciding which colleges to apply for

C．teenagers don’t know much about the economic recession

D．teenagers are considering giving up their senior trips to save money

小題2:Because of the bad economic situation, Heather Richars will most probably ________.

A．go to a private university

B．a(chǎn)ttend an out-of-state college

C．a(chǎn)ttend a public college in California

D．find a good university as he planned

小題3:How has Joey Camarda found the recession affects him?

A．He has to find more part-time jobs.

B．He has to help his mother do more chores.

C．He has found that he had more time to study.

D．His plan to pay for college will be hard to realize.

小題4:What can we conclude from the passage?

A．Parents punish their teens by giving them less money.

B．Most teens understand what negative economic growth means.

C．Teenagers are finding it harder to do what they want than before.

D．Teenagers have realized the importance of managing their own money.

Going to Disneyland is a dream vacation for kids. You may have been to the Disneyland in Hong Kong or in other places. Soon you will be able to enjoy a Disney Park in Shanghai. Shanghai Disneyland started building on April 8, 2011.There will be many Chinese characters in Shanghai Disneyland. It is different from the others. There is a 10-kilometer-long river. It goes around the whole park. Shanghai Disneyland will cost 24. 4 billion yuan to build. It will open in five years.

 

In order to keep the road safe, European Commission (歐盟) says that buses and taxis can be fitted (安裝) with “black boxes.” The black boxes can help the police to find what happened after an accident.

 

The Beijing-Shanghai High Speed Railway was put into operation at the end of June, 2011.Now the journey can take about five hours. The train can reach the speed of up to 380 kilometers an hour. The passenger volume (容量) can reach 160 million a year, marking a great step in China’s Railway development.

 

On the evening of May 8th, 2012,a middle school teacher Zhang Lili from Jiamusi , Heilongjiang Province , saved her students in a terrible accident. She was badly hurt and lost her legs. Her brave deed moved the people around China deeply. She is called “the most beautiful teacher.” The whole society is trying to save her life. As a young teacher, her bravery sets a good example to us all. We all hope she will get better soon.

小題1:The Beijing-Shanghai High Speed Railway was put into operation at the end of __, 2011.

A．June

B．July

C．August

D．September

小題2:Shanghai Disneyland will open ___________.

A．on April 8, 2011	B．in 2012
C．on May 8, 2012	D．in 2016

小題3:Which of the following is TRUE about Shanghai Disneyland?

A．A 10-kilometer-long river goes in the middle of the park.

B．There will be many Chinese characters.

C．It is the same as the others.

D．It opened 5 years ago.

小題4:In order to keep the road safe, European Commission wants to

A．make buses and taxis go slowly.

B．fit buses and taxis with "black boxes".

C．make the police find out what happened.

D．find out what "black boxes" can do.

小題5:According to the news, we can learn___________

A．Now we are able to enjoy a Disney Park in Shanghai.

B．The black boxes can help the police predict what will happen.

C．The passenger volume can reach 380 million a year.

D．“The most beautiful teacher” Zhang Lili is our good example.

Animal training refers to teaching animals specific responses to specific conditions or stimuli (刺激). Training may be for the purpose of companionship, detection, protection, entertainment or all of the above.

An animal trainer may use various forms of reinforcement (強(qiáng)化) or punishment to condition an animal’s responses. Some animal trainers may have a knowledge of the principles of behavior analysis and operant conditioning (操作性條件反射), but there are many ways to train animals and as a general rule no legal requirements or certifications are required.

Training chickens has become a way for trainers of other animals (primarily dogs) to perfect their training technique. Bob Bailey, former director of Animal Behavior Enterprises and the IQ Zoo, teaches chicken training courses where trainers teach chickens to tell different shapes, to successfully pass through a way with obstacles (障礙) and to chain behaviors together. Chicken training is done using operant conditioning, using a clicker and chicken feed for reinforcement.

Fish can also be trained. For example, a goldfish may swim toward its owner and follow him as he walks through the room, but will not follow anyone else. The fish may swim up and down signaling the owner to turn on its aquarium light when it is off, and it will skim the surface until its owner feeds it. Pet goldfish have also been taught to perform more difficult tasks, such as doing the limbo (a                         kind of dance) and pushing a very small soccer ball into a net.

Among all animals, they are the third cleverest after monkeys and dolphins. Scientists think the training of pigs is easier than the training of dogs and cats. Pigs have a very good sense of smell. They can find things nearby or faraway. They can also help the police to find out drugs at an airport or at a train station.

小題1:The aim of training animals is to _________.

A．detect objects for people	B．keep people company
C．protect or entertain people	D．a(chǎn)ll of the above

小題2:Which is True according to the passage?

A．Most people teach animals general responses to general conditions.

B．Training animals requires some certifications.

C．Training chickens is a way to improve the trainers’ skills.

D．Chickens can be trained to help the police to find out drugs.

小題3:According to the passage, a fish can _________.

A．be trained to follow anyone

B．turn on its aquarium light when it is off

C．signal its owner to feed it

D．take part in a football game in the field

小題4:Scientists think the training of pigs is easier because _________.

A．pigs do not bite like dogs

B．pigs are smart animals

C．pigs have a good sense of hearing

D．pigs can help find out drugs at an airport