Many years ago at Christmas time I parked my car in the town centre on my way to the post office to post my Christmas cards. It was the last posting day for Christmas cards if they were to be ______ before Christmas. ______ I came out of the car park I saw a boy who was ______ and holding his right hand side. I ______ some bigger boys had perhaps bullied him and he was in ______ . I had to go to his aid and see if I could ________.
He told me that his sister who was a ______ had bought him a Christmas present. It was a mobile phone. He only had it days when he ________ it and cracked the screen! That’s ________ he was holding his right hand side of his body—his mobile phone was in the upper right hand pocket of his coat. The little guy was extremely _______, tears rolling down his face as he told all this to me. My heart _________ for him. It was clear he ______ his present and knew that this was a lot of money for his __________ to spend on him, for nurses didn’t make much money. He’d been to a phone shop and they’d told him it would be ￡80 to get a new _________ .
I had to help, though I was ________ to make ends meet myself. I searched my purse and gave the boy the only ￡20 I could find and made some ________ as to why I could only give him so little. I didn’t want him to know it was all I had until pay day. I could not ______ pay for his phone to be repaired but I hope the ________ he received from a stranger was ________ that stayed with him when he became a man.
The Christmas cards not getting posted somehow didn’t seem ______; greater issues had been addressed with a kindness stamp.
1.A. decorated B. received C. accepted D. bought
2.A. Since B. Until C. As D. Unless
3.A. sobbing B. fighting C. bleeding D. starving
4.A. saw B. heard C. remembered D. thought
5.A. pain B. surprise C. relief D. debt
6.A. park B. pay C. leave D. help
7.A. teacher B. nurse C. doctor D. 1awyer
8.A. lost B. sold C. dropped D. repaired
9.A. when B. where C. how D. why
10.A. sad B. tired C. grateful D. embarrassed
11.A. beat B. jumped C. worried D. ached
12.A. destroyed B. missed C. valued D. disliked
13.A. mother B. sister C. brother D. friend
14.A. screen B. computer C. phone D. present
15.A. preparing B. begging C. struggling D. deciding
16.A. change B. excuse C. apology D. noise
17.A. fully B. usually C. hardly D. warmly
18.A. money B. gift C. wish D. kindness
19.A. somebody B. somewhere C. something D. sometime
20.A. beautiful B. important C. possible D. expensive
All over the world people are hooked on sports, which help them to strengthen their body and build their character. 1. They improve the participants’ physical skills, and provide entertainment for the audience as well.
Many people like to watch others play games. 2. Often they get very excited when “their” player or team wins. If they are crazy about the game or the player, then they’ll become their die-hard fans. Some sports are so interesting that people everywhere go in for them. Football, for example, has spread around the world. Swimming is popular in countries near the sea or in those with many rivers. 3. And think of people in cold countries. Masses of people love to skate or ski in Japan, Norway or Canada.
4. Chinese boxing, also has a very long history. But basketball and volleyball are rather new, which started in the late of the nineteenth century. People are inventing new sports or games all the time. Water skiing, as a modern game, is one of the newest in the family of sports.
People from different countries or races may not be able to understand each other, but after a game, they get to know each other better and they often become good friends. 5. They learn to fight hard but fight fair, to win without pride and to lose with grace. They also learn to be competitive and optimistic, which will equip them for life challenges in the future.
A. They buy tickets or turn on the TV to watch the games.
B. What fun it is to jump into a pool or lake, whether in China, Egypt or Italy!
C. Some sports or games date back thousands of years, like running or jumping.
D. Sports help to train a person’s character.
E. Chinese people liked doing sports even in ancient times.
F. Sports are competitive physical activities or games through casual or organized participation.
G. And the friendship may last for a life time.
Chinese scientists recently have produced two monkeys with the same gene, Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua, using the same technique that gave us Dolly the sheep. These monkeys are not actually the first primates（灵长类）to be cloned. Another one named Tetra was produced in the late 1990s by embryo（胚胎）splitting, the division of an early-stage embryo into two or four separate cells to make clones. By contrast, they were each made by replacing an egg cell nucleus（原子核）with DNA from a differentiated body cell. This Dolly method, known as somatic cell nuclear transfer（SCNT）, can create more clones and allows researchers greater control over the edits they make to the DNA.
Success came from adopting several new techniques. These included a new type of microscopy to better view the cells during handling or using several materials that encourage cell reprogramming, which hadn’t been tried before on primates. Still, the research process proved difficult, and many attempts by the team failed. Just two healthy baby monkeys born from more than 60 tested mothers. This leads to many researchers’ pouring water on the idea that the team’s results bring scientists closer to cloning humans. They thought this work is not a stepping stone to establishing methods for obtaining live born human clones. Instead, this clearly remains a very foolish thing to attempt, it would be far too inefficient, far too unsafe, and it is also pointless.
But the scientists involved emphasize that this is not their goal. There is now no barrier for cloning primate species, thus cloning humans is closer to reality. However, their research purpose is entirely for producing non-human primate models for human diseases; they absolutely have no intention, and society will not permit this work to be extended to humans. Despite limitations, they treat this breakthrough a novel model system for scientists studying human biology and disease.
1.What do we know about the technology called SCNT?
A. It created the first two primates.
B. It may contribute to editing the DNA.
C. It can divide an early-stage embryo into several cells.
D. It produced two cloned monkeys with different genes.
2.What does the author mean by “pouring water on the idea” in paragraph 2?
A. Keeping a hot topic of it.
B. Attaching no importance to it.
C. Having a low opinion of it.
D. Adding supportive evidence to it.
3.What is the scientists’ purpose to clone these monkeys?
A. To prepare for their research on human cloning.
B. To serve as a stepping stone to their reputation.
C. To help with the study of human diseases.
D. To raise money for holding an exhibition of novels.
4.What can we infer from the passage?
A. Cloning humans is already on its way.
B. New techniques seem to be pointless.
C. Society won’t agree to clone another monkey.
D. The success rate of cloning a monkey was not high.
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 12 (Xinhua)—Legendary comic book writer Stan Lee has died at the age of 95, according to media reports on Monday.
Lee, born in Stanley Lieber on Dec. 28th, 1922, began his career in 1939 and joined the Marvel Comics in 1961.
He is considered as one of the most legendary names in the history of comic books and the leading creative force behind the rise of Marvel Comics. He co-created iconic fictional characters such as Spider-Man, X-Men, the Avengers, and many more.
Lee’s characters often have super powers, but they also have weaknesses. They were humans, not gods. They not only struggled to save the world, but also to pay their bills, make friends, and hold jobs. This made Marvel comic book heroes stand apart from its competitor DC, which produced the seemingly perfect heroes like Superman and Wonder Woman. Those superheroes have been adapted into blockbuster films, most of which were made after Disney acquired Marvel in a 4-billion-dollar deal in 2009.
In a statement, Bob Iger, chairman and CEO of the Walt Disney Company said Stan Lee was as extraordinary as the characters he created.
Marvel also praised Lee on its website by putting on one of Lee’s famous quotes, which goes, “I used to be embarrassed because I was just a comic-book writer while other people were building bridges or going on to medical careers. And then I began to realize: entertainment is one of the most important things in people’s lives. Without it, they might go off the deep end. I feel that if you’re able to entertain, you’re doing a good thing. ”
Praise from his Hollywood peers and colleagues was generous. President of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige appreciated Lee’s unparalleled impact on the industry. “No one has had more of an impact on my career than Stan Lee,” Feige said. “Our thoughts are with his family and the millions of fans who have been forever touched by Stan’s genius, charisma and heart.”
1.How do Lee’s characters differ from those of DC?
A. They are perfect heroes.
B. They often have super powers.
C. They are not humans, but gods.
D. They have human shortcomings.
2.We can learn from Lee’s statement in Paragraph 6 that ________.
A. it is embarrassing to be a comic-book writer
B. a taste of entertainment is necessary in people’s lives
C. entertainment is the most important thing in the world
D. you can do everything well if you are able to entertain
3.According to the passage, we could know that ________.
A. Lee influenced Kevin Feige’s career a lot
B. Lee joined the Marvel Comics in his forties
C. Lee created the fictional characters all by himself
D. The superheroes were adapted into films before Disney acquired Marvel
4.What can be the best title for the passage?
A. Comics Legend—the Marvels and DC
B. The Superheroes in Stan Lee’s Comics
C. Marvel’s Comics Legend Stan Lee Dies at 95
D. The Life Story of Marvel Comics Legend Stan Lee
I sat with my friend in a well-known coffee shop in a neighboring town of Venice. As we enjoyed our coffee, a man called the waiter and placed his order, “Two cups of coffee, one on the wall.” We got interested and observed that he was served with one cup of coffee but he paid for two. As soon as he left, the waiter attached a piece of paper to the wall saying “A Cup of Coffee.” Similar occasions took place twice while we were there. It seemed that this gesture was quite normal at this place. However, it was something unique and confusing for us.
After a few days, when we again enjoyed coffee there, a man entered. The way this man was dressed did not match the standard or the atmosphere of this coffee shop. Poverty was evident from his looks. As he seated himself, he looked at the wall and said, “One cup of coffee from the wall.” The waiter served coffee to this man with respect and dignity. The man had his coffee and left without paying. We were amazed to watch all this when the waiter took off a piece of paper from the wall and threw it in the dustbin.
Now it was no surprise for us; the matter was very clear. The great respect for the needy shown by people in this town moved us to tears.
Coffee is not a necessity. However, the point is that when we take pleasure in any blessing, maybe we also need to think about those people who also appreciate that specific blessing but cannot afford.
Note the waiter, who gets the communication going between the affording and the needy with a smile on his face. Think about the man in need: he enters the coffee shop without having to lower his self-dignity; he has a free cup of coffee without asking or knowing about who has given this cup of coffee to him; he only looked at the wall, placed an order for himself, enjoyed his coffee and left. Besides, we need to remember the role played by the wall that reflects the generosity and care of people in this town.
1.What made the author interested as well as confused?
A. The waiter’s making normal gestures.
B. Customers’ buying coffee for the needy.
C. The waiter’s attaching coffee orders on the wall.
D. Customers’ paying for coffee and having it put on the wall.
2.The author thought the man in need was ______.
A. not properly dressed
B. obviously poor
C. not right to leave without paying
D. strange to order coffee from the wall
3.In the author’s opinion, coffee is _____.
A. necessary in our life
B. respect shown for the needy
C. a blessing to someone who can’t afford
D. a blessing everyone should have
4.The passage is mainly concerned about ______.
A. learning from the waiter
B. buying coffee for others
C. caring more about the people in need
D. analyzing the characters in the coffee shop
Your 2018 Reading List, Provided by Bill Gates
Most of us can’t live like billionaire Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, but we can read like him. Gates recommended four books in 2018—though some were published earlier.
Leonardo da Vinci, by Walter Isaacson (2017)
The bestselling biographer of Steve Jobs and Albert Einstein researched deeply into da Vinci’s contributions beyond art, highlighting the breadth of his scientific, technological, and creative output. “Leonardo nearly understood almost all of what was known on the planet at the time. That’s mostly because of his curiosity about every area of natural science and the human experience,” said Gates.
The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir, by Thi Bui (2017)
Gates calls this graphic novel “really impressive”. Bui is the daughter of Vietnamese refugees who came to America after the fall of Saigon, and becoming a parent inspired her to look into her own parents’ miserable history. “I was struck by how the experiences Bui illustrates manage to be both universal and specific to their circumstances,” said Gates.
Lincoln in the Bardo, by George Saunders (2018)
Saunders, a long-time short story writer, won high praise for this novel. The book imagines the ghosts that haunt (萦绕) the basement of Willie Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln’s son, who died at 11 in real life. “Willie’s death after the Civil War made the president have a new understanding of the grief he’s creating in other families by sending their sons off to die in battle,” said Gates.
Origin Story: A Big History of Everything, by David Christian (2018)
This new book is by the creator of Big History, a free, online social studies course. It traces history in wide, sweeping movements, starting with the Big Bang, and it provides, in effect, a short course in modern science. This is a brief history of the universe. “David gets a little stuck on the current economic and political problems in the West, and I wish he talked more about the role innovation will play in preventing the worst effects of climate change,” said Gates.
1.Which books refer to the field of science?
A. Origin Story and Leonardo da Vinci.
B. Lincoln in the Bardo and Origin Story.
C. Leonardo da Vinci and The Best We Could Do.
D. The Best We Could Do and Lincoln in the Bardo.
2.If you are interested in thrillers, whose book will you most probably choose?
A. Walter Isaacson. B. Thi Bui.
C. George Saunders. D. David Christian.
3.Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. The Best We Could Do is an autobiography.
B. Lincoln in the Bardo has been warmly received.
C. David Christian talks much about the part that innovation will play.
D. Readers can only read about Leonardo da Vinci’s contributions towards art.
