Mice and rats have long been used in medical research because of their biological similarities to humans. Recently scientists at the University of Richmond in Virginia have trained rats to drive small vehicles.
The research team built tiny cars out of plastic and other materials, which had an opening at one end to which electrical wires were attached. By touching one of three different wires, the rat could control the car in different directions-left, center and right. Sweet treats were placed inside the containers in an attempt to get the rats to drive the vehicle for the food. After several months' training, the animals could drive to get to the treats.
Kelly Lambert, who has long been interested in the way the brain changes to react to different experiences and difficulties, led the experiment. She told the French news agency AFP the research suggested rat brains might be more complex and flexible than once thought. The driving activity seemed to help the rats relax and the rats kept in what was called “enriched environments” performed far better than those in labs.
The researchers examined levels of two hormones (荷尔蒙) in the rats — one that causes stress and the other that counters it. All the rats that took part in the training had higher levels of the hormone that reduces stress. The research suggests the increased relaxation levels could be linked to the enjoyment of successfully completing a new skill. The team also found the rats that drove themselves showed higher levels of the stress-fighting hormone than those that simply rode in small cars controlled by humans.
Lambert's team is planning to further the research to learn more about how the rats learned to drive. This research may open new areas of non-drug treatments for people suffering from mental health conditions.
1.Why have scientists chosen rats for the research?
A.They can build tiny vehicles on their own.
B.They are biologically similar to human beings.
C.They are clever enough to be trained to drive cars.
D.They can be used as non-drug treatments for humans.
2.What does the underlined word "counters" in paragraph 4 mean?
A.removes. B.substitutes.
C.resists. D.transforms.
3.What can we learn about the experiment?
A.The brains of rats might be more complex and flexible than those of human beings.
B.The increased relaxation levels led to the rats' enjoyment of learning a new skill.
C.All the rats involved in the training had higher levels of the hormone causing stress.
D.The rats in cars controlled by humans had lower levels of the stress-fighting hormone.
4.In which section of a newspaper may this text appear?
A.Science. B.Sports.
C.Education. D.Entertainment.
An unusual trip to Hawaii brought two strangers closer and closer and their story deserves a wide spread.
As her plane sliced through the sky above the ocean, there came a sudden thunderstorm. Five minutes later, Uemoto and her copilot McMahon heard a strange sound. Then, without warning, they lost power to both of the engines. It took them a moment to process the fact that they might crash. The pilots powered through the items on the emergency checklist. Nothing worked. As the plane was falling, they jumped into the ocean.
By ten that night, their bodies began trembling uncontrollably in the cool night air. Something must be done to pull them through. Swimming on her stomach, Uemoto had McMahon wrap his arms around her knees so he could rest his head on the back of her legs. To be with someone else and to feel another person's comforting presence in the darkness somehow made the suffering bearable.
When the sun rose the next morning, they caught sight of the island of Hawaii, the destination they had dared dream! Suddenly, Uemoto saw a shark, which made her breath catch in her throat. "What do we do? What do we do?" Uemoto asked, panicked. "Just keep looking forward! If it comes close, I'll kick it in the eye!" said McMahon evenly. Unexpectedly, the shark circled them for about 30 minutes. Then, as quietly as it had appeared, it swam off. Uemoto and McMahon breathed a sigh of relief.
After struggling in the water for over 20 hours, there came a US Navy helicopter. It flew overhead and next banked towards them. Uemoto and McMahon burst into tears. Alone, either of them would have died. But together, they made it.
1.What caused the plane to crash?
A.A sudden thunderstorm hit the plane.
B.The engines of the plane broke down.
C.The pilots operated the plane improperly.
D.The emergency list failed to help the pilots.
2.What do we know about McMahon in paragraph 4?
A.He calmed his partner down.
B.He kicked the shark in the eye.
C.He was scared to death at the shark.
D.He managed to drive the shark away.
3.Which of the following best describes Uemoto and McMahon?
A.Ambitious and humorous. B.Clear-headed and generous.
C.Demanding and appealing. D.Strong-willed and considerate.
4.What may be the best title of the passage?
A.A Race against Death
B.A Test of Friendship
C.A Wonder Made by Joined Hands
D.A Struggle Fought in the Darkness
Camp Odayin provides fun, safe and supportive camp experiences and community building opportunities for young people and their families this year.
Winter Camp February 15 - February 17
It is hosted in Amery, a two-hour drive from the Twin Cities and free round trip transportation is provided from Minneapolis and Madison. This camp is for children who have attended Residential Camp or Day Camp before. Campers can experience snowshoeing, skiing and snowboarding. Registrations are processed during December & January.
Moms Retreat May 16 - May 17
Scheduled in downtown Stillwater, Moms Retreat will seek to improve the quality of caregivers' life. It will include meals, boarding and yoga activities.
Registration will open in April for moms that receive the email invitation from Camp Odayin. If the limit is reached, we will start a wait list.
Residential Camp July 13 - July 18
Campers will have a chance to communicate with other young people sharing the same grade. Hosted in Lutherdale, it will include swimming, horseback riding and talent show. The approval by the Camp Odayin Director is necessary.
Registration will open in early March and is due May 1st.
Family Camp October 26 - November 1
Hosted in Camp Lake, the camp is a two-night commitment for families with children suffering from heart diseases, who will benefit from connecting with other families who have similar health, emotional and social concerns. Activities will include drawing, fancy dress balls and movies.
Families who have a child in 12th grade or younger (no minimum age) can attend. Camper registration is available online in late August.
1.Which camp is intended for previous campers only?
A.Moms Retreat. B.Winter Camp.
C.Residential Camp. D.Family Camp.
2.Where can you go if you choose to register on August 28?
A.To Amery. B.To Stillwater.
C.To Camp Lake. D.To Lutherdale.
3.What is special about Residential Camp?
A.It offers a variety of activities.
B.It provides access to shopping.
C.It allows sick children to participate.
D.It requires the camp leader's approval.
Coffee shops are cool，but in Wilmington，Bitty & Beau’s Coffee enjoys a good reputation for its warmth.
At the heart of the shop’s popularity is its ____ staff：Almost everyone has an intellectual(智力的)or developmental disability.
The coffee shop was opened in 2016 by Amy Wright and her husband， ___ by two of her four children Beau and Bitty，who have Down syndrome(唐氏症).
When the couple discovered that most people with intellectual and developmental disabilities could never find an employer who would even give them a(n) __ ，they resolved’to do something about it.
“It ____ me like a flash of lightning：a coffee shop!”Wright said. “It would be the perfect environment for bringing people together. Seeing the staff ____ customers at the door，preparing food，serving orders and cleaning tables，people would realize how ___ they are. ”
When the shop opened，it immediately had ____ out the door. National press attention __，and six months later，it had to move to a __ space.
Today，the store employs 40 people with disabilities，who are really good at their jobs.
What makes Amy most proud is the ____ it has built in the community. “Every day，people say，‘You’ve made my day. Thank you. ’That’s a feeling of happiness most people don’t get elsewhere，and it's what ____ people back here，”she said. “This is a place where people can __ with those with disabilities and realize how much more alike we are than different. It’s ___ a cup of coffee. It's a human rights movement. It's given our employees the respect and a sense of being ____ that they deserve. For many employees，it's their first job，and their ____ fills the air. ”
1.A.professional B.unique C.active D.talented
2.A.accompanied B.controlled C.impressed D.inspired
3.A.interview B.appointment C.reason D.invitation
4.A.moved B.encouraged C.struck D.affected
5.A.greeting B.observing C.gathering D.finding
6.A.capable B.generous C.reliable D.considerate
7.A.waiters B.activities C.1ines D.guards
8.A.agreed B.continued C.responded D.followed
9.A.farther B.1arger C.quieter D.nearer
10.A.background B.balance C.bridge D.tradition
11.A.holds B.calls C.forces D.draws
12.A.interact B.discuss C.play D.work
13.A.nothing but B.far from C.above all D.more than
14.A.admired B.valued C.separated D.protected
15.A.ambition B.humor C.joy D.patience
Mirai Nagasu had already lived at least two lifetimes in the sport of figure skating(花样滑冰) when she showed up in Colorado Springs in March 2014. After _______ her only national title at 14 in 2008 and finishing a _______ fourth at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, Nagasu’s _______ turned, dramatically. A couple of rough _______followed, then she came back to finish third at the 2014 U.S. nationals before the Sochi Olympics, only to be _______from the U.S. team by a committee in favor of fourth-place finisher Ashley Wagner.
Nagasu was _______. “It was awful,” she said. “I was very close to _______. ”She trained hard every day in Southern California _______she was needed as the first alternate. She was not. Looking for a change of scenery, she _______to go to Colorado to visit her friend Agnes and try to ________what to do with the rest of her life. It was there that Nagasu ________ the Olympic coach Tom Zakrajsek, who she asked if he would ________her. It turned out that the ________to what Nagasu wanted to do with the rest of her life, couldn’t have been ________. She kept on skating. “The new environment really ________. ”At their ________ first lesson together, Zakrajsek told her, “You can do triple axel(三圈半跳跃). ”“I ________，”Nagasu said, “and I want to. ”Undoubtedly, she mastered it.
Nagasu, now 24, an age by which young ________have often left the sport. ________, she continued. She was headed to Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic to perform in the women’s free skate. Her efforts finally ________.
1.A.writing B.breaking C.losing D.winning
2.A.tiring B.boring C.surprising D.terrifying
3.A.fortunes B.interest C.career D.temper
4.A.months B.decades C.weeks D.years
5.A.dropped B.escaped C.absent D.forbidden
6.A.impressed B.inspired C.desperate D.fascinated
7.A.fighting B.falling C.drowning D.quitting
8.A.now that B.in case C.for fear that D.on condition that
9.A.decided B.refused C.regretted D.demanded
10.A.let out B.figure out C.look for D.put forward
11.A.searched B.met C.changed D.attracted
12.A.marry B.blame C.save D.coach
13.A.key B.approach C.answer D.entrance
14.A.simpler B.harder C.worse D.higher
15.A.adapted B.helped C.mattered D.benefited
16.A.very B.just C.already D.ever
17.A.must B.can C.should D.may
18.A.alternates B.teenagers C.women D.coaches
19.A.Therefore B.Besides C.Otherwise D.Instead
20.A.came true B.counted on C.paid off D.picked up
In 1999, Eve and Norman Fertig, a couple, saved a two-week-old shepherd (牧羊犬) named Shana.
One winter several years later, as the Fertigs, both then 81, ________ the injured and hungry animals housed in one of their buildings, a ________ snowstorm blew in. When the couple went outside to check the weather, several trees fell,________ them in a narrow path between two ________. Eve and Norman couldn’t climb over or duck below the ________. For the next two and a half hours, they crowded together for ________ as the snow piled higher. “We were ________,” Eve said. “I thought we could die out here.”
Around 9:30 pm, Shana , who was outside, began ________ toward Eve and Norman in the deep snow. It took her nearly two hours, but ________ she cleared a narrow tunnel(隧道)about 20 feet long ________ the front door of the main house with the Fertigs’ ________.
When breaking through the snow and ________ the couple, the 160-pound dog barked and caught Eve’s jacket and________ the 86-pound woman onto her back. Norman ________ Eve’s ankles, and for the next two hours, Shana pulled the couple through the tunnel.
Thanks to Shana’s ________, they finally reached the house around 2 am., and the Fertigs ________ to get just inside the front door. Extremely ________, they lay there, still. The storm had ________ the electricity and heat, ________ Shana slept next to them all night to keep them warm until the firemen found them.
After five months, Shana’s feet recovered from the injuries she ________ while digging.
1.A.fed B.found C.rescued D.trained
2.A.strange B.unique C.violent D.normal
3.A.covering B.pushing C.delivering D.trapping
4.A.rooms B.buildings C.tunnels D.animals
5.A.trunks B.fences C.leaves D.roofs
6.A.faith B.warmth C.freedom D.sympathy
7.A.in vain B.in sight C.in trouble D.in place
8.A.barking B.checking C.digging D.scanning
9.A.carefully B.eventually C.casually D.hopelessly
10.A.comparing B.providing C.equipping D.connecting
11.A.position B.bedroom C.tree D.tent
12.A.observing B.reaching C.returning D.passing
13.A.threw B.controlled C.fastened D.guided
14.A.lifted B.turned C.pressed D.seized
15.A.efforts B.growth C.habits D.eagerness
16.A.managed B.planned C.waited D.afforded
17.A.stressful B.unprepared C.tired D.desperate
18.A.focused on B.knocked out C.got over D.kept off
19.A.for B.since C.or D.but
20.A.discovered B.predicted C.received D.remembered
