Drug companies have spent billions of dollars searching for therapies to reverse or significantly slow Alzheimer’s disease, but in vain. Some researchers argue that the best way to make progress is to create better animal models for research, and several teams are now developing mice that more closely imitate how the disease destroys people’s brains.
The US National Institutes of Health (NIH), the UK Dementia Research Institute and Jackson Laboratory (JAX) - one of the world’s biggest suppliers of lab mice - are among the groups trying to genetically design more suitable mice. Scientists are also exploring the complex web of mutations(突变) that influences neurological(神经学的) decline in mice and people.
“We appreciate that the models we had were insufficient. I think it’s sort of at a critical moment right now.” says Bruce Lamb, a neuro-scientist at Indiana University who directs the NIH-funded programme.
Alzheimer’s is marked by cognitive impairment(认知损伤) and the build-up of amyloid-protein plaques(淀粉样蛋白块) in the brains of people, but the disease does not occur naturally in mice. Scientists get around this by studying mice that have been genetically modified to produce high levels of human amyloid protein. These mice develop plaques in their brains, but they still do not display the memory problems seen in people.
Many experimental drugs that have successfully removed plaques from mouse brains have not lessened the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease in people. One focused stumble came last month, when three companies reported that their Alzheimer’s drugs had failed in large, late-stage clinical trials. Although the drugs successfully blocked the accumulation of amyloid protein in mice, they seemed to worsen cognitive decline and brain shrinkage in people.
The drive for better mouse models comes as genomics studies are linking the most common form of Alzheimer’s to dozens of different genes. This diversity suggests that each case of the disease is caused by a different combination of genetic and environmental factors. “There is no single Alzheimer’s disease,” says Gareth Howell, a neuro-scientist at Jackson Laboratory (JAX) in Bar Harbor, Maine.
Howell argues that scientists’ reliance on lab mice with only a few genetically engineered mutations might have limited research. His own work suggests that in mice, just as in people, genetic diversity plays a part in determining how Alzheimer’s develops.
1.What do you know about the lab mice used for the Alzheimer’s research from the text?
A.The lab mice also display the memory problems.
B.Suitable lab mice are fundamental to the research.
C.Mice with Alzheimer’s disease suffer from mutations.
D.Drugs have been invented to slow Alzheimer’s disease.
2.From paragraph 5, we can know that the experimental drugs “__________”.
A.functioned well in large, early-stage clinical trials
B.fail to make people get rid of the relevant symptoms
C.successfully prevent people forming amyloid protein
D.worsen cognitive decline and brain shrinkage in mice
3.What does Gareth Howell think of Alzheimer’s?
A.It is various genes that count in the development of Alzheimer’s.
B.The increasingly polluted environment contributes to Alzheimer’s.
C.The most common form of Alzheimer’s is the drive for better mice.
D.It is caused by the accumulation of amyloid-protein plaques in people.
4.Which of the following could be the best title for the passage?
A.Experimental drugs successfully reverse Alzheimer’s
B.The real causes of Alzheimer’s have been confirmed
C.Alzheimer’s is the biggest memory killer in the aged
D.Frustrated Alzheimer’s researchers seek better lab mice
That the US stock market dropped sharply immediately after the US government put forward the proposal on Tuesday to tighten the control on exports of various artificial intelligence technologies indicates what the market thinks of the move.
Multi-national corporations have led the way in the profound compressing(压缩) of time and space that has flattened and changed the world over the last couple of decades, and the overwhelming majority of international technological transfers have been conducted among multi-national companies in pursuit of profits.
Thus the proposal the US government put forward on Tuesday to tighten the control to “avoid negatively impacting US leadership in the science, technology, engineering and manufacturing sector” is being viewed not only as a brake on the US economy but also as a barrier to maintaining that leadership since it will reduce cooperation with the rest of the world and shrink the market for US companies preventing them from investing research and development.
The bigger its market, the more profits a technology company can earn, and the more money it then has to invest in developing even more advanced technologies. This is as true for US companies as it is for others.
Behind the proposal is the narrow-mindedness of policymakers in the US administration, who choose to ignore the fact that the United States would not have become the world leader in science and technology if it had kept its doors closed.
If such controls are intended to contain China’s development, they will certainly fail.
It is true that China has a lot to do to catch up with the US and other developed countries. Yet it has made great steps forward by opening its doors and cooperating with other economies.
As it opens its door wider, it will have even more opportunities to cooperate with other countries in science and technology.
The de-materialization of economic activities — with economic output and income generation increasingly reliant on information rather than inputs of raw materials — only increases the need for cooperative agreements and a cross-disciplinary approach to increase the capabilities of AI and advance its application.
By trying to enforce and exploit an invented-here ideal that is untenable, the US will undoubtedly lose the leadership in science and technology gradually to which it has become accustomed, and prevent the progress of both humans and machines.
1.What does the market think of the proposal put forward by the US on Tuesday?
A.It will tighten the control on exports of various AI technologies.
B.It will become drawbacks which prevent the US from developing fast.
C.If the US had kept its door closed, it would have become the superpower.
D.If the market becomes bigger, a technology company can earn more profits.
2.What influence will the proposal have on China’s development?
A.It will increase the capabilities of AI in China.
B.It won’t stop China’s development though it aims to.
C.It won’t let China become the world leader in science.
D.It will make China lose many opportunities after it takes effect.
3.What conclusion can we draw from the passage?
A.Most of International technological transfers will be conducted so as to seek profits.
B.The US has become accustomed to its leadership in technology and will maintain it.
C.The US will suffer from its control of a variety of artificial intelligence technologies.
D.China has made too big steps in science & technology to cooperate with other countries.
Sagrada Familia
Opening hours: 09:00—18:00(October—March); 09:00—20:00(April—September)
Admission: $11, or $10 with the Barcelona Card.
The temple has been under construction since 1882 and they’ve still got another 30 to 80 years to go before it is finished. The project’s vast scale and its special design have made it one of Barcelona’s top tourist attractions for many years.
La Pedrera
Opening hours: November—February: 09:00—18:30; March—October: 09:00—20:00
Admission: $9.Save 20% with the Barcelona Card.
This building used to be called Casa Mila but nowadays it’s more commonly known as La Pedrera.It is a unique modernist building in Barcelona and was made of bricks.It was built between 1906 and 1912 and in 1984 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site with other Gaudi buildings in Barcelona.
Barcelona FC Museum
Opening hours: April 6th—October 4th:(Monday to Saturday) 10:00—20:00; the rest of the year: 10:00—18:30
Admission: $8.50 for entry to the museum and $17 for a guided tour.
When you buy your ticket you have two options.You can buy a ticket for the museum to see the football stadium or you can buy a dual (双的) ticket for $15 where you get to see the museum and the scenes at the club.
Miro Museum
Opening hours: Check the website for details as they vary depending on the time of the year.
Admission: $8.Save 20% with the Barcelona Card.
This museum has a wide range of Miro’s works dating back as far as 1914.This artwork collection not only includes his paintings but also a good selection of sculptures.
1.How much should you pay if you visit La Pedrera with the Barcelona Card?
A.$6.4. B.$7.2.
C.$8. D.$10.
2.Where can you visit a football stadium?
A.Miro Museum. B.Sagrada Familia.
C.La Pedrera. D.Barcelona FC Museum.
3.Who will show special interest in Miro Museum?
A.Athletes. B.Artists.
C.Architects. D.Singers.
For one year, the Dannemiller family gave up buying any unnecessary purchases.
In an effort to get back in touch with what they call their family mission, which includes “growing in faith together and serving others to create a world without _______,” parents Scott and Gabby Dannemiller decided to _______ spending money on things like toys, books, clothing, or anything that wasn’t a necessity or a(n) _______.
Overall, the family successfully _______ the plan. Though the experiment took place in 2013, the family _______ tries to live by the lessons they learned while cutting out unnecessary spending. “By focusing on experiences_______ purchases, we grew together in faith as a family, we were able to _______ others, we were able to give more of our time and treasure to people who _______ need it,” Scott says.
“My daughter’s birthday is next month, and she asked if we could go to visit her uncle’s farm and ride a horse, _______ just asking for a horse stuffed animal,” he says. “Now we look at ________ and say ‘will that really add value to our life, ________ is it something we will just need to find space for and take care of.’”
If you’re trying to teach your children to focus ________ on physical stuff, Scott says it’s helpful to tweak (稍微改进) your ________ when kids ask for things. “We used to say ‘that’s too ________,’ but that made our kids think OK, we need more money, and when we get more money we can have it,” he says. “We ________ to ‘we don’t need that,’ and that helped them understand.”
When ________ spending, Scott says the most ________ thing is to focus not on what your family is giving up, but what it is gaining. “It’s not about what you’re ________,” he says. “The question should be, ‘What are we going to ________ that with?’ Then, make sure you are adding something to your life that the people in your family ________. For us, that was time together.”
1.A. need B. faith C. delay D. pity
2.A. slow B. begin C. increase D. stop
3.A. party B. experience C. relationship D. gathering
4.A. applied to B. subscribe to C. responded to D. stuck to
5.A. even B. ever C. still D. just
6.A. instead of B. in contrast to C. in parallel with D. regardless of
7.A. treat B. serve C. please D. satisfy
8.A. presently B. likely C. really D. simply
9.A. more than B. or else C. or rather D. rather than
10.A. purchases B. possessions C. treasures D. earnings
11.A. so B. or C. and D. but
12.A. less B. occasionally C. frequently D. more
13.A. appearance B. atmosphere C. language D. identity
14.A. worthy B. cheap C. worthless D. expensive
15.A. admitted B. referred C. shifted D. took
16.A. cutting off B. cutting down C. cutting up D. cutting away
17.A. impressive B. challenging C. important D. encouraging
18.A. lacking B. losing C. obtaining D. finding
19.A. replace B. share C. exchange D. compare
20.A. own B. preserve C. owe D. value
Had he taken his parent’s advice, he ______ having made such a silly mistake now.
A.would not regret B.would not have regretted
C.may not regret D.does not regret
Important _______ having an ambition is, it must be channeled in the right direction. Otherwise, it would ruin ourselves and others.
A.though B.if
C.when D.while
