Why elephants rarely get cancer is a mystery that has confused scientists for decades. A study led by researchers at Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI), at the University of Utah and Arizona State University may have found the answer.
According to the results, elephants have 38 additional modified copies of a gene that encodes p53, a definite tumor suppressor, as compared to humans, who have only two. Further, elephants may have a more powerful mechanism for killing damaged cells that are at risk for becoming cancerous. In isolated elephant cells, this activity is doubled compared to healthy human cells, and five times that of cells from patients with Li-Fraumeni Syndrome, who have only one working copy of p53 and more than a 90 percent lifetime cancer risk in children and adults. The results suggest extra p53 could explain elephants’ increased resistance to cancer.
“Nature has already figured out how to prevent cancer. It’s up to us to learn how different animals overcome the problem so we can adapt those strategies to prevent cancer in people,” says co-senior author Joshua Schiffman, M.D., pediatric oncologist (儿科肿瘤医生) at Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine.
But Prof Mel Greaves, from the Institute of Cancer Research in London, says we should focus on why humans have such high levels of cancer. He pointed to the rise of unhealthy, cancer-causing behaviors, such as obesity and sunbathing. “You’ve never seen an elephant smoke!” he added.
According to Schiffman, elephants have long been considered a walking problem. Because they have 100 times as many cells as people, they should be 100 times more likely to have a cell slip into a cancerous state and cause the disease over their long life span of 50 to 70 years. And yet analysis of a large database of elephant deaths estimates a cancer death rate of less than 5 percent compared to 11 to 25 percent in people.
1.Why are elephants less likely to get cancer than humans?
A.Elephants are bigger than humans.
B.Elephants have more p53 genes and mechanism killing damaged cells.
C.Elephants are not as clever as humans in walking.
D.Elephants eat more than humans.
2.Which of the following can be the equivalent of the underlined word “suppressor”?
A.multiplier B.complex C.restrainer D.coordinator
3.What’s Prof Mel Greaves’ attitude towards the discovery?
A.Doubtful. B.Neutral. C.Critical. D.Favorable.
4.What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A.Elephants have longer life than people.
B.There is no chance that elephants die from cancer.
C.The rate of elephants dying from cancer is increasing.
D.It was thought theoretically that elephants could get cancer more easily.
When I was a child growing up in Ohio, the butterflies would sometimes pass through on their way to Mexico. And it was awesome to see football fields full of them — and I wanted to revisit that on a larger scale. I knew I had to go to see the migration in Mexico.
But I was on a budget. I didn’t want to rent a car in Mexico or take a bus to Valle de Bravo, the starting point for most butterfly adventures, so I called the guys at the Muddy Boot, travel experts in Mexico who can make almost anything happen at a reasonable rate.
And so, on January 2, I found myself in the Muddy Boot van (货车), being driven two hours from Mexico City to Valle de Bravo, a lovely town on a volcanic lake which is a central point for the butterfly journeys. I booked a two-night stay at the Hotel Rodavento, an all eco-friendly hotel with individual wooden houses spread throughout the forest and around a lake.
The first sanctuary (保护区) I visited was Piedra Herrada, a popular destination, as it is only 40 minutes away from Valle de Bravo. The climb up is tiring. It is advisable to hire a horse. But the horse cannot take you all the way, and there is some hiking in thin air, so you must be patient, drink a lot of water, and be in reasonably good shape.
The walk is more than worth it, though. As I struggled to catch my breath, I looked up and lost my breath again. At first glance, the trees had turned into different shapes, but on closer inspection, every inch of them was covered with butterflies.
A few flew through the air (Most of them were not warm enough). As the sun rose, they began to come alive. Soon the air was filled with flying butterflies, transforming the forest into something magical and straight out of a fairy tale.
1.Why did the author choose to take the Muddy Boot van?
A.She couldn’t afford to rent a car.
B.She preferred to travel alone.
C.She wanted to save some money.
D.She hoped to reach the destination earlier.
2.What can we learn about Piedra Herrada?
A.It is at a high altitude. B.It is far from Valle de Bravo.
C.It is full of wild animals. D.It is only accessible by riding a horse.
3.What made the author’s hiking worthwhile?
A.Becoming healthier. B.Breathing in fresh air.
C.Finding trees of different shapes. D.Seeing the butterfly migration.
4.What type of writing is the text?
A.A news report. B.A scientific paper. C.A travel diary. D.A commercial ad.
Chicago Botanic Garden
Events
● Midwest Fruit Explorers
March 31-April 10, 1–4 pm
The Midwest Fruit Explorers presents this hands-on workshop with step-by-step instructions on how to graft (嫁接) and care for fruit trees.
● Midwest Daffodil (水仙花) Society Show
April 22-28, 10 am–4:30 pm
The Midwest Daffodil Society Show features hundreds of daffodils on display that will be judged by the society. The show includes floral (花卉的) design and photography competitions.
● Ikebana International Show
May 11-19, 9 am–3:30 pm (Saturday & Sunday only)
The Ikebana International Society presents an exhibition of traditional Japanese flower arranging.
● Gardeners of the North Shore Show & Sale
The Gardeners of the North Shore host this annual show.
June 27-30, 9 am–4:30 pm
This show includes a judged exhibition with more than 500 entries of anything a home gardener can grow, including flowers, vegetables, herbs (草本植物), and houseplants.
● Garden tours & trams
Enjoy a tram tour for an overview of popular areas. Return each season to experience different views.
Prices | Members | Nonmembers |
Adults | $7 | $8
|
Seniors | $6 | $7 |
Children (3-12 yrs) | $5 | $6 |
Children (2 and under) | Free | Free |
Ten-visit pass | $50 | $60 |
Accessibility at the garden
Service animals
Service animals are welcome. No pets please.
Electronic Convenience Vehicles (ECVs)
They are available for rent in the Visitor Center on an unreserved, first-come first-served basis. The following fees apply: members: $15, nonmembers $20. ECVs will not be rented for indoor use.
Wheelchairs
Wheelchairs are available free at the Information Desk in the Visitor Center.
Daily Hours: 8 am–7 pm
Garden View Café: 8 am–4 pm
Garden Shop: 10 am–4 pm
1.What can you do at Midwest Fruit Explorers?
A.Design flower patterns
B.Learn about tree planting.
C.Take part in its photography competition.
D.Buy some fruit at a good price.
2.At which show can you enjoy traditional Japanese flowers?
A.Midwest Fruit Explorers.
B.Midwest Daffodil Society Show.
C.Ikebana International Show.
D.Gardeners of the North Shore Show & Sale.
3.What service can visitors enjoy in the garden?
A.They can rent ECVs for indoor use.
B.They can visit the garden with their pets.
C.They can have free coffee from 8 am to 4 pm.
D.They can use free wheelchairs if they need to.
阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。续写的词数应为150左右。
No Time
With a broad smile on her lips, 15-year old Sirin rushed to her mom to show off her new painting. But mom raised her eyebrows with eyes wide open, and spoke in an impatient tone, “No time, baby. Right now I am busy with an important talk. Just wait for some time,OK?”
Holding her oil painting, she frowned (皱眉), and then searched for her dad.
“Dad, see what I have done,” Sirin announced aloud in a thrilling voice. Her dad turned around while adjusting his tie, grinned at her, and showed his thumbs up!
Immediately, blowing her two cheeks, Sirin replied angrily, “Dad, you haven’t seen it yet.”
He smiled at her saying, “No time, baby. I will see it later.” He just patted her back lovingly, kissed her forehead, and rushed for his office.
She was not a kid to be pleased with simple gesture or smile. She stood there for a few seconds,and then stormed off to her own bedroom. Hot air was blowing from her nostrils (鼻孔); her face turned into apple red. She threw the painting on the table, slammed (把……砰地关上) the door and threw herself on her bed.
“Why is everybody so busy?” She recalled thousands of incidents that hurt her in pre-school, middle school and even in high school too! She assumed at least her own family members would give some values to her thoughts, but they were no exception. Unconsciously, her eyes were filled with tears.
The knocking sound on the door put a sudden brake to her thought. Her mom was calling her for dinner. Sirin deliberately came late to join them. She kept silent and didn’t look at anyone, scratching the table mat with her nail. Her mom was puzzled at the unusual behavior. Suddenly, the morning incident clicked in her mind. Softly, she asked, “Honey, did I do anything wrong?”
Para 1: At this very moment, Sirin could no longer resist her anger.__________________
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Para 2: When back from school the next day, Sirin was surprised to see her beautifully-decorated paining on the wall______________________________________________________________
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假定你是高三学生李华，你的美国朋友Tony给你发来邮件，询问高考延期后你的近况。请根据以下要点给他写封回信，内容包括:
1.感谢关心;
2.你目前的学习情况。
注意：1.词数80左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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阅读下面短文,在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
Du Fu: China's Greatest Poet ，a BBC one-hour documentary，1.(launch) on April 6 this year. It was the first time to put Du's life in a global context.
For the Chinese,Du,2.style of poetry is called realism,is more than a poet;he has been the guardian of the moral of the nation.3.(bear) in 712,Du lived through the violent fall of the Tang Dynasty when wars, floods and famines almost ruined the country. In his poems, he poured out his concern for his country and people as well as the importance of celebrating the few simple4.(joy) of life.
To explore his life and discover what the poet means to China and the Chinese people, the film crew had an5.(extreme) tough time tracking the footsteps of the eighth-century poet.
This documentary is not 6.easy watch. To help audiences make sense of the. poet's great achievements in literature,Du is compared7.China's Shakespeare in this documentary.Also,the program invited McKellen, who played Gandalf in The Lard of the Rings movies,8.(read) 15 of Du's poems that had been translated into English. These can help foreigners9.( well) understand what makes Du' s works so special.
In a way, the documentary is displaying the charm of traditional Chinese literature to the world,10.(fuel) a desire to learn Chinese Tang poems.
