Today there are 7 billion people on the earth．By the year 2050 there may be 9.0 billion．We will have a lot more people to feed．We need more food．
One way to produce more food is by growing stronger plants．For thousands of years，farmers have made plants better．Every season，they pick the best plants for the next season．It works very slowly．Since1983 scientists have been able to change plants more quickly by changing their genetic(遗传的) material. Foods from plants grown in this way are called genetically modified foods(转基因食品)，or GM foods.
By changing the genetic material of a plant，it is possible to make new plants. They make plants which are strong against plant diseases. They can also help in our diseases：a kind of rice is being prepared，for example，which stops people from becoming blind．Rich countries produce GM foods because they are easy to grow and they bring in more money．Poor countries are interested in them because they help produce more food．
GM plants are not natural．No one knows how good or bad they are．Making GM foods is only one way of feeding people in 2050．But there are strong feelings against them，because they are unnatural. They may feed people，then hurt them or their children later．But both rich and poor countries are very interested in their use，and they are not going to die．In 2050 we may think differently about them．
1.Who invented the GM plants?
A．Farmers． B．Workers
C．Scientists． D．Plants．
2.People plant the GM plants because .
A. they make plants strong against diseases
B．they are unnatural
C．they can help in human diseases
D．both A and C
3.What do you think of the GM plant?
A．It grows too slowly．
B．It is bad for people’s body．
C．It can greatly help the poor countries．
D．It produces less food than the general plant.
4.Why do some people dislike the GM plants?
A．The GM foods may harm the human body．
B．The GM foods have terrible taste．
C．The GM foods are bad for the adults．
D．The GM foods are not cheap．
5.From the passage we can find out__________
A．the GM plants can produce more food
B．scientists want to make more money
C．scientists find the GM plants by accident
D．scientists work on the subject for fun
Empathy(同情心) lets us feel another person’s pain and drives us to help. Do any other animals feel empathy? Scientists recently found that rats(老鼠) do, too.
Most people don’t like rats. In many people’s eyes, rats are only bad. But Jean Decety and his partners at the University of Chicago did an experiment. It showed that rats are kind, warm-hearted animals. They can feel each other’s pain.
Scientists placed pairs of rats in plastic cages(笼子) for two weeks. During this time they got to know each other. Then they put one of the rats from each pair into a small container(容器) in the cages. The small container had a door. It was so designed as to fall to the side when the free rat touched it. Many of the trapped(困住的) rats squeaked(吱吱叫) to show their discomfort. The other rats of the pairs could see their suffering friends clearly.
In most pairs, the free rats would become very worried about their friends. They kept trying to save their friends again and again throughout the month. Scientists put the rats’ favorite chocolate in the cages, but the rats didn’t eat it until they had saved their friends successfully. Scientists also found that female rats seemed to act more empathetic than male rats.
“The results are the first to show that rats take action in response to another’s trouble,” Decety said. “Monkeys and chimpanzees have similar behavior. But unlike those animals, rats can be ready used in laboratory studies. They will help us to learn which parts of the brain lead to empathy and helping behavior and whether empathy is natural.”
1. A person with empathy is often _____.
A. kind-hearted B. clever C. active D. strong
2. What does the underline word mean in Chinese?
A.休息的 B.睡着的 C.死亡的 D.受苦的
3.Why didn’t the free rats eat the chocolate at first?
A. Because they were full at that time.
B. Because chocolate was not their favorite food.
C. Because they wanted to save the trapped rats first.
D. Because they were afraid that the chocolate was bad.
4.Which of the following animals were NOT mentioned in the passage?
A. Monkeys. B. Cats. C. Rats. D. Chimpanzees.
5.What does the passage mainly tell us?
A. Rats can feel other animals’ pain.
B. Chocolate is rats’ favorite food.
C. Female rats are more empathetic than male rats.
D. Rats are empathetic and can feel each other’s pain.
“BANG!” the door caused a reverberation (回声). It was just standing there, with father standing on one side, and I was on the other side. We were both in great anger. “Never set foot in this house again!” stormed father. I rushed out of the flat and ran along the street. The street lights were shining, causing rather a sad feeling.
A young father who held a child in his arms walked past me. I felt as if I saw my childhood from another space: happy and carefree. But now … I don’t know whether it is because I have grown up or because dad is getting old. We differ in our ways of thinking. He always put his opinions and codes of behavior on me. Whenever I do something wrong, he never admits it. We are just like two people coming from two different worlds. I wandered in the streets, until I had only the street lights to keep me company. When I finally reached the high-rise apartment block in which I lived ,I saw that the light was still on.
I thought to myself: “Is father waiting for me, or is he still angry with me?”
All the lights were off except father’s. Dad was always like this. Maybe he didn’t know how to express himself. After an argument he has the habit of creeping up(悄悄地来到) in my sleep. This was how he always was．He has been a leader for so long that telling everyone else what to do has become his second nature. With the key in hand, I was as nervous as I had ever been. At last, I decided to open the door. As soon as I opened the door tears ran down my cheeks. I suddenly realized that the iron door that I had imagined between us did not exist at all. Love—it’s second to none.
1.Decide which is the best order of the following according to what happened in the passage.
a. I opened the door and entered the house.
b. Sadly I ran out into the street.
c.I reached the place where I lived and saw my house still brightly lit.
d. I thought of my father’s kindness towards me.
e. I walked about in the street without any aim.
A. b, e, d, c, a B. b, e, c, d, a
C. b, e, a, c, d D. b, e, c, a, d
2.What made the writer think of his childhood ?
A. The sight of the street lights.
B. The sight of the empty street.
C. The sight of a father with a child in his arms.
D. The sight of light in his own house.
3. Why do you think the father often shouts at his son?
A. perhaps the father is getting older and older.
B. perhaps the son has already grown up.
C. perhaps they never agree with each other.
D. perhaps the father has got used to doing that.
4.According to the passage what does “Love—it’s second to none” mean ?
A. 爱并没有什么 B. 爱是第二位的
C. 爱是至高无上的 D. 爱就是没什么
5.What conclusion can you come to after reading the passage?
A. The father treats his son in an unfair way.
B. The father is actually kind to his son.
C. The father is neither kind nor cruel to his son.
D. The father is always finding fault with his son.
Farley worked for the Canadian government. One day, he was to learn more about wolves. Do wolves kill lots of caribou（北美驯鹿）? Do they kill people?
They gave him lots of food and clothes and guns. Then they put him on a plane and took him to . The plane put him down and went away. There were no houses or people in this place. But there were lots of animals and lots of wolves.
People tell terrible stories about wolves. They say wolves like to kill and eat people. Farley remembered these stories, and he was . He had his gun with him .
Then one day, he saw a group of wolves. There was a mother wolf with four baby wolves. A father wolf and another young wolf lived with them.
Farley watched these wolves every day. The mother was a very mother. She gave milk to her babies. She gave them lessons about life. They learned how to food. The father wolf got food for the mother. The young wolf the children. They were a nice, happy family—wolf family! Farley did not need his any more. In a short time, he got on well with the family. Farley watched them for five months. He learned that many stories about the wolves were . Wolves do not eat people, and they do not eat many large animals. And he also learned bad things about men. It was men who killed many caribou and wolves.
Later, Farley wrote a book about wolves. He wanted people to them and not to kill them.
1.A. seen B. told C. heard D. found
2.A. a small town B. a big city C. a far place D. a lonely village
3.A. afraid B. happy C. angry D. tired
4.A. at times B. all the time C. once a week D. every afternoon
5.A. bad B. good C. hungry D. thirsty
6.A. cook B. make C. get D. pick
7.A. shouted at B. looked into C. laughed at D. played with
8.A. food B. clothes C. gun D. plane
9.A. not good B. not true C. not easy D. not clear
10.A. grow B. have C. teach D. Understand
I hope everyone can care about ______ the environment and stop ______ things.
A.protecting; wasting B.protecting; to waste
C.protect; wasting D.protect; to waste
— It will be my turn. I feel a little nervous. — ________ You can make it!
A. Congratulations! B. Take it easy.
C. kook out! D. Have a good time.
