Life is full of surprises and you never know how things will turn out.
Sir John Gurdon is a good example of this. As a boy, he was told he was hopeless at science and was at bottom of his class. Now, aged 79，the very same Gurdon shared the 2012 Nobel Prize in Medicine with Japanese stem cell (干细胞) researcher Shinya Yamanaka.
Like so many scientists, Gurdon shows us where the power of curiosity and perseverance(坚持) can lead.
When he was 15 in 1948，Gurdon ranked last out of the 250 boys at his high school in biology and every other science subject. Gurdon’s high school science teacher even said that his dream of becoming a scientist was “quite ridiculous”.
In spite of his teacher’s criticisms(批评), Gurdon followed his curiosity and kept working hard. He went to the lab early and left later than anyone else. He experienced thousands of failures.
“My own belief is that we will, in the end，understand everything about how cells actually work，”Gurdon said.
In 1962, Gurdon took a cell from an adult frog and moved its genetic (基因的) information into an egg cell. The egg cell then grew into a clone of the adult frog. This technique later helped to create the sheep Dolly in 1996，the first cloned mammal(哺乳动物) in the world.
In 2006，Gurdon’s work was developed by Yamanaka to show that a sample(样本) of a person’s skin can be used to create stem cells. Using this technique, doctors can repair a patient’s heart after a heart attack.
“Luck favors the prepared mind,” Gurdon told the Nobel Prize Organization. “Ninety percent of the time things don’t work, but when they do, you have to seize(抓住) the chance.”
1.Who won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Medicine?
A. Sir John Gurdon
B. Shinya Yamanaka
C. Sir John Gurdon and Shinya Yamanaka
D. Gurdon’s science teacher
2.What does the underlined word “ridiculous” mean?
A. 荒谬的 B. 无畏的 C. 荒废的 D. 无知的
3.In what order are the following events mentioned in the passage.
a. create the sheep Dolly
b. take a cell from an adult frog
c. use a person’s skin to create stem cells
d. move a frog’s genetic information into an egg cell
e. grow into a clone of the adult frog
A. b-a-c-d-e B. b-d-e-a-c C. b-d-a-e-c D. b-c-d-a-e
4.According to the passage, which statement is TRUE?
A. Sheep Dolly was the first cloned animal in the world.
B. Gurdon ranked first at his high school in biology.
C. It’s impossible for the doctors to repair a patient’s heart after a heart attack.
D. According to the science teacher, Gurdon was not a gifted student.
5.What’s the main idea of the passage?
A. Ninety percent of the time things don’t work.
B. Luck favors the prepared mind.
C. Life is full of pleasure.
D. How to know cells actually work.
“What is success?” Mr. Black asked his 6th grade business class. It was his opening conversation for the first class of the term.
“Success is riding in a sweet car, watching an 80-inch TV, and living in a place with at least twelve rooms.” One student answered, earning（博得）laughs from all the students.
Mr. Black smiled, but shook his head. “Tom, that is excess(过量). That is not success.”
“How about being able to provide for your family?” A blonde girl named Sandy in the front suggested as an answer.
“Now we’re getting closer,” Mr. Black smiled, “but try thinking about what you need and what you want.”
“Getting everything you want.” Tom shouted out an answer again, trying for more laughs.
Mr. Black sighed（叹气）. “I believe we’ve already talked about excess versus(与…比较) success.”
“Getting everything you need, but some of what you want?” James, sitting in the back wondered aloud.
“Quite right!” Mr. Black clapped. “Success is getting everything you need and some of what you want. The more you get that you want, the more successful you are. You do reach a point where you are living in excess, though.”
“What does this have to do with business?” Tom asked. It seemed if it wasn’t funny, he wasn’t happy.
“Well, Tom, think of it this way: the point of business is to make a living to support your family. Once you have properly seen to (确保) their needs, you can then see to getting the extras that you want.”
“What if I don’t have a family?” he continued to be difficult.
“Then you have to provide for yourself, a family of one.”
“He has goldfish to think about!” Peter, Tom’s friend, shouted out.
“Then he needs to provide for a family of one with a fishbowl.” Mr. Black corrected himself.
Tom nodded, satisfied with that answer.
“So in the next nine weeks, we’re going to study basic business situations, like having a checking account and understanding credit cards（信用卡）.”
Tom rubbed his hands together excitedly. “When do we get to start spending?”
“You already are, Tom. You’re spending time with us!” Mr. Black laughed. “Now, let’s see what you guys know about credit cards…”
1.What was Mr. Black?
A. A headmaster. B. A businessman.
C. A teacher. D. An official.
2.Which student didn’t seem to be taking the class seriously?
A. Tom. B. James. C. Peter. D. Sandy.
3.How did Mr. Black make his class lively and interesting?
A. He told some jokes.
B. He played jokes with the students.
C. He showed some examples to his students.
D. He got his students to take part in a discussion.
4.According to the passage, which word can best describe Mr. Black?
A. Strange. B. Patient. C. Shy. D. Proud.
5.What can be the best title of this passage?
A. Get What You Want B. Needs and Wants
C. Try to Get More Money D. How to Live Well
It was the first time that my wife and I had flown first class. As we boarded the plane, we felt as if (好像) we were part of a ___group. We were filled with a sense of pride at ___with those important people. We____that the stewardess (空姐) was working non-stop to make sure of the comfort of the first class passengers. She could not walk by a seat without being given ___. I thought she must love her job very much, since she gave each person such a big ___.
As the stewardess ____our seats near the end of the flight, I looked up at her and said, “Thank you and I hope you have a great night.” She stopped with a look of disbelief on her face, and said: “Excuse me?” I ____my words and she smiled in a rather funny way. It seemed as if I had asked a question that she did not know how to answer. A little later, as we were getting off the plane, the stewardess said to me: “Thank you very much, sir.” Then she said ___: “You are the only passenger who has thanked me or said anything nice to me all night. I really appreciate your kindness.”
The sense of belonging to an elite(精英) group in first class ____as soon as I heard those words. We were reminded that without ____there would be no first-class flying.
1.A. poor B. wealthy C. healthy D. friendly
2.A. sitting B. driving C. getting D. taking
3.A. showed B. surveyed C. noticed D. looked
4.A. a drink B. a gift C. a greeting D. an order
5.A. look B. laugh C. smile D. kiss
6.A. went B. walked C. crossed D. passed
7.A. repeated B. spoke C. talked D. wrote
8.A. happily B. suddenly C. loudly D. quietly
9.A. remained B. disappeared C. appeared D. continued
10.A. happiness B. courage C. kindness D. success
Once upon a time, there was a lazy poor man living in a small house with spider webs(网) on the walls and mice running around. People __coming into such a dirty place and the poor man was lonely and __ every day. He thought he was unhappy __poverty(贫穷).
One day, the poor man dropped in on __wise old man and asked him for advice about ___his life. The old man gave him a vase and said, “This is a magic vase_____will bring you __.
The poor man looked at the vase __. He wondered ___a vase in his poor house. ___, he didn’t want to throw away such a beautiful vase, so he brought it home and put it on the table. “ ___not right for something ___beautiful to be empty.” The poor old man looked at the vase and thought. Then some flowers ____into it. That made the vase even ___. “How can I have the vase next to a spider web?” he continued. At this, he started to clean the house and paint the walls. His house turned ___ a comfortable place immediately.
The old man cheered up and he suddenly realized why he was unhappy. From then on, he worked hard and his life got better and better.
1.A. avoid B. avoids C. avoided D. have avoided
2.A. sadly B. sad C. sadness D. sadder
3.A. because B. as C. since D. because of
4.A. a B. an C. the D. /
5.A. to change B. changes C. changed D. changing
6.A. / B. that C. what D. who
7.A. happy B. happier C. happily D. happiness
8.A. in surprise B. surprising C. surprised D. surprise
9.
A. why would he need B. why will he need
C. why he would need D. why he needs
10.A. But B. Or C. However D. So
11.A. It’s B. Its C. It D. It was
12.A. very B. such C. quite D. so
13.A. were putting B. were put C. have put D. had put
14.A. beautifully B. beautiful C. more beautiful D. more beautifully
15.A. in B. into C. on D. around
假如你是Bill,你不喜欢运动，却喜欢收集文具。你的弟弟 喜欢收集体育用品，并且每天做运动。仔细观察下面的表格，写一篇50词左右的短文。
Bill’s stationery (文具）collection | Bill’s brother’s sports collection | ||
Things | Number | Things | Number |
pens | 7 | basketballs | 4 |
pencils | 9 | soccer balls | 5 |
erasers | 6 | volleyballs | 3 |
rulers | 8 | baseballs | 6 |
pencil boxes | 3 | tennis rackets | 4 |
A：1.
B：Yes, I do. I like them very much.
A：2.
B：It’s difficult.
A：3.
B：Well, I love basketball and soccer.
A：4.
B：Yes, my friends and I play it on weekends.
A：5.
B：No, she doesn’t like sports. She thinks they are boring.
A.Do you play tennis?
B.Does your sister play it, too?
C.Do you like sports?
D.What do you think of baseball?
E.What sports do you like?
