Until recently, the "science of the future" was supposed to be electronics and artificial intelligence. Today it seems more and more likely that the next great breakthroughs in technology will be brought through a combination of those two sciences with organic chemistry and genetic engineering. This combination is the science of biotechnology.
Organic chemistry enables us to produce marvelous synthetic materials. However, it is still difficult to manufacture anything that has the capacity of wool to conserve (保存) heat and also to absorb moisture. Nothing that we have been able to produce so far comes anywhere near the combination of strength, lightness and flexibility that we find in the bodies of ordinary insects.
Nevertheless, scientists in the laboratory have already succeeded in "growing" a material that has many of the characteristics of human skin. The next step may well be "biotech hearts and eyes" which can replace diseased organs in human beings. These will not be rejected by the body, as is the case with organs from humans.
The application of biotechnology to energy production seems even more promising. In 1996 the famous science fiction writer, Arthur C. Clarke, many of whose previous predictions have come true, said that we may soon be able to develop remarkably cheap and renewable sources of energy. Some of these power sources will be biological. Clarke and others have warned us repeatedly that sooner or later we will have to give up our dependence on non-renewable power sources. Coal, oil and gas are indeed convenient. However, using them also means creating dangerously high levels of pollution. It will be impossible to meet the growing demand for energy without increasing that pollution to catastrophic (灾难性的) levels unless we develop power sources that are both cheaper and cleaner.
It is attempting to think that biotechnology or some other "science of the future" can solve our problems. Before we surrender to that temptation we should remember nuclear power. Only a few generations ago it seemed to promise limitless, cheap and safe energy. Today those promises lie buried in a concrete grave in a place called Chernobyl, in the Ukraine. Biotechnology is unlikely, however, to break its promises in quite the same or such a dangerous way.
1.According to the passage, the science of the future is likely to be ________.
A. electronics B. biotechnology
C. genetic engineering D. nuclear technology
2.The materials produced with organic chemistry are ________.at present.
A. as good as wool
B. as good as an insect's body
C. better than natural materials
D. not as good as natural materials
3.According to the passage, it may soon be possible ________.
A. to transplant human organs
B. to make artificial hearts and eyes
C. to produce drugs without side effects
D. to make something as good as human skin
4.In 1996, Arthur C. Clarke predicted that_______.
A. the Chernobyl disaster would happen in two years
B. we will never stop using non-renewable power sources biological
C. oil, gas and coal could be repeatedly used in the future
D. power sources would be put into use soon
5.What do we learn from the last paragraph?
A. Biological power will keep all its promises.
B. Biological power is cheaper than nuclear power.
C. Biotechnology can solve all our future energy problems
D. Biological power may not be as dangerous as nuclear power
A huge shire horse in Australia has been declared the biggest horse in the world by its owner , beating the current Guinness World Record（吉尼斯记录） by several inches .
The huge five-year-old , from Pakenham , S. E Australia , measures an amazing 20.1 hands , or 2.057m tall . He weighs over 1.3 tons ( 1,300kg) — about the same as a small car — and is still growing . His owner , horse trainer Jane Greenman , 47 , says the only time the horse runs is when there is food on offer . “ He eats an unbelievable amount . I would hate to run a team of eight horses his size—it would send you broke . ” she says .
The massive horse , whose name is Noddy , was born in Australia with its parents imported from England . Noddy’s grandfather , Ladbrooke Edward (UK) was the world’s tallest horse during the 1980’s .But Jane had no idea that the horse she raised from the age of six months would grow this big . Noddy immediately began to rocket and soon overtook both his parents in size .
Although she says that she is not interested in the Guiness Book of World Records , nevertheless Jane has carried out her own research and is sure that Noddy comes top . “ The nearest is a horse in Texas , at 20 hands ,” says Jane . “ Noddy is already an inch taller than that . The frightening thing is he still hasn’t finished—shire horses aren’t fully grown until they’re about six or seven .”
Jane has said that Noddy could be sold overseas , possibly even fetching a record price to match his height . She is unwilling to sell , but to fund the high cost of keeping him she needs to put him to work . “ He needs a job . It’s very hard to find jobs for such a big horse in Australia . I wish he could stay here but I’ve tried everywhere , ” she says regretfully . “ I just want people to enjoy this beautiful animal as much as I do .”
1.How old is the horse now ?
A. Six months old . B. Five years old .
C. Two years old . D. Six years old .
2.The underlined word “ rocket ” in Paragraph 3 probably means “ ”.
A. run fast B. eat a lot C. grow fast D. get strong
3.Which of the following is a big problem for the horse’s owner ?
A. She doesn’t know how to apply for the Guinness World Record .
B. She has to feed eight big horses at the same time .
C. Another horse in Texas is growing even faster than hers .
D. There is not enough money to cover（支付） the cost of raising the horse .
4.It can be inferred from the passage that .
A. Noddy won’t grow any taller
B. Noddy’s growth can be genetically（基因） explained
C. many people are willing to buy Noddy
D. no job will be available for Noddy at all
5.What would be the best title for this passage ?
A. Jane Greenman becomes famous for her horse
B. New world record for the biggest horse
C. Large size means no job for a big horse
D. Jane Greenman , an excellent horse trainer
People in cities all over the world shop in supermarkets. Who decides what you buy in the supermarket? Do you decide? Does the supermarket decide?
When you enter the supermarket, you see shelves full of food. You walk in the aisles (走道) between the shelves. You push a shopping cart and put your food in it.
You probably hear soft, slow music as you walk along the aisles. This may be an attempt to please you, so you will enjoy shopping. Some supermarkets want to increase their profits by playing soft and slow music, because the slow music makes you walk slowly and you have more time to buy things.
Fresh fruit and vegetables are usually put near the entrance. When you arrive at the supermarket, you think about the kinds of fruit and vegetables you need first. Once you’ve got that out of the way, you can relax and do the rest of the shopping without any hurry. Besides, if you see fresh goods first, it gives you a “feel good” impression of freshness, so you can not help spending your money.
Maybe you go to the meat department then. There is some meat on sale, and you want to find it. The manager of the supermarket knows where customers enter the meat department. The cheaper meat is at the other end of the meat department, away from where the customers enter. You have to walk past all the expensive meat before you find the cheaper meat. Maybe you will buy some of the expensive meat instead of the meat on sale.
Most of the food in supermarkets is very attractive. It all says “Buy me quickly!” to the customers. The fresh fruit and vegetables say “Buy me quickly!” as you walk by. The expensive meat says “Buy me quickly!” The supermarket tells you what to buy.
1.Some supermarkets play soft, slow music because it ______.
A. makes customers walk slowly and buy more
B. can help customers get the things they want
C. can make customers relaxed and happy
D. can tell customers exactly where to go
2.The manager knows ______.
A. where customers come from
B. which customers like slow music
C. where fresh meat should be put
D. which customers like cheap meat
3.When walking past the expensive meat, the customers will ______.
A. pay no attention to it B. possibly buy some
C. look for some cheap meat D. feel uncomfortable
4.If you see fresh goods first in the supermarket, ______.
A. you know where to get things
B. it brings you good luck
C. it makes you spend less money
D. you’ll get a fresh impression
5.Supermarket managers make the food attractive so that ______.
A. the customers will buy more B. it looks very expensive
C. the customers come often D. it seems cheap and fine
Finally, I got a part – time job working at the local coffee shop. I had figured that the job would be easy. However, the actual situation was not what I had expected. The customers were hard to please. There was always too much sugar, too little ice, or not enough skimmed milk. However, I kept at it.
One rainy day, Hank, one of my regular customers, came in looking sad and defeated. I asked what the problem was and if we could help, but Hank wouldn’t tell me any details. He just said he felt like going to bed, pulling the sheets up over his head, and staying there for a few days. I knew exactly how he felt.
Before he left, I handed him a bag of his favorite type of doughnuts along with his iced coffee. He looked at me skeptically because he hadn’t ordered anything else except iced coffee.
“It’s on me,” I told him. “Have a nice day.”
He smiled and thanked me before turning around and heading back out into the rain.
The next day was a horrible one. The rain kept pouring down and I spent my afternoon hanging out the window, handing people their orders. What’s worse, no one felt like tipping that day.
However, around 7:00 pm, Hank drove up to the window. Instead of ordering anything, he handed me a single pink rose and a little note. He said that few people take the time to care about others nowadays and he was glad there were still people like me in the world. I was speechless and very touched; I hadn’t thought that I had done anything incredible.
The note read:
Christine,
Thanks for being so sweet, kind and thoughtful yesterday. I was sincerely touched by you. It is so nice to meet someone that’s nice, warm, sensitive and unselfish. Please don’t change your ways because I truly believe that you will excel. Have a great day!
Hank
Later, I did come across more complaining customers. But anytime I felt sad or just sick of coffee, I thought of Hank and his kindness. Then I would smile, hold my head up high, clear my throat and ask politely, “How can I help you?”
1.How did the author feel after he began to work at the coffee shop?
A．Disappointed.B．Confused.C． Excited .D．Satisfied.
2.What happened to the regular customer of the author?
A．He was very sick and had to stay in bed for some days.
B．He was not satisfied with the coffee served to him.
C．He was anxious to stay at home for a long time.
D．He was not feeling himself for some reasons.
3.What does the underlined word “skeptically” probably mean in the passage?
A．questioninglyB．hopefullyC．anxiouslyD．excitedly
4.It was Hank who helped the author realize the importance of .
A．patience in one’s work
B．being kind to regular customers
C．taking time to care about others
D．sticking to one’s own career
5.What is the best title of the passage?
A．Coffee Shop KindnessB .A Warm – hearted Man
C．My Part – time JobD．A Horrible Raining Day
I firmly believe in the power of forgiveness and I have got a lot of pleasure from it.
Last year, I was at the traffic lights on my way to work when my car was hit from behind. After , a flustered (惊慌失措的) young man admitted it was his and apologized to me again and again. After that, he why he had not been “in the moment” while driving. He told me that his had just run out and promised to pay for the damage to my car later. I could his real stress, and as he gave me his details and promised to find a way to pay, I tried to him and told him not to worry too much.
When I got to work, my urged me to contact my insurance（保险） company and chase the young man for compensatory（赔款） payment immediately，as I wasn’t with him and knew nothing about his work or family. The same thing happened when I told my sister what had happened and she firmly told me not to let him get away it. She knew that I only had a small amount of money in the bank and was that I would not chase the young man for payment.
With everyone pressuring me to ask for payment, I was unsure about what to do. I finally decided to a small second-hand car. After about four months, it was coming up to Christmas and I started to think about how this young man might be feeling, waiting for me to “sting ” him, so I finally made a and sent him this note:
“ Hi Joe,
A few months ago you the back of my car. I have managed to pick another car, so I have been able to get around. I want to let you know that I am not going to _ any payment from you. If in future you could help else out, that would be great.”
After sending it, I felt that a great weight had finally been lifted from my shoulders. It wasn’t until then that I _ _the act of _ could make one feel happier.
1.A. playing B. waiting C. hearingD. watching
2.A. coming over B. pulling over C. going overD. taking over
3.A. fault B. mistake C. shortcomingD. error
4.A. determinedB. repeated C. admitted D. explained
5.A. strengthB. resource C. oil D. money
6.A. senseB. touch C. feelD. smell
7.A. believeB. comfortC. criticizeD. guide
8.A. neighborsB. families C. colleaguesD. schoolmates
9.A. contentB. disappointedC. concernedD. familiar
10.A. withB. from C. of D. off
11.A. worriedB. interestedC. thrilledD. embarrassed
12.A. placeB. buyC. repairD. book
13.A. quietB. puzzlingC. nervousD. frightened
14.A. contractB. promiseC. document D . decision
15.A. destroyedB. touchedC. beat D. hit
16.A. offB. up C. out D. on
17.A. findB. seek C. receiveD. keep
18.A. somebodyB. nobodyC. anybodyD. everybody
19.A. recognizedB. realizedC. learned D. hoped
20.A. givingB. warningC. forgiving D. appreciating
— Sorry to have interrupted you. Please go on.
—Where was I?
— You _______ you didn’t like your father’s job.
A. had said B. said C. were saying D. had been saying
