The phone ID flashed, “Emergency Vet”. “Oh no” I whispered. I could not lose Merlin now.
Ron and I had tried to have children for a long time with depressing results. I threw myself into my work. Any maternal feelings I had were spent on Merlin.
I couldn’t wait to get home from work each night. I wanted to pick up that warm bundle of loving fur and nestle him. I wanted to sing “Rock-a-bye Merlin”, as I did every night as he would put his paws around my neck.
Merlin was my comfort especially at times when I wondered if God was listening. But last night something had changed. Not only did I sing “Rock-a-Bye Merlin”, but I asked, “What will I do after you’re gone?”
Although Merlin was 19 years old, a senior in the age of a cat, he didn’t look or act that way. I didn’t want to accept the fact that he was nearing the end of his lifetime. My job at the law firm was so demanding and stressful that I couldn’t imagine getting through the day without Merlin waiting to greet me at home.
I dialed the vet’s number. I asked for my husband but he already left. Then I took a breath and asked the question that no one wants to ask, “Is my Merlin still alive?” The nurse said “yes.”
Ron came home and said that Merlin had almost no red blood cells left. White blood cells were replacing them. Merlin would need expensive transfusions most likely on a monthly basis. We both knew Merlin was running out of time. I asked Ron to drive me to the vet so I could say goodbye to my little boy cat but he was beat tired and it was late. Ron said if Merlin was still alive the next morning then he would take me to the vet.
The next morning I called the vet. Merlin had survived the night.
After driving to the vet, I went into the examining room. The nurse brought Merlin and placed him on an examining table on his side. His eyes were tightly shut. I thought he died already. I carefully edged my hand to reach his body. His body felt warm, but when I spoke his name there was no response. No response to his name or that I was there and that I loved him. I was extremely sad.
In that examining room I felt helpless. I wondered how many people in an examining room felt as helpless as I did.
Feeling driven to prayer I yelled, “God this isn’t good enough. I need to see my Merlin the way I remember him, I need a miracle and I need it now!”
At that moment, God granted a miracle. Merlin’s favorite compliment entered my mind. I said, “Merlin, You are Beautiful and You are Gorgeous, do you hear me?”
One eye opened.
I said “Gotcha”. I kept repeating those words.
Merlin opened the other eye and, one limb at a time, got up. He was waiting for that phrase. He wanted to hear that he was beautiful and gorgeous again.
Then I experienced another miracle.
There was no sound in that examining room until Merlin started walking to me. From out of nowhere, or maybe from heaven, I clearly heard a song we sung in church often: “It Is Well With My Soul.” I remembered thinking, “Yes, it is well with my Soul. I got to see my little boy cat one more time.”
Merlin walked to me. He put his face in mine, which he had never done before. He rubbed a circle around my face twice. Merlin said goodbye with his face and marked me for life.
Ron appeared shocked that Merlin was up and had walked to me. I said to Merlin, “Tell God you are a good boy and how much we love you” and then handed him back to the nurse.
Tears of gratitude poured forth in memory of a miracle. You see for nineteen years God spoke to me through a special cat named “Merlin.” On Merlin’s last day, God proved he heard me when he granted a miracle. That miracle gave me time to say goodbye.
1.Ron’s wife couldn’t lose Merlin because ________.
A. Merlin was her adopted child for nineteen years
B. Merlin could supply her with comfort and warmth
C. she failed to give birth to her own biological child
D. she would sing her usual song to no one later in life
2.What did Ron’s wife think of Merlin?
①comfortable ②demanding ③long life
④full of devotion ⑤lovely ⑥religious
A. ①②⑥ B. ①②③ C. ④⑤⑥ D. ③④⑤
3.What does “The next morning I called the vet.” in Paragraph 8 imply?
A. The writer turned to the vet because Merlin was in desperate condition.
B. The writer was so hopeless as to ask a favor of the vet.
C. Ron would accompany her wife to the vet to live up to his promise.
D. Ron did not care about Merlin so that the writer called the vet.
4.When Merlin reached the examining room, ________.
A. he shut his eyes tightly and was obviously dead
B. his body felt warm because the writer rubbed him hard
C. the writer chanted prayers to him trying to waking him up
D. the writer felt helpless to have no timely surgical operation
5.We can infer from the passage that _______.
A. we have to have faith in the church to get miracles in future life
B. God will not disappoint us if we are devoted to our loved ones
C. couples should have a child or something to fill in their free time
D. doctors may not always be reliable when our loved ones need their help
6.Which of the following can be the proper title?
A. The Miracle Granted B. A Dying Cat
C. God Accompanying Us D. Gratitude Out Of Miracle
It’s not just great minds that think alike. Dozens of the genes involved in the vocal learning that underpins human speech are also active in some songbirds(黄莺). And knowing this suggests that birds could become a standard model for investigating the genetics of speech production and speech disorders.
Complex language is a uniquely human trait, but vocal learning — the ability to pick up new sounds by imitating others — is not. Some mammals, including whales, dolphins and elephants, share our ability to learn new vocalizations(发声). So do three groups of birds: the songbirds, parrots and hummingbirds.
The similarities between vocal learning in humans and birds are not just superficial. We know, for instance, that songbirds have specialised vocal learning brain circuits that are similar to those that mediate(传达) human speech.
What’s more, a decade ago we learned that FOXP2, a gene known to be involved in human language, is also active in “area X” of the songbird brain — one of the brain regions involved in those specialised vocal learning circuits.
Andreas Pfenning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his colleagues have now built on these discoveries. They compared maps of genetic activity in brain tissue taken from the zebra finch, budgerigar and Anna’s hummingbird, representing the three groups of vocal-learning birds.
They then compared these genetic maps with others taken from birds and primates that can’t learn new vocalisations, and with maps taken from the brains of six people who donated tissue to the Allen Brain Institute in Seattle.
Their results showed that FOXP2 is just one of 55 genes that show a similar pattern of activity in the brains of humans and the vocal-learning birds. Those same genes show different patterns of activity in the brains of animals incapable of vocal learning.
“The similarities are beyond one or a handful of genes,” says Pfenning. “There are just systematic molecular similarities between song-learning birds and humans.”
“There’s potential for songbirds to be used to study neurodegeneration(神经元退变) — especially conditions like Huntington’s,” says Pfenning. Huntington’s disease affects the ability to produce complex motor behaviour, such as singing and talking, so experiments with birds might implicate particular genes in the disease.
Constance Scharff at the Free University of Berlin in Germany, who helped identify the importance of FOXP2 for vocal learning in birds agrees that songbirds can make great models for human speech and its pathologies(病理学). “My lab’s research during the past 10 years has shown that FOXP2 is as relevant for birds’ song learning as it is for human speech learning,” she says.
1.Which of the following is WRONG according to the passage?
A. The songbirds, parrots and hummingbirds imitate humans.
B. FOXP2 is active in one of the brain regions of the songbird brain.
C. Songbirds have the same vocal learning brain circuits as human.
D. FOXP2 is a gene that is known to be involved in human language.
2.The underlined word “underpin” in the first paragraph probably means _______.
A. increase B. support
C. prevent D. decrease
3.What can we infer from the passage?
A. FOXP2 was involved in human language about 12 years ago.
B. Six people donated brain tissue to the Allen Brain Institute in Seattle.
C. Experiments with songbirds are likely to help cure Huntington’s disease.
D. Constance Scharff discovered at the Free University of Berlin.
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A. Birds have different genes from humans.
B. Humans and birds share the same singing genes.
C. How FOXP2 affects the brains of humans and birds.
D. Experiments with birds can cure the disease of humans.
Forget the pyramids, Tahrir Square and the Nile. Egypt is ready to ditch Cairo and build a shiny new capital if the government has its way.
Fed up with pollution, traffic jams, a packed population with soaring rents, Egypt is teaming up with a developer in the United Arab Emirates to build a city in what could be one of the world’s most ambitious infrastructure programs.
The yet-to-be-named city will spread out over 150 square miles, or roughly the size of Denver, and could eventually be home to 7 million people, the developers and government announced Friday.
The current capital of Cairo, while full of history and vibrant charm, is home to more than 18 million people, and living in and getting around the city can be maddening and frustrating. The government says the idea is to reduce congestion in Cairo, which is projected to double in population in the coming decades.
An exact location was not announced, but the city is expected to be built east of Cairo. It will be closer to the Red Sea -- between two major highways -- the Suez and the Ain Sokhna roads.
The ambitions are big. In addition to the new embassies and government buildings, it plans to have an international airport bigger than Heathrow, solar energy farms, 40,000 hotel rooms, nearly 2,000 schools and 18 hospitals -- all linked together by over 6,000 miles of new roads.
But if the dream is big, the bill will be bigger.
The total cost is estimated at U.S. $45 billion, Minister of Housing Mostafa Madbouly announced at an economic development conference in Sharm el-Sheikh.
The revealing of the new capital was paired with a glamorous website showing a luxurious and technological urban view of glass towers and pools.
The plan is backed by a group that describes itself as “a private real estate investment fund by global investors focused on investment and development partnerships” led by Emirati developer Mohamed Alabbar.
Alabbar made his name as the founder of Dubai’s Emaar Properties, primarily known for developing the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa.
Egypt is not the first country to plan on moving its capital from established big cities to rural greener pastures. Myanmar(缅甸) has only recently completed its move from Yangon to the new city of Naypyidaw. Nigeria moved to Abuja in the 1990’s, and Brazil carved its capital Brasilia out of the wilderness over 50 years ago.
And then there was another crazy idea of building a capital city on a square of swampland that seemed mainly to be a boondoggle for wealthy land speculators(商人) at the time.
That city? _________
1.Egypt is ready to join hands with some experienced developers to build a new capital mainly because of the following EXCEPT ________ in the old capital.
A. pollution and population
B. its location and higher rents
C. its long history and charm
D. traffic jams and crowdedness
2.The underlined sentence in the passage means that it is _______.
A. a new city with expensive infrastructure programs
B. a new city with beautiful glass towers and pools
C. an enterprising dream with abundant funds
D. a noble dream with rich cooperative teams
3.Which city was the outcome of a crazy idea at that time?
A. Abuja. B. Brasilia.
C. Naypyidaw. D. Washington, D.C.
The Appleton Club is the focal point of undergraduate ministry in The Memorial Church. The Appleton Club provides a safe, inclusive, and welcoming space for undergraduates to grow and develop as faithful Christians as they grow and develop as intellectuals and professionals. We focus on building community through worship, study, and service, as well as through social gatherings and outings. All are welcome!
For details on all the activities of The Appleton Club, or to be added to our e-mail list, contact Epps Fellow Nathaniel Katz at nathaniel_katz@harvard.edu or 617-496-1426. You can also visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/memorialchurch.
Our life together is centered around three weekly gatherings:
Sunday Night Student Service
9:00 p.m., Appleton Chapel
Every Sunday night we gather for a “come as you are” worship service that includes the celebration of Holy Communion. The service is designed to provide a peaceful and contemplative space to find peace and encounter the divine at the start of the week. Following the service, we gather downstairs in the Buttrick Room for food and some social time together.
Wednesday Night Discussion Group
9:00 p.m., Sparks House, 21 Kirkland Street, Cambridge
Throughout the academic year we will come together during the middle of the week to read and discuss the works of the late Reverend Professor Peter J. Gomes. This spring we will continue discussing his best-selling book The Good Book: Reading the Bible with Mind and Heart as an entry point to conversations about what scripture is, what it isn’t, and what it means for our lives as faithful contemporary Christians of the 21st century. Food will be provided.
Friday Afternoon Social Gatherings
4:00 p.m., Sparks House, 21 Kirkland Street, Cambridge
Every Friday afternoon we gather as a community to check in and wind down from the busy week. This is our time to plan special events, service trips, and retreats, as well as a safe place to ask those burning questions about faith, theology, and scripture that you’ve always wanted to know about but have been afraid to ask.
1.If you want to know some activities of The Appleton Club, there are at least _____ ways.
A. 4 B. 3 C. 2 D. 5
2.From three weekly gatherings, which activity is not included?
A. Every Sunday night we hold the celebration of Holy Communion.
B. On Wednesday night of this spring we will discuss The Good Book.
C. Every Friday afternoon you can ask what you have been afraid to ask.
D. You can enjoy delicious food after gathering each time.
Years ago, I had the opportunity to conduct a seminar. This was a motivational one basically designed to people in changing their lives, their personal barriers in life.
It was always to meet the seminar attendees. Some of them couldn’t wait to get started, others were about what they would get for their money, and others attended often being forced by pressure.
This last group was always the most to work with. They sit there with crossed, rarely participating in any of the specific exercises meant to help them build positive behaviors to old habits and thoughts.
In the end, I started to look through the evaluations paying particular attention to find the form submitted by one of the attendees who had seemingly less attentiveness. To my disappointment, in this , there was no form. I left that day thinking that I had this person.
As I my preparation for the next seminar afterwards, one day I received a phone call —it was the attendee who had not submitted the evaluation form! My immediate was to prepare for a request for a total refund(退款).
It was not the case, . He took his time to tell me how much the seminar had already helped him change his ways, and how much more comfortable he was with himself now that he knew how to overcome his own personal barriers success both personally and professionally. I was surprised and glad to be to him.
Actually we all have power to affect the of others, but this power can also be negative if you use it wrongly or improperly. Power — you all have it — use it because you never know what impact you have on other people even when you think .
1.A.rescueB.assistC.sponsorD.treat
2.A.breaking downB.working againstC.breaking throughD.working out
3.A.fascinatingB.frighteningC.incredibleD.mysterious
4.A.consciousB.explicitC.roundaboutD.skeptical
5.A.willinglyB.reluctantlyC.voluntarilyD.naturally
6.A.inspiringB.daringC.challengingD.shocking
7.A.handsB.wrinklesC.smilesD.arms
8.A.impress B.conquerC.twistD.spin
9.A.displayedB.paidC.clarifiedD.requested
10.A.courtB.caseC.guiltD.generation
11.A.succeededB.managedC.anticipatedD.failed
12.A.went aboutB.turned overC.put awayD.set off
13.A.arbitraryB.boredC.veryD.suspected
14.A.reactionB.feelingC.effortD.mind
15.A.butB.althoughC.thoughD.while
16.A.toB.beyondC.oppositeD.against
17.A.hopefulB.helpfulC.handyD.holy
18.A.gesturesB.functionsC.emotionsD.behaviors
19.A.wiselyB.foolishlyC.regularlyD.regularly
20.A.additionallyB.alikeC.otherwiseD.overall
—I’ll repeat the address: 758 Maple Street. Maple, M-a-p-l-e.
—_______. Thank you.
A. Got it B. I’d love to
C. Never do it again D. Of course
