Are GM（转基因的) foods safe for people? Can they help solve the poverty problem? They have been the subjects of a hot debate.
This debate is related to increasing challenges from rising climatic change, population growth, urbanization（城镇化), and natural resource consumption. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, food production needs to increase by 60 percent by 2050 in order to feed 9 billion people. Scientists and policymakers are searching for effective ways to gain nutritious food, for today and future. Unlike previous agricultural methods (such as the Green Revolution), GM crops are to fight food safety and poverty challenges.
The great expansion of GM crop varieties over the last two decades can be seen easily. The total area devoted to GM crops has increased 100 times from 1.7 million hectares in 1996 to 170 million hectares in 2012. Developing countries now grow more GM crops than developed countries (in terms of area), largely driven by Brazil’s rapid adoption of GM crops. China is home to about 4 percent of the total global area devoted to GM crops. Beans, corn, and cotton are main global GM crops, while China’s focus is on cotton, papaya, and poplar.
Recently, a scientific study shows that GM crops are safe for people and the environment. According to a 2010 report on the safety of GM crops by the EU, “the main conclusion to be drawn from the efforts of more than 130 research projects, covering a period of more than 25 years of research, and involving more than 500 research groups, is that biology methods, are not more risky than traditional planting technologies, for example.” Other international and national scientific bodies, such as the World Health Organization, have reached the same conclusion.
1. Nowadays, people are developing GM foods mainly to fight against______.
A. urbanization
B. population growth
C. rising climatic change
D. natural resource consumption
2. As for GM crops, what do people mainly focus on ?
A. Food production. B. Food nutrition.
C. Food safety. D. Food variety.
3. What does Paragraph 3 talk about?
A. More GM crops in developing countries.
B. Less GM crops in developed countries.
C. Rapid adoption of GM crops in Brazil.
D. The expansion of GM crop varieties of the world.
4. From a recent scientific study, we can infer that______.
A. traditional planting technologies are more risky
B. the safety of GM crops has been proved in many ways
C. the safety of GM crops was reported by the EU in 2010
D. present GM crops are safe for people and the environment
5. What’s the writer’s attitude towards GM crops?
A. Supportive. B. Opposed.
C. Unknown. D. Indifferent.
In a society such as the United States or Canada, which has many national, religious and cultural differences, people highly value individualism--the differences among people. Teachers place a lot of importance on the qualities that make each student special. The educational systems in these countries show these values. Students do not memorize all possible basic knowledge. Instead, they work individually and find answers by themselves. There is often discussion in the classroom. At an early age, students learn to form their own ideas and opinions.
In most Asian societies, by contrast, the people have the same language, history and culture. Perhaps for this reason, the educational system in much of the orient reflects society’s belief in group goals and purposes rather than individualism. Children in China, Japan and Korea often work together and help one another on assignments.
There are advantages and disadvantages of both systems of education. For example, one advantage of the system in Japan is that students there learn much more about math, physics, biology and chemistry than American students by the end of high school. They also study more hours each day and more days each year than North Americans do. The system is difficult, but it prepares students for a society that values discipline and self-control. There is, however, a disadvantage. Memorization is an important learning method in Japanese schools, yet many students say that after an exam, they forget much of the information that they have memorized.
The advantage of the educational system in North America, on the other hand, is that students learn to think for themselves. The system prepares them for a society that values creative ideas. There is, however, a disadvantage. When students graduate from school, they haven’t memorized as many basic rules and facts as students in other countries have.
1. The reason why American teachers attach much importance to individualism is that
_________.
A. they are required to do so
B. their students do not memorize information
C. the United States is a country of many cultures
D. their students work individually
2. Which of the following statements applies to Asian methods of education?
A. Each child in a classroom draws a different picture.
B. students have to find information themselves.
C. Students are prepared for a society that values discipline.
D. Teachers serve as a guide in discussion.
3. Which is NOT true according to the passage?
A. The system of education in the West is more creative than that in the East.
B. Japanese students learn much more about science than American students.
C. Canadian students are more individual than Korean students.
D. Students in North America are not so friendly as those in Asia.
4. From the facts, we can infer that ______ .
A. Asian students are more likely to do better in teamwork than American students
B. Chinese students are more hard-working in their studies than Mexican students
C. the Western educational system is much better than the Eastern educational system
D. the Eastern educational system is as difficult as the Western educational system
5. What is the best title for the passage?
A. Advantages and Disadvantages of Educational System.
B. The Value of Individualism.
C. Educational System-an Obvious Difference between the East and the West.
D. Memorization-an Important Learning Method.
Several years ago, I had to replace a receptionist for my unit. Before I advertised for the position, I was approached by another manager, and asked if I would consider a transfer from his staff instead of opening a new competition. My natural question was to ask who he wanted me to consider and why.
It appeared from his description of this employee, Maria, that she was having a lot of problems performing her duties and had difficulties with her boss and did not appear to respond to any attempts he, the manager, had made to settle the issues. Now, after listening to his explanation, I really had severe doubts. What crossed my mind, after this discussion, was that he wanted me to take a problem off his hands.
I told him I would think about it and would let him know the next day. As promised, after thinking more about this potential performance issue, I decided that I would agree to speak with Maria privately before I made any decision.
And, what I found out during this interview, left me deep in thought. As it turned out, the performance issue appeared to result from working for a boss who never extended a good morning greeting, never gave a word of encouragement, and was constantly changing the work load and routines. The end result was a totally ruined employee who was unconfident and hated to see a new work day start.
I decided to accept her transfer to my unit. What started out as a shy, withdrawn and frightened employee turned out to be one of the most productive and loyal employee that I had ever worked with. Maria couldn’t do enough and was constantly asking for more responsibility. I was more than happy to give her what she needed – praise for work well done, respect as a person, and encouragement for doing well in anything she dealt with.
Sometimes we are guilty of holding others back from accomplishing or doing, or developing as they should or could. It may be a wise idea that we all look in the mirror, from time to time, to see what we are really like.
1. What can we learn about the writer from the first paragraph?
A. He is a manager in the company.
B. He doesn't like his receptionist.
C. He likes to compete with others.
D. He wants to find another position.
2. After hearing his colleague's description of Maria, the writer thought that Maria ____ .
A. attempted to settle the issues
B. was a problem to her boss
C. shouldn't stay in the company
D. could get on well with others
3. Why did Maria fail to perform well in her previous job?
A. Her previous job was not suitable for her.
B. She had difficulty responding to her manager.
C. Her boss didn't inspire her working enthusiasm.
D. Her boss showed no trust in her ability.
4. We can infer that before working with the author, Maria ______.
A. was not welcome by her colleagues
B. wanted to transfer her position
C. didn't like her boss
D. felt frustrated at her work
5. The writer probably believes that a good boss should ______.
A. praise and award his employees a lot
B. respect, praise and encourage his employees
C. greet his employees and give them much work
D. always give his employees guidance in working
When I was an education official in Palo Alto, California, Polly Tyner, the president of our school board, wrote a letter that was printed in the Palo Alto Times. Polly’s son, Jim，had great difficulty in school．He was classified as the educationally disabled and required a great deal of patience on the part of his parents and teachers. But Jim was a happy kid with a great smile that lit up the room. His parents knew his academic difficulties, but always tried to help him see his strengths so that he could walk with pride. Shortly after Jim finished high school, he was killed in a motorcycle accident. After his death, his mother sent this letter to the newspaper．
Today we buried our 20-year-old son. He was killed instantly in a motorcycle accident on Friday night. How I wish I had known when I talked to him last that it would be the last time．If I had only known, I would have said, “Jim, I love you and I’m very proud of you．”
I would have taken time to count the many blessings he brought to the lives of the many who loved him. I would have taken the time to appreciate his beautiful smile，the sound of his laughter, his genuine love of people.
When you put all the good qualities on the scale and try to balance all the irritating phenomena such as the radio which was always too loud, the haircut that wasn't to our liking, the dirty socks under the bed, etc, your angry feelings won’t amount to much.
I won't get another chance to tell my son all that I would have wanted him to hear, but, other parents, you do have a chance. Tell your young people what you would want them to hear if you knew it would be your last conversation. The last time I talked to Jim was the day he died. He called me to say, “Hi, Mom! I just called to say I love you. Got to go to work, Bye.” He gave me something to treasure, forever．
If there is any purpose at all for Jim's death, maybe it is to make others appreciate more of life and to have people, especially members, take the time to let each other know just how much we care.
You may never have another chance.
1. According to the passage, we know that .
A. Jim was always ashamed of himself
B. Jim did very well in his studies
C. Jim’s parents were patient with him
D. Jim failed to finish his high school
2. The underlined word "irritating" in paragraph 4 most probably means .
A. annoying B. aggressive
C. impatient D. surprising
3. By writing the letter printed in the Palo Alto Times, the author intends to __________.
A. mourn(哀悼)her son’s sudden death in a traffic accident
B. remind people to be cautious of motorcycles
C. tell parents to take better care of their children
D. suggest people taking the chance to express their love in time
4. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A. Many people loved him．
B. Jim's smile cheered up his family．
C. Jim was killed in a motorcycle accident at the age of 20．
D. Jim constantly expressed his love to his mother．
5. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?
A. Love Your Family B. Do It Today
C. Walk with Pride D. Appreciate Smiles
Plumb was a successful US pilot in the war against Vietnam. However, once his plane 1. (destroy) by the enemy and he was forced to jump out. 2. (luck), with the help of the parachute（降落伞）he landed safely, but he was caught by the enemy and put 3. prison for 6 years.
One day, many years after the war, Plumb and his wife were sitting in a restaurant4. he found a man staring at him.
Plumb looked back but didn’t recognize him. The man stood up and said, “You are Captain Plumb?” Plumb looked up at him and nodded. The man said, “You were 5.pilot soldier in Vietnam. You landed into the enemy land with the help of your parachute.”
6. (embarrass), Plumb asked, “ How did you know all that?” The man continued, “Because I packed your parachute and 7. worked well.”
Plumb stayed awake that night. He wondered 8. many times he had either walked past his life saver without saying anything 9. ignored him completely.
Think about this for ourselves. We sometimes completely ignore the people around, who help us out when we need them badly. They are just 10. the man who was just there packing parachutes.
Anyone who has been a parent knows that raising children is a tough job. It is filled with as many difficult and moments as with moments of joy. Children don’t come with an instruction manual(说明书). And each child is . So parents sometimes feel , not knowing what to do.
But in raising children—as in all of life—what we do is by our culture. Naturally then, American parents teach their children basic American . To Americans, the goal of parents is to help children become . From childhood, each child may get his or her own room. As children grow, they get more to make their own choices. Teenagers choose their own forms of entertainment, as well as the friends to share them with. When they reach young adulthood, they their own jobs and marriage partners. Of course, many young adults seek their parents’ advice and approval for the choice they make. But once they “ the nest ” at around 18 to 21 years old, they want to be on their own, not tied to their mother’s apron strings (围裙带).
The between parents and children in America is very informal. American parents try to treat their children as individuals—not as of themselves. They them to achieve their own dreams . Americans praise and encourage their children to give them the to succeed. When children become adults, their relationship with their parents becomes more like a among equals. But contrary to popular belief, most adult Americans don’t make their parents pay for room and board when they come to visit. Even as adults, they respect and honor their parents.
1.A. delightfulB. meaningfulC. hopeful D. painful
2.A. strange B. differentC. new D. similar
3.A. excited B. frightenedC. puzzled D. surprised
4.A. influencedB. made C. controlledD. changed
5.A. servicesB. standardsC. languagesD. values
6.A. brave B. active C. independentD. optimistic
7.A. freedom B. space C. time D. money
8.A. love B. change C. design D. choose
9.A. still B. then C. thus D. therefore
10.A. build B. get C. enter D. leave
11.A. conversationB. relationshipC. competitionD. gap
12.A. friendsB. children C. teenagers D. extensions
13.A. allow B. force C. forbid D. persuade
14.A. dependenceB. trust C. belief D. confidence
15.A. friendshipB. citizenshipC. membershipD. leadership
