When you buy cooking oil in the supermarket, you may notice that some brands are labeled as “GM (genetically modified)－free”. So, what is genetic modification? Are GM foods safe?
These questions have been put back into the spotlight recently. On Nov 19, the Food and Drug Administrati0n (FDA) in the US announced that it had approved the AquAdvantage salmon to go on the market, making it the first genetically modified animal to be approved as food anywhere in the world.
GM foods are plants or animals that have been given a gene from another plant or animal to make them stronger in some way. The AquAdvantage salmon contains a gene from another type of salmon that makes it grow faster.
Although the FDA has said “food from the fish is safe to eat”, some believe that scientists can’t completely understand the potential health risks of GM foods, simply because they’re so new. Others worry that the fish could escape into the wild and cause ecological problems.
GM crops have experienced the same controversy, even though GM technology cuts down on the use of pesticides on crops and increases yields.
While GM animals are new, GM crops have already appeared on our plates: A total of 28 countries in the world including the US, Brazil and India planted 181.5 million hectares (1.815 million km2) of GM crops in 2014, according to the International Service for tile Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications. In China, we grow GM cotton and papaya and import GM soybeans, corn, rape, cotton and beets from abroad.
Due to safety worries, many countries have regulations for producing and selling GM food.
In European Union countries, each GM food must be approved before it can be used. This process can take up to 17 months. The origin of all GM foods must also be traceable, and all food with a GM content of more than 0.9 percent must also be labeled, according to EU website europa.eu.
The US is less strict about GM foods. According to FDA regulations, companies introducing new GM foods to the market should report them at least 120 days before release. The labeling is voluntary, except that a product cannot be labeled as “GM-free” if genetically modified materials are used.
In China, GM foods can only be produced after strict tests by the Ministry of Agriculture say that they are safe. All food that is made from GM crops or contains GM ingredients must be clearly labeled on the wrapper.
1.According to the text, the AquAdvantage salmon .
A. tastes better than normal salmon
B. is a product that mixes several types of fish
C. has a gene from a different type of salmon
D. remains to be approved in several countries
2.One of the reasons for many people to worry about the AquAdvantage salmon is that .
A. the gene that makes them grow faster can work on humans too
B. there are possible health risks that even scientists might not have figured out yet
C. they could possibly become threats to other wild species
D. they are not nutritious enough or might taste strange
3.From-the text, it can be concluded that GM crops .
A. no longer cause any controversy
B. have already been planted in some countries
C. are popular because they don’t need pesticides
D. can increase yields, making them welcome in countries like Japan
4.Which of the following is TRUE about regulations for producing and selling GM food?
A. All food with GM content must be labeled in European countries.
B. In the US, the AquAdvantage salmon will have to be labeled as GM food.
C. In France or Germany, every GM food that is about to go on the market must be reported at least 120 days before release.
D. In China, all food that is made from GM crops or contains GM ingredients must be clearly labeled on the package.
On her first day back at school in August, Stephanie Hughes, a teenage student, was sent to the principal’s office at Woodford County High School in Kentucky, US and her mom was called to school.
She had made a “huge” mistake－at least in the eyes of the school－by wearing a top that showed her collarbone . It was against the school’s dress code.
“This is ridiculous!” Stacie Dunn, Hughes’s mom, wrote on the social media site Facebook. “Something needs to change!”
The incident has become an Internet sensation. Across the US, schools like Woodford are being criticized for their dress codes. Some say the rules are especially unfair to young women.
Over half of US public schools have a dress code, and they are often different for girls and boys, according to the National Center for Education Statistics in the US. Some dress codes, for example, ban skirts and ask for pants to be at least knee-length.
Some have pointed out that these rules are mostly for female students. Women’s clothes are usually cut to be more fitted and shorter, while men’s clothes are longer and looser. In practice, more women will be caught breaking dress codes. The New York Post reported that last year, one school in Staten Island, New York gave 200 dress code detentions in two weeks－90 percent of which went to female students.
Some school administrators say they simply want students to dress professionally to prepare students for their future careers. But others have told female students that their clothes present a “distraction” to male students. That idea is being criticized.
The “distraction” argument is unfair to women, critics say. It suggests that exposed skin means that you want criticism or sexual advances.
“These dress codes mean that girls are getting very clear messages that men have a right to your body in public spaces and it’s socially acceptable, but you will be punished,” Laura Bates, a co-founder of the Everyday Sexism Project, a project that aims to promote equality between men and women, told The Atlantic.
Some students have taken action to change the situation. They have started online campaigns and made short films to build public support.
Certain schools have now chosen to think again about their dress codes with parents and students. Even Woodford County High School－home of the “collarbone” ban－is thinking again about its policies. But, at least for now, the dress code debate is far from over.
1.The underlined phrase “dress code” in Paragraph 2 means in the article.
A. rules for dressing
B. bans on wearing certain clothes
C. policies for dressing professionally
D. policies on what to wear for special occasions
2.What does Stacie Dunn think is “ridiculous”?
A. Her daughter making big mistakes in class.
B. Showing collarbones being considered a huge mistake.
C. Sharing the incident on Facebook.
D. Being called in to school.
3.The dress codes are mainly a problem for female students because .
A. women’s clothes are loose and long
B. they are often caught breaking them
C. they often dress in a way that draws attention
D. women’s clothes are often short and fitted
4.The dress code debate has led to , according to the article.
A. many students ignoring their school dress codes
B. students starting online debates and campaigns about the incident
C. some schools reconsidering their policies with parents and students
D. public support of more discussions about equality between men and women
书面表达
随着网络的普及，越来越多的中学生上网交友。某英语报社就“Should students make friends online?”这个主题进行了征文大赛。 请你给该报社投稿。
内容要点：1.网上交友优点：（轻松交友，畅所欲言，帮助学外语）
2.网上交友弊端：（浪费时间，分散精力，有时会上当受骗）
3.你自己的看法。
要求：1.词数120 字左右；（开头已给，不计入总词数）
2.内容充实， 结构完整，语句连贯。
Should Students Make Friends Online?
Whatever your age is , the Internet is a great place to hang out, where you can not only have fun but also make friends.
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短文改错
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（＼）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
When I began my senior high school years, I had difficulty to learning English. I dared not speak English in the public because of my poor pronounce. I could not get high marks, but I always used bad grammar. Afraid of be laughed at, I never put up my hand answer questions in class. When my English teacher Miss Li learned about this, she encouraged me and lend me a hand, that helped improve my English. With her help, I became interest in English and finally got high marks. Miss Li, like a shining star, shines on her path to success.
B.用所给词的适当的时态，语态填空：
1.If his interview is not successful ,he _______(not allow) to work in that company.
2.We won’t start the work until all the preparations _____(make ).
3.Don’t hand in your composition until it _________(finish).
4.Great changes _____________(take place) in our country since the 2008 Olympic Games.
A．根据语境用适当的关系词填空：
1.There are many reasons _____ people like traveling.
2.This is the iPad _____ I spent 3,000 yuan.
3.We are living in an age ____ many things are done on computer.
4.Is there anyone in your class _______ family is in the country?
5.Nowadays people are more concerned about the environment __they live.
6.Until now , we have raised 50,000 pounds for the poor children ,___ is quite unexpected.
