For as long as we’ve known about it, humans have searched for a cure for cancer. Across the world, countless amounts of time and money have been spent on researching a way to stop this terrible disease. But now, it seems like the answer could have been inside our own bodies the whole time.
Recently, the Food and Drug Administration(FDA)in the US, a government agency that’s responsible for healthcare, approved a new form of gene therapy(疗法)that could mean the end of a certain type of cancer.
The therapy allows scientists to “train” the immune(有免疫力的)cells of sick patients to fight leukemia(白血病) - a form of blood cancer that mostly affects young people.
The exciting new treatment works by removing healthy immune cells from the patient, known as T-cells, which are then changed to be able to “hunt down” cancer cells.
The cells are then put back into the patient before they begin to get rid of the patient’s leukemia over time, similar to how the body fights off other illnesses.
“This is truly an exciting new day for cancer patients,” Louis J. DeGennaro, president of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, said in a news release.
Up until now, a long and painful marrow transplant(骨髓移植)was the only option for many leukemia patients.
In this procedure, healthy blood cells are taken from a donator and placed into the sick patient, who also has to go through chemotherapy (化疗) to allow their body to adjust to the new cells.
But with a recovery rate of around 83 % - according to a news release published by the FDA - it’s hoped that the days of painful trips to the hospital, or even death, are over for leukemia sufferers.
“We’re entering a new frontier in medical innovation(创新)with the ability to reprogram a patient’s own cells to attack a deadly cancer,” FDA representative Scott Gottlieb said in the release. “New technologies such as gene and cell therapies hold the potential to transform medicine and our ability to treat and even cure many incurable illnesses.”
1.What is the author’s main purpose in writing the passage?
A. To compare different ways of curing leukemia.
B. To report on a breakthrough in cancer treatment.
C. To explore the potential of gene and cell therapies.
D. To show scientists’ efforts in search of a cure for cancer.
2.How does the new treatment to fight leukemia work?
A. By using changed T-cells to destroy cancer cells.
B. By replacing sick blood cells with healthy ones.
C. By removing sick blood cells during marrow transplant.
D. By using chemotherapy to improve the patient’s immune system.
3.What can be inferred about the new therapy for leukemia sufferers?
A. It can save them many more trips to the hospital.
B. It can improve their ability to fight off all kinds of cancer.
C. It can give them a better chance of survival and recovery.
D. It can reduce their pain in the process of marrow transplant.
4.What is Scott Gottlieb’s attitude toward gene and cell therapies?
A. Doubtful. B. Optimistic. C. Worried. D. Casual.
Have you ever heard someone say “You totally look like you’re a Jessica” or something similar? People seem to think that they know what kind of person a “Jessica” or a “Michael” looks like. Why is this?
According to a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, humans tend to associate people’s names with their appearances, and can even guess someone’s name based on how they look.
Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, collected thousands of photos of people’s faces. They labeled (贴标签于) each photo with four names. Then, they asked volunteers to guess which of the four names was correct.
The volunteers were able to guess the right name 38% of the time. It seems that certain characteristics of faces give them clues about someone’s name, Reader’s Digest reported.
However, this only worked when the volunteers looked at names from their own culture. In addition, the volunteers were not as good at guessing the real names of people who used nicknames(昵称)more often than their real names. This may show that a person’s appearance is affected by their name only if they use it often.
“This kind of face-name matching happens because of a process of self-fulfilling prophecy(预言), as we become what other people expect us to become,” Ruth Mayo from tile university told science news website EurekAlert.
Earlier studies have shown that gender(性别)and race stereotypes(刻板印象)can affect a person’s appearance. The researchers believe there are also similar stereotypes about names. For example, people tend to think that men named Bob should have rounder faces because the word itself looks round. People may think that women named Rose are beautiful. They expect them to be “delicate” and “female”, just like the flower they are named for.
1.How is this article developed?
A. By giving examples. B. By asking questions.
C. By doing an experiment. D. By comparing different cases.
2.What can be inferred from the study?
A. Volunteers found it much easier to guess nicknames.
B. Names have different associations in different cultures.
C. Volunteers could guess the characteristics of the interviewees.
D. The people in the photos and volunteers were from the same culture.
3.Why do some people look like their names according to Ruth Mayo?
A. They want to please everyone around them.
B. They don’t want to be different from others.
C. They tend to become what others expect them to become.
D. They like to copy famous people who share the same name.
4.What may be the best title for this passage?
A. What determines our names B. Why we look like our names
C. How we get rid of our stereotypes D. How stereotypes affect people’s looks
On a recent trip to the island of Newfoundland, Canada, my husband asked our talkative cab driver what made him most proud to be a native.
“Our generosity and hospitality(好客),” he replied in a strong local accent. “If your car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, someone will stop to help. People here are kind like that.” His answer rang in my mind during that ride with my husband and teenage kids, as we headed out to explore on the first day of our vacation.
Little did I know we were about to experience some of that remarkable Newfoundland kindness for ourselves. We met Alma that same morning at the start of a long hike. Our teenagers hurried ahead, and as we walked behind, admiring the scenery, two women in sunglasses and summer hiking equipment stopped. They’d heard us discussing different routes, and then asked if we’d like suggestions. They looked to be in their 4Os, and were both enthusiastic to share their local expertise.
We listened eagerly, taking mental notes, until one of the women asked, “You have a car, right?” I explained that there were no cars available during our week on the island, so we had to rely on cabs instead.
“Oh no,” she said, “you need a car.” And then, as casually as if offering a piece of chewing gum (口香糖), she said, “Take mine!” My husband and I just smiled in disbelief, dumbfounded.
“Why not?” she insisted. “You need a car to get to know all these places.”
“But you don’t even know us,” I said.
“That doesn’t matter,” she continued with absolute determination.
Surprised, I looked over at her friend, who shrugged and said, “That’s Alma.”
Forty minutes of talking later, my family climbed into Alma’s car. We spent the rest of our vacation discovering different areas of this beautiful island. But it wasn’t the groups of whales we saw, or the vast areas of woodland, that made this place so memorable. Instead, it was the act of kindness from a complete stranger that made us realize how special Newfoundland really was.
Next year, there’s no doubt where we’ll be taking our summer vacation. Who knows what act of kindness we’ll meet then?
1.What did the cab driver take pride in as a native?
A. Their kindness and enthusiasm. B. Their cheap service and friendliness.
C. Their unselfishness and determination. D. Their rich experience and local knowledge.
2.The underlined word “dumbfounded” in Paragraph 5 probably means “________”.
A. annoyed B. satisfied C. shocked D. embarrassed
3.What impressed the author most during her stay in Newfoundland?
A. The local culture of the island. B. The answer from the cab driver.
C. The beautiful scenery of the island. D. The help from an enthusiastic stranger.
4.What can we infer about the author from the last paragraph?
A. She expects to visit Newfoundland again.
B. She hasn’t decided where to go next year yet.
C. She is looking forward to meeting Alma once more.
D. She also wants to be kind to others during the vacation.
Four teenage girls from Minnesota, US. 120 hours of non-stop togetherness. No cellphones. This is not a reality show, but an adventure journey.
“It was really perfect,” said Julia Ruelle of her recent adventure to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness with three of her childhood friends. “By unplugging, we had an amazing time.”
Last year, the 16-year-old took part in an essay contest and carried off a prize. The award was a 5-day canoe and camping adventure with up to three friends. No parents or guides would be there. So Julia invited her friends Anna Wander, Madeline Wilson and Julianna Torelli.
The four Minnetonka High School juniors arrived in Ely for training the day before they began the journey. They set out the next day at 7 a.m., quickly developing a routine.
“We were done paddling by noon,” Julia said. “We ate lunch at the campsites and then it was time for hammocks(吊床), reading, making friendship bracelets(手镯)and talking.”
The girls had all had experience in the outdoors before.
Anna had been to the Boundary Waters with her family. “I love how you are separated from everything in your life, especially technology,” Anna said. Without her phone, she said, “I’m less worried about things.” Madeline, too, had been to the Boundary Waters a few years back. “But this time, I had to paddle right and set up camp,” she said. The girls made fire and cooked meal together. No one was ever hungry or homesick, but they were nervous the final night as they waited out a thunderstorm. They left wet sleeping bags in one tent, and squeezed into another for the night. “Every thunderstorm in the Boundary Waters feels huge,” Julia said.
On the car ride home, they were all on their phones catching up with friends. “It was a little at a loss turning my phone on,” said Anna. “Mental health can be improved so much in the Boundary Waters. It really helps to get away and reconnect with yourself.”
1.How did Julia Ruelle get the chance to camp?
A. She won an essay contest. B. She was invited by her friends.
C. She performed well in her school. D. She asked her parents for support.
2.Why was the 5-day adventure unique to the girls?
A. They needed to complete many tasks.
B. They needed to find a guide on their own.
C. They had to live on a boat for several days.
D. They had to live without their smartphones.
3.What can we know about the girls from the story?
A. They had not got any camping experience before.
B. They all felt refreshed after the adventure journey.
C. They enriched their learning experiences by exploring.
D. They used to keep in close touch with their friends by phone.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.When did the speaker stop painting?
A. At the age of twelve. B. At the age of thirteen. C. At the age of twenty-two.
2.What made the speaker like Kudra?
A. Its color use. B. Its size. C. Its theme.
3.Why is Charmaine active on Facebook and Twitter?
A. To attract more fans.
B. To sell her paintings.
C. To communicate with her fans.
4.What is the speaker mainly talking about?
A. A favorite painter. B. Some special paintings. C. The reason for painting.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.How many girls are there in James’s class?
A. 25. B. 33. C. 38.
2.What do we know about James’s city?
A. It lacks schools. B. It lacks good teachers. C. It lacks teaching materials.
3.What does Lisa think of her school?
A. Too small. B. Very good. C. Just so-so.
4.What does Lisa want to do now?
A. Do her homework. B. Visit James’s school. C. Go on talking with James.
