Heart disease is one of the major killers in the world today. Many who suffer from it must have heart transplants (移植). However, it’s difficult to get a suitable heart donation, and even if a patient survives the wait, his or her body often rejects (排斥) the heart.
But there is now new hope for sufferers of heart disease. According to a study published in the journal Advanced Science, researchers from Israel’s Tel Aviv University printed a 3D human heart on April 15.
“This is the first time anyone anywhere has successfully engineered and printed an entire heart,” professor Tal Dvir told CNN.
Unlike the previous 3D-printed heart structure, the new heart is complete with cells, blood vessels (血管), chambers (心室) and other structures a heart needs to function normally. But scientists still have more to figure out before the 3D-printed heart can be fitted into the body. For one thing, the experimental heart is only the size of a thumb (拇指). And, although it can contract (收缩) like a muscle, it cannot pump out blood like a real one. At present, the heart prototype (样品) is like a tiny airplane that has all of the right parts, but can’t fly.
However, the development is still regarded as a major breakthrough in medicine.
In the experiment, the researchers turned human fat tissue (脂肪组织) into human heart tissue with stem cell (干细胞) technology. The tissue was then turned into “bio-ink” for a 3D printer to ensure that tissue in the heart came from the patients themselves. So ideally, if it were to be placed in the body of someone in need of a transplant, there would be less risk of organ rejection.
“Patients will no longer have to wait for transplants or take medications to prevent their rejection,” researchers told USA Today. “Instead, the needed heart will be printed, fully personalized (个性化的) for every patient.”
But the scientists think that 3D printing can be used to create other human organs. They foresee a time when the 3D printing of organs will be an everyday medical practice.
“Maybe, in 10 years, there will be organ printers in the finest hospitals around the world and these procedures will be conducted routinely,” Dvir said.
1.Why is the 3D-printed heart important?
A.It will be used on a patient.
B.It is the first 3D-printed heart.
C.It will replace a heart donation.
D.It has a complete heart structure.
2.What problem do 3D-printed hearts have?
A.They cost too much. B.They are too small.
C.They can’t contract. D.They are hard to produce.
3.Why would there be less risk of organ rejection with the 3D-printed heart?
A.It would be made with stem cell technology.
B.It would be made from human fat tissue.
C.It would come from a patient’s body.
D.It would be printed according to the patient’s condition.
4.What attitude does Tal Dvir hold toward the future of 3D printing of organs?
A.Confident. B.Doubtful.
C.Worried. D.Confused.
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 appearance, 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 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 percent 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 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 (自我实现预言), as we become what other people expect us to become.” Ruth Mayo from the university told science news website EurekAlert.
Earlier studies have shown that gender 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 “feminine(女性的)”, just like the flower they are named for.
1.What was the purpose of the study?
A.To find out today’s most popular English names.
B.To learn how names influence personality.
C.To find out whether names relate to their looks.
D.To show how men’s names are different from women’s.
2.What can we infer from the study?
A.Volunteers found it easier to guess nicknames correctly.
B.Names may have different associations in different cultures.
C.Volunteers could guess the characteristics of those people.
D.The people in the photos and volunteers were from the same country.
3.According to Ruth Mayo, why do some people look like their names?
A.They tend to become what others expect them to become.
B.They want to please everyone around them.
C.They don’t want to be different from others.
D.They like to copy famous people who share the same name.
4.What point does the last paragraph want to explain?
A.Earlier studies about stereotypes are limited.
B.Stereotypes about names can bring good results.
C.Stereotypes about names can affect people’s looks.
D.It’s not always bad to be influenced by the expectations of others.
NASA has a new job listing, and it’s no joke. The US space agency (机构) is looking for a “joker” to join their planned mission (任务) to Mars.
A mission to Mars is no laughing matter. On average, the red planet is 140 million miles (225 million kilometers) away from Earth. A trip there would take around eight months in a small spacecraft. And Mars has a communications delay (延迟) of 20 minutes. This means that astronauts will have to wait 20 minutes for a reply, when an emergency happens.
“When you’re living with others in a confined space for a long period of time, such as on a mission to Mars, problems are likely to occur,” Jeffrey Johnson, a scientist at the University of Florida, told The Guardian.
This is probably why NASA wants an astronaut with a sense of humor. “These are people that have the ability to pull everyone together,” Johnson said.
In stressful situations, perhaps humor is a way to know we aren’t alone. By laughing together, we share our stress. Then we can focus on our jobs instead of just worrying.
There are other examples of team “clowns”. One example is the journey to the South Pole (南极) led by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen. It was a difficult journey, full of danger. Adolf Lindstrom, a cook at Amundsen’s team, was a “clown”. He made people laugh through the whole journey. Amundsen later wrote that Lindstrom was the most valuable member of the team.
But if you’re hoping that your favorite TV comedian (喜剧演员) will fly to Mars, that probably won’t happen.
“Being funny won’t be enough to land somebody the job,” Johnson said. “They also need to be an excellent scientist and engineer.”
Besides, they must be in top physical condition.
1.What is NASA’s new job listing?
A.A funny engineer. B.A talented clown.
C.A good cook. D.A popular comedian.
2.What does “a confined space” in Paragraph 3 refer to?
A.a crowded space B.an empty space
C.an open space D.a small space
3.How does the author think humor can help astronauts?
A.It can stop them from feeling worried.
B.It can encourage teamwork on a mission.
C.It can help them feel less homesick.
D.It can help them know themselves better.
4.What could be the best title of the passage?
A.A New Job Listing of NASA
B.Humorous Astronauts in NASA
C.Keeping the Spirits Up
D.A mission to Mars
Games and Hobbies
There are websites for nearly every game and hobby out there.
Teen Reads
Young book lovers will enjoy TeenReads. The website features reviews of new and popular books for teenagers, along with surveys, contests and places to discuss favorite books. Teens can also work their way through the “ultimate(最终的)” reading list on the site.
TeenNick
Fans of entertainment channel TeenNick will find information on the latest shows, as well as games, videos and quizzes. While the site offers updates(新信息)on TeenNick shows, it also features stories just for teens, offering suggestions on how to survive high school or giving back to school ideas.
The InSite
The InSite is designed for teens who have an interest in improving the world. Teens can learn about social justice, how to build a positive self-image(积极的自我形象)and how to help the planet. They can also submit artwork and writing or discuss how to make the world a better place.
ChallengeYou
ChallengeYou is a computer game design website. Teens can design games on the site or play games designed by other kids and teens. They can share their games with friends or take part in weekly game-building contests. There is also a chat room and a forum(论坛)where site users can discuss game building or arrange to play together.
1.Where might you find information on the latest teenager books?
A.On TeenReads B.On TeenNick
C.On The InSite D.On ChallengeYou
2.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the text?
A.You can publish your own writing on TeenReads
B.TeenNick is mainly a place to discuss school problems
C.The InSite helps to make a better you and a better world
D.You can find information about games on all these websites
3.If you have designed a computer game and want to share it with your friends, you should go to __________.
A.TeenReads B.TeenNick
C.The InSite D.ChallengeYou
阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。
I woke up earlier than my brother as every other day of the week. I jumped out of the bed, got dressed, brushed my teeth, and had breakfast. Saying good bye to my mother, I got in the car no later than 7:05. I got to school on time, even though my brother came out of the house late as he used to.
It was a Thursday. I was walking to the chemistry rooms when my phone in my left pocket vibrated (震动). I took it out and looked at the shiny screen. As soon as I saw my father’s name on that screen I realized something was not right.
He would not call me in the middle of a school day just to talk. He would want me to focus in school and do well. I answered the phone, and my father sounded worried. He told me to find my brother as soon as possible, walk with him to the school picking-up zone and get in the car with my brother. Our driver would take us back home where my father was.
When I was in the car with my brother, my dad called the driver and told him to take us to the hospital. We were going to meet him and my mum there. As soon as my brother and I found about the change in plans, we looked at each other in the eyes. I immediately noticed the fear in my brother’s eyes.
To be honest, I was really scared too, probably more than he was. But I did not say anything. We arrived at the hospital. I saw my dad on the phone waiting for us at the entrance. He was smoking. Seeing my dad smoking made me more worried. I had never seen him smoke before. He hated it. As soon as he recognized the white car, he threw the cigarette away. I looked at my brother; he was looking out of the other window. I did not tell him what I just saw. I did not want him to worry.
注意：1. 续写短文的词数150左右；
2. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头已为你写好。
Paragraph 1:
The car stopped right in front of my dad.
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Paragraph 2:
We walked down the hall with our eyes closed.
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假定你是李华。最近在英语阅读学习上遇到困难，决定给外教Mark写信，从以下方面 寻求建议：
1. 语言知识；
2. 阅读技能；
3. 阅读素材。
注意：1. 词数80左右；
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Mr. Mark,
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I’m looking forward to your reply.
Yours,
Li Hua
