George Eberhardt turned 107 last month, and scientists would love to know how he and other older folks like him made it that far. So he's going to hand over some of his DNA.

He's one of 100 centenarians (百歲老人)taking part in a project that examines some of the oldest citizens with one of the newest scientific tools ： wholegenome sequencing (全基因組測試)，the deciphering of a person's complete collection of DNA.

Scientists think DNA from very old healthy people could offer clues to how they have lived so long. And that could one day lead to medicines to help the rest of us stay disease-free longer.

"It's very hard to get to 105 without some genetic advantages," says Dr Thomas Perls, a geriatrics(老年醫(yī)學)expert at Boston University. Dr Perls is helping find centenarians for the Archon Genomics X Prize com?petition. The X Prize Foundation, best known for a space-flight competition, is offering up $ 10 million in prize money to researchers who decipher the complete DNA code from 100 people older than 100. The contest will be judged on accuracy, completeness and the speed and cost of sequencing.

Mr Eberhardt played and taught tennis until he was 94 and says he's participating in the X Prize project because he's interested in science and technology. It's not clear his genes will reveal much. Nobody else in his extended family reached 100， and he thinks only a cou?ple reached 90， he says in a telephone interview.

So why does he think he has lived so long? He attributes it to 70 years of marriage to his wife, Marie. She in turn cites his "intense interest in so many things" over a lifetime, from building radios as a child to pursu?ing a career in electronics research.

But scientists believe there's more to it, and they want to use genome sequencing to investigate. Dr Richard Cawthon of the University of Utah, who is see?king longevity genes by other means, says it may turn up genetic features that protect against multiple diseases or that slow the process of aging in general.

1.    What does the underlined word "deciphering" in the second paragraph probably mean?

A. Separating. B. Interpreting.

C. Gathering.  D. Comparing.

2.    The fourth paragraph is mainly about .

A. what the Archon Genomics X Prize competition

is about

B.    the significance of studying the genes that lead to longevity

C.    how whole-genome sequencing is applied to the study of genes

D.    the genetic advantages the centenarians have

3.    Which of the following is TRUE about Mr Eberhardt?

A.    He doesn't have any genetic advantages.

B.    Most of his family have been long-lived.

C.    His genes don't reveal much about why he has lived so long.

D.    He enjoys doing electronics research.

4.    Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?

A.    Comparing one hundred centenarians

B.    Who will win the Archon Genomics X Prize com?petition?

C.    A new technology―whole-genome sequencing

D.    Is the secret to a long life in the DNA of cente?narians?

 語法填空

   A car ran over an old lady. The driver just sneaked avuay. A ivarm-hearted uuitness called up the police。 The police rushed to the spot soon 25.____________ the accident.And they are 26.___________ （ask) him for some details.

  (P — policeman； W —uuitness)

P: You have seen the whole thing, haven't 27.________________ ？

W ： Yes. I was just several 28.____________ (foot)away when the accident 29._______(happen).

P : How did the lady get run over?

W ： She was crossing the street when a car dashed at her. It was too late when she realized that.

P: Was the light green or red?

W_: Red for sure. So the lady didn't pay 30.______________to the car coming towards her at all. The driver should have stopped his car or 31._____________   least have warned the lady by whistling.

P- Could you describe 32.____________ the driver was like?

W: Sorry. It happened all in a sudden. But I no?ticed the car plate. The first seemed to be "G，"

P: Thank you. You've helped 33. _________________ (great). Is it OK that we would ask you again for proof or something else 34.____________  needed?

W: No problem. My name is Linda Bells. My tel?ephone number is 785416363.

P_: Thanks again. Bye!

W_: Bye!

25. _________      26. _________  27. ___________

28. ____________     29. ____________  30.___________     

31. ____________      32. _________  33. ___________

34. _________

完形填空

When Lorcan Dillon said the words "I love you" out for the first time, his mother Jayne was quite 5 . "I was so moved. You could never imagine how 6 it was for me to hear those words," she said. But this seven-year-old boy's first expression of love wasn't di?rected at his mother. 7 ， it was aimed at the family cat―Jessi-Cat.

Lorcan was born in September 2004. Since then, he was a lonely boy 8 in a world of silence. The boy was unwilling to talk as well as express emotion, and stayed 9   silent. His future made the family 10   about him. By the time he was five came the 11  of Jessi-Cat. This cat had a great sense of 12 She seemed to understand her role was to 13 by Lorcan's side. Whatever she heard Lorcan do， she would come up and  14  what was going on.

 Soon Lorcan 15 a close bond with the cat, and she has helped the 16 boy to relax and speak. Then something magical 17 , Lorcan began reading to her in a low voice, and her paw was resting on his hand. And this child has begun to 18 for the first time. This cat was the only living thing that Lorcan could talk to 19 hesitation. She was not there to 20 him―she was just there to listen. So the boy had the  21  to talk.

   This inspiring story between them made the pair 22 the Cat of the Year and the Best Friends Award. Lorcan was so 23 of Jessi-Cat that he stepped on to the stage to take the award with no sign of 24 "When we got home, he hugged Jessi-Cat and told her she had won. To me, hearing him talk was like winning all over again," said Jayne.

5.  A. embarrassed                         B. excited
    C. interested                           D. tired

6. A. funny                              B. important
   C.easy                                 D. serious

7. A. Besides                              B. Thus
  C.  Still                               D. Instead

8. A. trapped                               B. attracted
C.  cheated                               D. protected

9. A. certainly                           B. sincerely
C.  gradually                              D. completely

 10. A. argue                                B. tell

C. worry                               D. talk

11. A. arrival                             B. link
C.  mark                                D. origin

12. A. humour                              B. duty
C.  value                               D. justice

13. A. sleep                               B. fight
C.  stay                                 D. pass

14. A. take on                            B.   hold back
C.  ask for                             D.   find out

15.A. admitted                               B. left

C.  formed                              D. repaired

16. A. silent                              B. nervous
C.  deaf                                 D. weak

17. A. mattered                             B. happened
C.  worked                              D. proved

18. A. stand                                 B. smile
C.   speak                               D. smell

19. A. without                             B. beyond
C.  over                                 D. under

20. A. inform                               B. touch
C. judge                                   D. beat

21. A. right                                B. courage
C.   impatience                            D. time

22. A. win                                  B. expect
C. invite                                   D. promise

23. A. curious                                B. sure
C.  certain                                D. proud

24.A. pleasure                              B. excitement
C.  anger                                  D. fear

閱讀理解

Every hour spent outdoors each week can reduce a child's chance of becoming short-sighted by two per cent. Children who are short-sighted spend an average of 3. 7 fewer hours a week outside compared with those who have normal vision, a study has found.

Short-sightedness runs in families and has also been linked to a host of factors. They include the amount of time spent focusing on near objects and levels Gf physical activity. But simply spending time out of the house may be enough to protect the eyesight. Being outdoors can reduce the amount of time that children spend in reading or playing computer games, researchers said.

Between 15 and 20 per cent of British people are short-sighted, but the problem is much more serious in parts of East Asia. There, as much as 80 per cent of the population is short-sighted. One ?tudy compared children living in different countries. It found that those in Australia had better vision on average than people of the same age in China and Singapore. The Australian group read and achieved as much as those in other countries, but they were found to spend more time outdoors.

Dr Sherwin, one of the researchers who did the study, said the benefit from being outdoors could be linked to increased UV radiation(紫外線輻射）.Short?sightedness is caused by having longer eyes and some studies have shown that some chemicals affected by UV rays may control the length of the eye. A lack of sunlight could make such chemicals grow too much, he explained.

He said, "It could be caused by not enough UV radiation, and it could also be caused by spending less time looking into the distance or not enough physical activity.”

1. What is the main idea of the passage?

A. Children's short-sightedness can be cured.

B. There are several causes of children's short?sightedness.

C. Spending more time outdoors can lead to better eyesight.

D. Children who spend more time outdoors are much healthier.

2.What does the underlined word "They" in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A.     Near objects,

B.     Levels of physical activity.

C.     Families which have short-sightedness.

D.     Some factors linked to short-sightedness.

 3. According to Paragraph 3， in the study children in Australia .

   A.     achieved less

B.     had poorer eyesight

C.     stayed outdoors more

D.     spent less time reading

4. Which of the following is NOT mentioned by Dr Sherwin as a cause of short-sightedness?

    A.     Receiving too Utile UV radiation.

B.     Not taking part in enough physical activities.

C.     Spending little time looking into the di.stance.

D.     Not eating enough food that is good for our eye?sight.

W: The conference would be from the second to the sixth of April, for around 300 people. Do you have the facilities for that number of people 35.  these dates?

M: Yes — these dates would be suitable - About the facilities, perhaps I can give you a brief idea of 36.    we can offer.

W: Yes, please.

M ： We have 37.   modern conference centre with seats for over 450 people. Our main conference hall can seat as many as 350 people.

W: Do you have any 38.   (small) conference rooms? We will need a place for small group discussions.

M: Yes, of course. We have two smaller conference rooms 39.      can seat 50 people each.

W: I see.

M ： We have soundproof 40.    (fold) doors between   the   conference   rooms,   and   these can 41.   (open) up to form a single large room.

W: Good, this will be very 42.    (use) in the meeting. What about the technical side? How about the projector and screen?

M ： The conference centre has the most up-to-date 43.   (equip). It has a special projector with a large screen on the stage.

W; Is there any space for exhibition purposes?

M： Yes, of course. There's 44. ______ an exhi?bition hall in the conference centre.

W: Great ！ I think that's the ideal place for the conference.

People say one man's trash(垃圾)is another man's treasure. That 5 comes to me as I 6 the house purchased in 1962 by my parents. My mother passed a-way in 1996. My father left the house 7 my sister and me when he died a few months ago.

After Dad was 8， we looked around the 9 house where we grew up and that Dad loved so much. At first we felt so 10 all the stuff(東西）left. Like so many of their generation, my parents 11 every?thing. And like many of my generation, we faced anxious  12    about what to abandon and what to keep.

As we started throwing out old phone books and every medical bill from every 13 my parents ever saw, I also 14 many hidden treasures. Mum's pocketbook was in their bedroom closet, which had everything in it, 15 her hairbrush with hair, as if she were still here. And Dad, who was a World War H veteran(退伍軍人)and a world traveller, 16 every?thing—from little spoons from all over the world to every letter he wrote to his parents while in the 17 . The letters he wrote during the war 18 his thoughts as a young man. Later, in the basement, I 19 our old kitchen table, which brought back 20 of my parents and sister and me having breakfast together.

I'm realizing all these things 21 my parents' life journey. Each time I go to 22 ，1 find something that reminds me of my childhood or teaches me some?thing about my parents 1 23 knew. 24 ， from the shabby furniture to all the hidden treasures, means more to me than all the money in the world.

5.    A. coincidence       B. goal

C.  principle  D. thought

6.    A. looked for  B.  looked through

C.  looked into     D.  looked after

7.    A. to       B. for

C.  with D. by

8.    A. retired       B. ill

C.   gone      D. injured

9.    A. clean  B. strange

C.   empty                         D. modern

10.   A. pleased with      B.  familiar with

C.  astonished at   D.   disappointed at

11.   A. saved  B. enjoyed

C.  purchased       D. designed

12.   A. decisions    B. bargains

C.  challenges       D. responsibilities

13.   A. person       B. doctor

C.   neighbour     D. child

14.   A. bought       B. discovered

C.  buried     D. lost

15.   A. just     B. even

C.  only D. yet

16.   A. liked   B. bought

C.  kept D. lost

17.   A. countryside       B. school

C.   college   D. army

18.   A. received     B. directed

C.   sensed    D. described

19.   A. repaired     B. cleaned

C.  spotted    D. set

20.   A. introductions     B. memories

C.  descriptions     D. communications

21.   A. represent    B. recognize

C.   instruct  D. confirm

22.   A. the supermarket B. church

C.  my office D.  the house

23.   A. merely       B. always

C.  really      D. never

24.   A. Everything B. Nothing

C.  Anything D. Something

Have you heard of Lake Titicaca? It is a famous lake in South America, which is located on the border between Bolivia and Peru. But the lives of the ancient people who once lived around the lake and 25.    culture was thought to be highly advanced, have long remained a secret. Recently, 26.    ， scientists taking part in an exploration project at the lake have found 27.   they believe to be a 1,000-year-old temple 28.     the water.

Divers from  the  study group have discovered 29.   building that scientists think is the remains of a temple built by the people who once lived be?side the lake. The project leaders hope to begin raising important materials  from the site later this week 30.   bad weather forces a change in their plans. "The scientists have not yet had the opportunity to study the materials carefully," said project director， John Aubi. "But some 31.     (put) forward the idea that the remains date from this period because of their 32.  (similar) to those found elsewhere.The research team has so far this year made more than 200 dives into water 30 metres deep. During these dives, 33.       have been recording the ancient remains on film. There will be a meeting, 34.   (start) later this year to review the film.

Many people have influenced various aspects of my life, based on their personal characteristics, accomplish?ments, and values. I have been fortunate to have had numerous teachers and professors who I respect for their patience and intelligence. There are artists that have inspired me by their natural talents and original creativi?ty. I value many political leaders, who have inspired me by their contributions to society, and their abilities to change our futures. But of all the people I have known in my life, the person I admire most is my father.

As the youngest girl in my family* I always consid?ered myself to be "Daddy's little girl". While I grew up, it always made me sad to see so many of my friends and neighbours without a father or father-like figures around. This helps me appreciate how my father always takes an interest in his children's lives. In every aspect of my life my father continuously pushes me to excel, so I could accomplish my work outstandingly among my people. Whenever I feel like giving up, or have a ques?tion or a concern, I know I can always call on him for advice. From him I have also learned that sometimes you have to put others' needs ahead of your own, but you should make sure you are not taken advantage of by others. His strength seems to be unbreakable during hard times, and he is extremely determined to accom?plish anything he sets his mind on, no matter how tiny it is. I highly respect him for how he stands up for what he believes in, and will never back down. I have always admired his open mind, compassion for people, and sense of understanding. He is a very reserved man, but to everybody's surprise, he has a great sense of hu?mour, and always knows how to put a smile on the faces of his wife, his children and his friends.

Living in his affection and instruction, I am very proud of my father. He also professes how proud he is of his children, and is still there to support us in what?ever we are involved in.

1.    What is the best title for the passage?

A.    How my father loves me

B.    My father—the person I admire most

C.    I am the apple on my father's palm

D.    My father-—the one who influences me most

2.    Which of the following could NOT be used to describe the author's father?

A. Considerate and humorous.

B.    Affectionate and open-minded.

C.    Knowledgeable and sociable.

D.    Energetic and helpful.

3.    Which of the following can best explain the under?lined word "excel"?

A.    Do better than others.

B.    Show off.

C.    Be cleverer than others.

D.    Keep healthy.

4.    What can we infer about the author?

A.    She appreciated her father because he solved all the problems for her.

B.    She considered her father humorous and was often made to laugh by him.

C.    She had sympathy for the fatherless.

D.    She was outstanding in work because her father pushed her hard.

現(xiàn)在，照顧老年人成了一個突出的社會問題。你所在的公司順應社會需求，適時推出了家用機器人。該機器人的主要功能有：

1.    在固定的時間做飯，時間可按需調(diào)整；

2.    陪老人聊天、下棋、做運動等；

3.    及時處理突發(fā)事件，如老人生病時撥打呼救電話等。

請根據(jù)以上內(nèi)容寫一個發(fā)言稿，在新聞發(fā)布會上向大家推薦公司的這一新產(chǎn)品。注意：1.詞數(shù)100左右；

2.內(nèi)容可適當發(fā)揮，以使行文連貫。參考詞匯：prominent突出的，顯著的

If you have decided to lose the extra pounds, then you surely know that the only way to do that is by combining workouts with a healthy, balanced and nutri?tious diet. However, there are some types of drinks that will speed up the fat burning and help you lose weight quicker than you normally would, and here you will find

2 of the most efficient ones ：

Green tea has been used for hundreds of years due to its numerous benefits, and weight loss is just one of them―although green tea alone will only help you lose a few pounds? it will certainly serve as a great addition to your diet in the long run. Drinking one cup of tea per day will deliver all the antioxidants(抗氧化劑)you need and it will also help you burn fat at a faster pace by promoting the metabolism (新陳代謝).These teas are perfect for burning more calories as well as for increas?ing your overall energy levels and for suppressing your desire to eat. These teas help you remove the extra pounds by suppressing your desire to eat, thus decrea?sing the amount of food you would normally consume every day. Green tea is said to also help you reduce stress and relax better.

Fruit juices are delicious, easy to prepare and very rich in nutrients, vitamins and minerals―besides this, there are literally hundreds of different fruits you can choose from, and pears and cranberries(越橘)are only two of the most delicious, most efficient and most popular ones given the fact that they contain high amounts of vitamin C. Not only will the cranberry and pear juices help you lose weight by promoting your me?tabolism ,but they will also increase your overall energy levels and deliver your body all the essential vitamins and proteins that it so much needs. Meanwhile, it is known that the cranberry juice is essential for preven?ting various infection of the bladder (膀腕).What's more, pears contain mineral substances and are essential for a healthy lifestyle, not to mention that they are rich in vitamin C and calcium, the latter being particularly important for keeping your bones healthy and strong.

5.    This passage is written to       .

A.    introduce two weight-reducing drinks

B.    introduce two ways fittest for slimming

C.    teach how to combine exercise with diet

D.    teach you how to prepare diet soft drinks

6.    The underlined word " suppressing" in Paragraph 2 means " ，，•

A. stopping     B. upsetting

C.  improving       D. affecting

7.    Which is NOT the real reason why green tea can help reduce weight?

A.    Delivering all the antioxidants.

B.    Accelerating the metabolism.

C.    Reducing stress and relaxing better.

D.    Suppressing your desire to eat.

8.    The last paragraph is mainly about       .

A.    the reason why fruit juices are delicious

B.    the role fruit juices can play in weight loss

C.    the way to prepare pear and cranberry juices

D.    the benefits of the pear and cranberry juices to us