Have you ever dreamed of visiting a planet in the Milky Way (银河系)? While the trip sounds exciting, it would take years and years to reach your destination. So in the future, bedtime for astronauts may be more than a few hours of regular shut eyes. They would have to sleep for years.
European researchers are now conducting hibernation experiments. The study may help them understand whether humans could ever sleep through the years it would take for a spaceflight to distant planets. "If there was an effective technology, it could make deep space travel a reality," said Mark Ayre of the European Space Agency last month.
What seems like a science fiction is not completely unlikely. Researchers have been able to use chemicals to put living cells into a sleeplike state where they don’t age. They have now moved on to the small, non hibernating mammals like rats.
A major challenge is the fact that cells can be very simple systems, whereas body organs are far more complex. "It’s like moving from a simple Apple computer to a supercomputer," said Marco Biggiogera, a hibernation researcher at Italy’s University of Pavia. Just like bears and frogs, the hibernation of human beings would cause a person’s metabolism (新陈代谢) to lower so they would need less energy.
Medical research, however, is just half of a spaceflight hibernation system. There is a challenge of designing a suitable protective shelter. Such a shelter would provide the proper environment for hibernation, such as the proper temperature. It would also have to monitor life functions and serve the physiological needs of the hibernator.
According to Ayre, the six person Human Outer Planets Exploration Mission (使命) to Jupiter’s moon (木星的卫星) Callisto, could be an opportunity to use human hibernation. The mission aims to send six persons on a five year flight to Callisto, where they will spend 30 days, in 2045.
1.According to the article, the hibernation research _______.
A. is just an idea
B. is always a science fiction
C. has already finished successfully
D. has made some progress
2.In a hibernating state, a person needs ________.
A. less sleep B. more food
C. less energy D. more movement
3.The first try of the hibernation technology the six person Human Outer Planets Exploration Mission to Jupiter’s moon Callisto.
A. will be B. has been planned for
C. is certain to be D. may be
4.What is the best title of the article?
A. Hibernation study for space travel
B. Welcome to our space travel
C. To hibernate, to live longer
D. Welcome to the Milky Way
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
With its 775 rooms, Buckingham Palace makes regular houses look tiny. Now home to Queen Elizabeth II, it’s been the British Monarchy’s official London digs since 1837. National Geographic Kids slipped behind the guarded gates to find the palace’s coolest features.
1. FANCY FEAST
For special dinners, a team of 21 chefs whips up dishes that are served on solid gold plates. Even Her Majesty’s pet dogs receive meals of lamb and cabbage in silver bowls. Good thing the kitchen is well stocked--- the Queen welcomes about 50,000 dining guests every year.
2. CLASSY COACH
The Queen’s most attractive ride may be the Gold State Coach, parked in the palace’s Royal Mews building and used in the crowning of a king or queen, since 1821. Covered with heavy gold, it’s pulled by eight horses.
3. MOVIE NIGHT
The royal family hosts private screenings of movie in their very own cinema, sometimes seeing new films before they hit theaters.
4. WHAT’S UP, DOC?
Forget a medicine cabinet (药品柜). Buckingham Palace houses a doctor’s office run by the Queen’s physician. And surgeons have performed operations in other parts of the palace. In 1902, for instance, doctors operated on King Edward VII in a room facing the garden.
5. BEDROOMS
The palace has 52 bedrooms. Rooms such as those inside the Belgian Suite contain chandeliers(枝行吊灯), gold-gilded mirrors, fireplaces, canopy beds, and more.
6. TOP- SECRET TUNNELS
Rumor has it that secret underground tunnels connect the royal residence to other buildings in London. The paths were reportedly built during World War II when enemy bombs regularly pounded the city. Weaving deep under London’s busy streets, the tunnels would have provided the royals safe passage during an attack. But even now officials won’t reveal much about these under- the- radar routes.
1.The underlined part “whips up” probably means_______.
A. enjoys B. selects C. cleans D. cooks
2.According to the text, in Buckingham Palace________.
A. there are eight horses altogether
B. stocks of food in the kitchen hardly run low
C. the Queen’s pet dogs are fed with simple meals
D. there’s no suitable place to perform operations
3.What do we know about the tunnels in Buckingham Palace?
A. They are not well- protected.
B. They were heavily bombed.
C. They are not open to the public.
D. They are linked with other cities in Britain.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Mosquitoes(蚊子) ruin countless American picnics every year, but around the world, this bloodsucking beast isn’t just annoying--it causes a health problem. More than a million people die from the spread of mosquito-borne diseases like malaria and yellow fever each year. Attempts to control populations via insecticides like DDT have had ruinous side effects for nature and human health. Neurobiologist Leslie B. Vosshall has a different solution for stopping the insects and the spread of disease. “I believe the key to controlling mosquito behavior is to understand better how they sense us,” she says.
At their Rockefeller University lab, Vosshall and her colleagues are studying the chemical sensory processes by which mosquitoes choose hosts. How do they sense heat, humidity, carbon dioxide, and body odor(气味)? What makes some people more attractive to a mosquito than others? It takes blood and sweat to find out. To study how mosquitoes assess body odor, Vosshall and her teammates might wear stockings on their arms and keep from showering for 24 hours to create sample smells, Then comes the hard part. They insert their arms into the insects’ hidden home to study how mosquitoes land, bite, and feed and then they document how this changes. This can mean getting anywhere from one bite to 400, depending on the experiment. Studying male mosquitoes is more pleasant. Since they don’t feed on blood, the lab tests their sense of smell using honey.
Vosshall and her team have also begun to study how genetics contribute to mosquitoes’ choice of a host. She’s even created a breed that is unable to sense carbon dioxide, an important trigger for the insects. “By using genetics to make mutant(变异的) mosquitoes, we can document exactly how and why mosquitoes hunt humans,” Vosshall says.
Once Vosshall figures out what makes mosquitoes flock to us, she can get to work on making them leave us alone. Many of her lab’s proposed solutions sound simple enough, including bracelets(手镯) that carry long-lasting repellants(驱虫剂) or traps that can reduce populations, but the breakthroughs, when they come, may save millions of lives in the developing world—and a lot of itching everywhere else.
1.Vosshall and her colleagues are mainly studying mosquitoes’ ______.
A. appearance B. size
C. behavior D. change
2.By saying the underlined part “Then comes the hard part”, the author probably means that______.
A. the insects smell terrible
B. the experiment will last long
C. The researchers will probably suffer
D. the researchers have to study lots of documents.
3.Why is it less challenging to study male mosquitoes?
A. They are not bloodsuckers.
B. They are afraid of stockings.
C. They have a poor sense of smell.
D. They are protective of their hosts.
4.It can be inferred from the last paragraph that Vosshall’s research______.
A. looks very promising
B. has saved millions of lives
C. is facing great difficulties
D. is quite simple to carry out.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
“You have cancer” are the three words you never want to hear. Unfortunately, over 5, 000 people in North America do hear those words--every single day. Even worse, cancer has become the second leading cause of death for Americans. America’s health practitioner (从业人员), David Brownstein, M. D., has spent much of his medical career studying cancer, and learning the best ways to avoid becoming its victim.
And Dr. Brownstein does not shy away from (回避) the hard truth. Statistics demonstrate we are not winning the war on cancer. Far from it. In fact, cancer death rates have remained nearly unchanged over the last 80 years. Plus, traditional cancer treatments have been a terrible failure. Because the only big winner in the cancer treatment story to date has been the cancer industry’s multibillion-dollar profits, Dr. Brownstein has just released a free video documentary revealing some of his startling (令人吃惊的) findings.
In this video, you’ll discover five specific signs that you will be diagnosed (诊断) with cancer during your lifetime. Even more important, you’ll see:
*Seven simple but smart steps to prevent cancer from taking over your body.
*How to help your body naturally kill cancer cells.
*Easiest ways to avoid known cancer-causing factors.
*The little-known relationship between iodine (碘) and cancer.
*And much, much more…
According to Dr. Brownstein, nearly all of us have cancer cells in our bodies at various times during our lives. The trick is to avoid letting those cells increase and defeat the body’s natural defenses.
The good news is that you and your loved ones do not need to become cancer victims. With the simple methods revealed in Dr. Brownstein’s eye-opening video, you can take steps to prevent this deadly disease.
Newsman Health managed to bring it directly to you free of charge. Click here to start watching this powerful video about preventing cancer immediately. With so many people dying needlessly, there’s no time to waste.
1.We can learn from Paragraph 1 that ________.
A. David Brownstein makes no progress in preventing cancer
B. cancer is the leading cause of death for Americans
C. David Brownstein himself is suffering from cancer
D. cancer victims are increasing in North America
2.What do we know about cancer in America?
A. Cancer death rates are dropping.
B. Cancer industry is very profitable.
C. Traditional cancer treatments are effective.
D. Cancer medicine was invented 80 years ago.
3.What does the underlined part “the hard truth” refer to in Paragraph 2?
A. David Brownstein’s video is unpopular.
B. It needs another 80 years to cure cancer.
C. People don’t know cancer death rates.
D. People’s inability to defeat cancer.
4.What’s the purpose of the passage?
A. To recommend a video.
B. To introduce some doctors.
C. To teach us how to make a video.
D. To give us some tips on dealing with cancer.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Doctors say anger can be an extremely damaging emotion, unless you learn how to deal with it. They warn that anger can lead to heart disease, stomach problems, headaches, emotional problems and possibly cancer.
1. Some people express anger openly in a calm and reasonable way. Others burst with anger, and scream and yell. But other people keep their anger inside. They cannot or will not express it. This is called repressing anger.
For years many doctors thought that repressing anger was more dangerous to a person’s health than expressing it. They said that when a person is angry, the brain releases the same hormones (荷尔蒙). They speed the heart rate, raise blood pressure, or sugar into the blood, etc. 2.
Some doctors say that both repressing and expressing anger can be dangerous. They believe that those who express anger violently may be more likely to develop heart disease, and they believe that those who keep anger inside may face a greater danger of high blood pressure.
3. They say the first step is to admit that you are angry and to recognize the real cause of the anger, then decide if the cause is serious enough to get angry about. If it is, they say, “ 4. Wait until your anger has cooled down and you are able to express yourself calmly and reasonably.”
Doctors say that a good way to deal with anger is to find humor in the situation that has made you angry. 5.
A. They say that laughter is much healthier than anger.
B. Expressing anger violently is more harmful than repressing it.
C. Doctors say the solution is learning how to deal with anger.
D. Anger may cause you a cancer.
E. Do not express your anger while angry.
F. Anger is a normal emotion that we all feel from time to time.
G. In general the person feels excited and ready to act.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（不多于3个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
People visit other countries for 1. (variety) reasons. Some travel on business; 2. travel to visit interesting places 3. are only found in other countries, such as the Taj Mahal in India, the temples of Thailand, or the Pyramids at Giza.
4. you go, and for whatever reason, it is important to be safe. A tourist can attract a lot of attention from local people. While the majority of people you’ll meet when traveling are sure to be friendly and 5. (welcome), there are dangers--theft being the most common. Just as in your home country, do not expect everyone you meet to be friendly and helpful. 6. is important to prepare for your trip in advance, and to take precautions (警惕) while you 7. (travel).
As you prepare 8. your trip, make sure you have the right paperwork. You don’t want to get to your destination only 9. (find) you have the wrong visa, or worse, that your passport is about to expire (到期). Also, make sure you travel with proper medical insurance, so that if you are sick or injured during your travel, you will be able to get treatment. If you want to drive while you are abroad, make sure you have 10. international driver’s license.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
One fine afternoon I was walking along the Fifth Avenue, when I remembered that it was necessary to buy a pair of socks. I the first sock shop that caught my eye, and , not more than 17, came forward. "What can I do for you, sir?" "I wish to a pair of socks." glowed. "Did you know that you had come into in the world to buy socks?" I had not been that, as my entrance had been accidental. "Come with me,” said the boy happily. He began to down from the shelves box after box.
" , boy, I'm going to buy only one pair!" "I know that, but I want you to see how beautiful these are. Aren't they wonderful?" There was an expression of joy, he were revealing(透露) to me the of his religion. I became far more interested in him than in the socks. "My friend," said I, "if this is the enthusiasm from freshness, and you can keep it up , in ten years you’ll own every sock in the United States."
My amazement at his pride in will be understood by all who read this article. In many shops the customer has to wait for someone to him. When some clerk does notice you, you are made to feel as if you were interrupting him. possibly that very clerk who is now so began his career with enthusiasm. The freshness ; he became a mechanical salesman.
I’ve observed such change in the lives of so many men in so many occupations that I've come to the that the fastest road to failure is to do things mechanically.
1.A. turned into B. broke into C. came across D. met with
2.A. a female clerk B. a boy clerk C. a girl clerk D. an old man
3.A. buy B. find C. see D. have
4.A. His face B. The room C. His eyes D. The fire
5.A. the worst B. the right place C. the wrong D. the best place
6.A. curious about B. aware of C. sensitive to D. attached to
7.A. push B. force C. look D. drag
8.A. Hold up B. Just you wait C. Hold on D. Hang up
9.A. on his face B. to my surprise C. for some reason D. to some degree
10.A. when B. as if C. even if D. while
11.A. beliefs B. stories C. values D. mysteries
12.A. hardly B. only C. no more than D. not merely
13.A. day after day B. day by day C. the other day D. to this day
14.A. passion B. salesmanship C. enthusiasm D. job
15.A. serve on B. care for C. wait upon D. deal with
16.A. accidentally B. occasionally C. finally D. disrespectfully
17.A. Yet B. So C. Then D. For
18.A. enthusiastic B. unconcerned C. different D. responsible
19.A. wore of B. wore on C. wore over D. wore off
20.A. response B. realization C. conclusion D. circumstance
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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）不计分。
I was a newly qualified foot-health practitioner（执业者）. One day I was in the phone to a female patient recently, go over the details of an appointment. I careful wrote down her address, phone number and the set time in case of I forgot. We were just finished the conversation when she said, “I hope you don’t mind, so I have a rather strange question.” “of course” I reply. Go right ahead.” “Well,” said a lady nervously, “I was wondering if they offered discounts because I only have one leg.” Feeling that the lady extremely serious, I said yes without hesitation.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
某英文报社就“关爱空巢老人”这一话题进行征文。请你根据所给提示写一篇英语短文投稿。内容主要包括：
空巢老人越来越多的原因。2.他们面临的问题。3. 如何帮助他们。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3. 开头已为你写好，但不计入总词数。
Old people that live alone with no family to take care of them are now called the empty-nest elderly.
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难度: 中等查看答案及解析