Scientists in UK have grown a living human "brain". The team at Aston University created tiny bunch of cells which act like a mini nervous system.
They believe it could help find a cure for worse mental conditions like Parkinson’s disease. Professor Michael Coleman is leading the research program. He explained, "We are aiming to be able to study the human brain at the most basic level, using an actual living human cell system. Cells have to be alive and operating efficiently to enable us to really understand how the brain works. "The experiment involves changing cells from a cancer tumour (肿瘤）and making them behave like brain cells.
Although far from finished, researchers hope the false brain cells will give them a greater understanding of how real brains work. This, in turn, could significantly further research into conditions which affect the brain. Neil Hunt, chief leader of the research group, said, "It is still very early days, but in the future the research could lead to a useful tool for looking into dementia (痴呆)."
The technique could also provide a way to carry on animal test and is being supported by the Humane Research Trust (HRT). The scientists predict that over the next ten years a million people will develop dementia. Professor Coleman believes their findings could change this. He said，"We hope our research will provide scientists with a new and highly relational human experimental model to help them understand the brain better and develop new drugs to control the related disease. However, the biggest challenge at present is that we are greatly short of fund, which will slow our research."
小题1:UK scientists grow a living human "brain" in order to ______.

A．study the structure of human brain

B．make use of living human cell system

C．discover how human brain really works

D．separate cells from a cancer tumour

小题2: According to Neil Hunt, research into brain cells ______.

A．will get finished as early as possible

B．will make people discover dementia

C．will affect the brain growth in many ways

D．will help to treat some diseases in nerve system

小题3: From the last paragraph，we can know that ______

A．the technique provided by HRT is immature

B．animal tests are no longer allowed by law

C．a million people suffer from brain diseases

D．the research program lacks financial support

小题4: The text is intended to ______.

A．tell us about a breakthrough in medical research

B．introduce a research program in human's brain

C．introduce the progress of drugs for dementia

D．tell us about health problem in nerve system

Phil Donahue，the former television talk show host，had something of a reputation for giving clergy（神职人员）a hard time，and he has said the reason he’s that way is that he has little respect for them．Most clergy will do anything for some media attention，he says．In his autobiography(自传)，however, he tells about an encounter with a minister who was different．It happened while Donahue was a young television reporter in Ohio，and one day he was sent to West Virginia in the bitter cold winter to cover a mine disaster．He went by himself in a battered little car, carrying a mini camera to film the story．
It was so cold when he got there，however, the camera wouldn’t work．So he put it inside his coat to warm it up enough to run．In the meantime，the families of the trapped miners were gathered around．The),were just simple mining people—women，old men，and children．Several of the trapped men were fathers．
Then the local minister arrived．He was tall and thin，and he didn’t speak well at a11．But he gathered all the families around in a circle，and the held one another in their arms while he prayed for them．
As this was going on，Donahue was still trying to get his camera to work，and he was extremely disappointed because he couldn’t film the scene．Finally，after the prayer was over，Donahue managed to get his camera operating．So he told the minister he had his camera working now and asked if the minister would please do the prayer again so he could film it for the evening news．
This simple West Virginia preacher, however，told Donahue，“Young man，we don’t pray for the news．I’m sorry，but we’ve already prayed，and I will not pose．”
To this day，Donahue remembers that minister with respect．You don’t forget that kind of character，no matter who you are or what you believe．
小题1:We can learn from Paragraph 1 that Donahue _______________．

A．used to show much respect for clergy

B．thinks most clergy tend to attract media attention

C．used to have a hard time dealing with clergy

D．always misunderstands clergy

小题2:For what purpose did Donahue go to West Virginia one day?

A．To report on an accident．

B．To rescue the miners．

C．To film the praying of a minister．

D．To witness a disaster．

小题3:What do we know about Donahue’s camera?

A．It was advanced and hard to operate．

B．The low temperature prevented it working properly．

C．It was all right before the prayer started．

D．It needed to be repaired．

小题4:What did the minister refuse to do?

A．To pray for the accident．

B．To make up the news．

C．To cooperate with the reporter．

D．To pray for the trapped miners on TV

小题5:What’s the main idea of the passage?

A．The clergy are having a hard time．

B．Praying saved the trapped miners．

C．A minister who gains Donahue’s respect．

D．A mine disaster happened in Virginia．

The adolescent girl from Tennessee was standing on the stage of a drama summer camp in New York．But the girl didn’t feel joyful．She was not the leggy，attractive Hollywood type．In fact，she described herself as stupid．
This girl was Reese Witherspoon，who had wanted to be a country singer and admired and respected Dolly Patton very much．
That day at the end of the camp her coaches told her to forget about singing．They suggested she think about another career．She took their words to heart．After all，why shouldn’t she believe the professionals?
But back at home in Nashville，her mother—a funny，happy，optimistic woman—wouldn’t let her feel depressed．Her father，a physician，encouraged her to achieve in schoo1．So she worked hard at everything and was accepted at Stanford University．
And at 1 9，she got a part in a low-budget movie called Freeway, which prepared for her role in the movie Pleasantville．But her big break came with Legally Blonde．
“If you can’t sing and you aren’t charming，play to your strengths．If you’re going to make it in this business，better focus on what you’re good at，”she told the interviewer later．
And then came the offer that took her back to her Nashville—playing the wife of a country star Johnny Cash，a singing role．
All of a sudden the old fears learned on that summer stage were back．She was so nervous on the stage．But she didn’t give up on the movie or herself．She spent 6 months taking singing lessons again．She learned to play the Autoharp．And the hard work built up her confidence．
Last March，Reese Witherspoon walked up on another stage，the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood，and accepted the Oscar as Best Actress for her heartbreaking，heartwarming singing role as June Carter Cash in Walk the Line．
小题1:Why was Reese Witherspoon sad that day?

A．The experts advised her to give up singing．

B．Dolly Parton told her to leave the stage．

C．The coaches described her as foolish．

D．The professionals considered her ignorant．

小题2:What can be inferred from Paragraph 4?

A．Reese was an optimistic girl．

B．Her parents supported her a lot．

C．Her parents were disappointed with her．

D．Reese blamed herself all day long．

小题3:Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．Reese’s mother was a physician．

B．Freeway was Reese’s big break．

C．Reese won the Oscar for Walk the Line．

D．New York was Reese’s home town．

小题4:How did Reese succeed in playing the singing role?

A．She did her best to make herself leggy and attractive．

B．She tried hard to forget about that summer stage．

C．She practised Autoharp lessons for more than 6 months．

D．She regained her confidence through hard work．

小题5:What can we learn from Reese’s experience?

A．Two heads are better than one．

B．When in Rome，do as the Romans do．

C．Where there is a will，there is a way．

D．Hope for the best，and prepare for the worst．

IT is safe to say that George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), the Irish-born writer, is more famous for being George Bernard Shaw than he is for his writings today. Few of Shaw’s more than 60 plays, novels and essays are performed or read anymore. And yet Shaw genuinely helped make our modern world. Although you’d be lucky to get a chance to see one of his dramas today, in his time he turned the theater into a vehicle for the discussion of social issues, not only in Britain but on the stage of the world. In a way Shaw was someone who created the modern culture of Britain.

Where the theater had been dominated by entertainment, Shaw used it to teach people the importance of paying attention to the issues of their day. The plight (苦难) of the poor and the working class, the situation of women and the institutions of society, such as the education system ---- Shaw was among the most well-known figures making these topics central to public debate. His first play, Widowers’ Houses (1892), deals with the question of slum (贫民窟) housing. His Mrs Warren’s Profession (1893) brought a controversial topic to the stage.
Shaw was an important mover and shaker in new political movements too. He was an early member of the Fabian Society, which argued for the socialist cause in the UK. Shaw was also the founder (in 1895) of one of the now most famous colleges in the world, the London School of Economics.
If few of his works have really stood the test of time, many of his quotations have become part of the furniture of the English language. “Youth is wasted on the young,” he wrote. He also knew how to sum up a political philosophy(哲学) in a few memorable words. For instance: “A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.”
小题1: Shaw’s influence on the modern world comes mainly from ______.

A．the changes he brought to the British culture

B．his philosophies on the role of government

C．his awareness of social problems of his day

D．the support for the London School of Economics

小题2: Widowers’ Houses is a play that mainly focuses on ______.

A．the failure of the UK education system

B．the housing problems of poor people

C．robbery incidents in slum areas

D．socialist movements in the UK

小题3: By describing Shaw’s quotations as “part of the furniture of the English language”, the author means that Shaw’s words ______.

A．have become the best part of English

B．have greatly developed the English language

C．have made the English language philosophical

D．have become an inseparable part of the English language

小题4: Which of the following about George Bernard Shaw’s works is TRUE?

A．They should be adapted for modern readers.

B．They are mostly about the lives of working class.

C．They deal with important social issues of their day.

D．Most of them are still performed on the stage of the world today.

BERLIN (Reuters)—Germany’s postal service has announced plans to explore improved service and help protect the environment by getting “fetch friends”—ordinary people traveling across cities—to deliver parcels on their way.
It is hoped that the move, which will be tested in the coming months, might lessen traffic in inner cities and reduce CO₂ emissions(排放). This should help DHL, a division of the German postal service, reach its target of improving the company’s carbon efficiency by 30 percent before 2020.
“As the world’s biggest logistics(物流) provider, we recognize a special responsibility to reduce the impact on the environment as much as possible,” said Frank Appel, Chief Executive Officer of Deutsche Post DHL, in a statement referring to a variety of measures being considered.
The “fetch friends” find out online about parcels that need delivering to people who live or work along the way that they are planning to travel through the city. They then select the ones that they want to take.
Codes(编码) sent to their mobile phones tell the volunteers where to pick the packages up. Parcels can be taken part of the way or passed on to another volunteer but all volunteers need to have the right code on their mobile phone so the track and trace system can be updated.
Logistics companies will be responsible for looking after the operation to make sure that the privacy of post is respected.
It’s hoped that this could be done using mobile phones but DHL says it recognizes that some security issues remain to be worked out.
小题1: According to the passage, the “fetch friend” program ________.

A．has been tested for months

B．aims to reduce the cost of the service

C．employs environmentalists to help with deliveries

D．encourages ordinary people to help cut the carbon footprint

小题2: Which of the following statements is TRUE of DHL?

A．It belongs to the Germany’s postal service.

B．It has the most up-to-date tracking system in Germany.

C．It has succeeded in improving its carbon efficiency by 30%.

D．It has designed many measures to improve its service speed.

小题3:What may be a problem with the new service according to the article?

A．Volunteers’ not allowing to select parcels.

B．The wrong codes in the mobile phones.

C．The possibility that parcels could be opened on the way.

D．Parcels’ being taken to the destination by a single volunteer.

小题4:What might be the best Title for the best passage?

A．New Challenges for the Postal Service

B．A Greener Way to Deliver Parcels

C．Solutions for Global Warming

D．Statements from DHL

     Einstein's connection with the politics of the nuclear bomb is well known: He signed the letter to President Franklin Roosevelt that persuaded the United States to take the idea seriously, and he engaged in postwar efforts to prevent nuclear war. But these were not just the isolated actions of a scientist dragged into the world of politics. Einstein's life was, in fact, "divided between politics and equations(方程式)."
Sickened by what he saw as the waste of human lives during the First World War, he became involved in antiwar demonstrations. His support of civil disobedience did little to endear him to his colleagues. Then, following the war, he directed his efforts toward reconciliation(调停) and improving international relations. And soon his politics were making it difficult for him to visit the United States, even to give lectures.
Einstein's second great cause was Zionism(犹太复国主义). Although he was Jewish, Einstein rejected the idea of God. However, a growing awareness of anti-Semitism(反犹太主义), both before and during the War, led him gradually to identify with the Jewish community, and later to become an outspoken supporter of Zionism.
His theories came under attack. One man was accused of motivating others to murder Einstein and fined a mere six dollars. When a book was published entitled 100 Authors Against Einstein, he retorted, "If I were wrong, then one would have been enough!" When Hitler came to power, Einstein then in America declared he would not return to Germany. While Nazi attacked his house and confiscated his bank account, a Berlin newspaper displayed the headline "Good News from Einstein--He's Not Coming Back."
Fearing that German scientists would build a nuclear bomb, Einstein proposed that the United States should develop its own. But he was publicly warning of the dangers of nuclear war and proposing international control of nuclear weaponry. Throughout his life, Einstein's efforts toward peace probably achieved little and won him few friends. His support of the Zionist cause, however, was recognized in 1952, when he was offered the presidency of Israel. He declined, saying he was too naive in politics. But perhaps his real reason was different:"  Equations are more important to me, because politics is for the present, but an equation is something for eternity."
小题1:The reason why Einstein was against the war was that __

A．he tried to get involved in politics

B．the nuclear bomb could be built by German scientists

C．many people died during the war in vain

D．President Franklin persuaded him to do so

小题2: We can learn from the passage that Einstein __

A．believed in God

B．was proud of being Jewish

C．suggested that nuclear weaponry should be banned

D．made great achievements in peace

小题3: The examples in paragraph 4 are used to prove __

A．many people in support of Zionism hated Einstein

B．the reason why Einstein would not return to Israel

C．Einstein was in danger of being killed

D．Einstein didn't enjoy his popularity in the field Of politics

小题4:What is the structure of the passage?

When I decided to quit my job as a wedding photographer, I was in my late twenties, fresh from my divorce from Bob who had left me empty and confused. I decided to leave the US and travel. I had no savings, plus more than $5,000 in debt. What I did have were two sponsored tasks as a travel photographer- and with that along, I thought, it would be easy.
My first experience was a road trip from Toronto to Las Vegas, paid for by a car delivery service. Other trips followed and then I started a travel blog (博客). It was intended to be my calling card for assignment travel photography. Yet even with my blog and past experience, email after email I sent to publications, trying to get work, went unanswered. When they did get in touch, editors told me that I had no chance of making a career with travel photography. While I struggled to get on the path that I wanted, and as I expanded my blog to help get me there, I found myself wearing the hat of a full-time blogger.
Luckily, I got in at the right time. It was 2010，and the travel industry was just starting to turn its attention to bloggers. As I never could have predicted, my blogging-not my photography-did take me around the world successfully. At first，I thought it was for personal reasons, but I realized later that it was for free marketing for my blogging.
Within two years, I was being asked to speak at travel blogging conferences, which helped me to raise a network of friends around the world. Even more meaningful, however, was when I saw that my travels were also helping other people. My blog and social media followers saw that I chased my dreams and told me over and over again how they needed that kind of example, which was absent in their lives elsewhere.
小题1:After the author quit her job, she decided to ______.

A．divorce her husband	B．be a wedding photographer
C．pay off all her debt	D．go travelling abroad

小题2: What can we learn about the author from the 2nd paragraph?

A．She paid money to a car delivery agency for a road trip.

B．She realised his dream of becoming a travel photographer.

C．She got a job as an editor in a publishing house.

D．She finally became a professional blogger unintentionally.

小题3:The author believed her success mainly resulted from ______.

A．her personal reasons	B．her photographing skills
C．free marketing for blogging	D．booming of travel industry

小题4: What did the author think of her two years' work?

A．Inspiring.

B．Appealing.

C．Interesting.

D．Challenging.

How to apologize properly is much more difficult than we think. Provided you want to teach your children to apologize, you must be good at saying sorry yourself, especially to your own children. But how you say it can be quite tricky.
If you say to your children “I’m sorry I got angry with you, but …” what follows that “but” can make the apology ineffective: “I had a bad day” or “your noise was giving me a headache ” leaves the person feeling that he should be apologizing for his bad behavior in expecting an apology.
Another method by which people appear to apologize without actually doing so is to say “I’m sorry you’re upset”; this suggests that you are somehow at fault for allowing yourself to get upset by what the other person has done.
Then there is the general, all covering apology, which avoids the necessity of identifying a specific act that was particularly hurtful or insulting, and which the person who is apologizing should promise never to do again. Saying “I’m useless as a parent” does not make any sense.
These false apologies are used by people who believe saying sorry shows weakness. Parents who wish to teach their children to apologize should see it as a sign of strength, and therefore not voice these false apologies.
But even when presented with examples of really being sorry, children still need help to become aware of the complexities of saying sorry. A three-year-old might need help in understanding that other children feel pain just as he does, and that hitting a playmate over the head with a heavy toy requires an apology. A six-year-old might need reminding that spoiling other children’s expectations can require an apology. A 12-year-old might need to be shown that taking the biscuit without asking permission is acceptable, but that borrowing a parent’s clothes without permission is not.
小题1: If a mother adds “but” to an apology,________.

A．the child may feel that he owes her an apology

B．she knows that the child has been hurt

C．the child may find the apology easier to accept

D．she feels that she should have apologized

小题2:According to the author, saying “I’m sorry you’re upset” most probably means “_______”.

A．You have good reason to get upset

B．I apologize for hurting your feelings

C．I’m aware you’re upset , but I’m not to blame

D．I’m at fault for making you upset

小题3: We learn from the last paragraph that iiS teaching children to say sorry  
A.  the complexities involved should be ignored
B.  parents need to set them a good example
C.  their ages should be taken into account
D parents should be patient and tolerant
小题4:It can be inferred from the passage that apologizing properly is  

A． to say sorry in a general way

B． a way to improve your relationships

C． a sign of social progress and social harmony

D．not as simple as it seems

     One of the most famous basketball players in the New Castle ' s history was paralyzed(瘫痪的) in a wheelchair one day and was walking the next. Citizens of New Castle simply refer   to it as  " The Miracle" .
Joel Haler woke up in his dorm room at Hope College last October totally paralyzed from  the waist down. Four hospitals later, the only way he could walk was through Robotic Walking  Treatment.
"This past Tuesday ,I was doing the Robotic walk and lasted ten minutes, " Joel said. After that, he gave up. Joel w-anted to accept the  inevitable (不可避免的事)  and  cancelled his next Robotic Walking Treatment appointment.
Then , the night before his cancelled appointment, he woke up to a terrible pain. An hour  and a half later ,the serious pain left him with an unusual feeling in his legs.
" As it continued to move up my legs ,it became more and more painful and it took an hour  and a half to reach my hips(臀部) , " Joel recalled.
"I stood up and walked into my parents'  room. ' Mom and dad, look! ' ," he said proudly.
" He said something and I was like, ' Joell Joel !  You ' re walking !  You ' re walking ! '  We  jumped out of bed , cried and hugged, "  Joel ' s mom  Karen remembered.
"I burst into tears. It ' s hard seeing your son not be able to walk .but he was standing there , walking , "  Joel ' s  father  Eric  said , tearfully.
It was Thursday , January 23 , when he  could finally  walk. That  date  made  perfect  sense  to Joel. He had dreamt of a calendar that only said "J 23 " . He didn't know what to make of it until "a little boy at church ,four years old, came up to me and said, ' you will walk on a Thurs-day ' , "  Joel recalled. 
So the 20-year-old college student, who could only walk with the aid of a robot on Tuesday ,was walking on his own.
小题1: According to the passage , " The Miracle"  is that ________

A．Joel Haler became the most famous basketball player

B．Robotic Walking Treatment could cure paralysis

C．Joel Haler could walk again after three months ' paralysis

D．a paralyzed boy could play basketball well

小题2: Which part of Joel Haler' s body didn't work?

A．His whole body.	B．His legs and feet.
C．His arms and hands.	D．His arms and legs.

小题3:Before Joel Haler ' s walking again , his attitude  to  the illness was ______.

A．positive

B．indifferent

C．optimistic

D．hopeless

“Josie Metz’s father won’t live long enough to walk her down the aisle on her wedding day．But thanks to photographer Lindsey Villatoro，the 11-year-old girl was able to experience what it might be like anyway．
Her father, Jim，62，had already been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer when he and his  wife．Grace，hired Villatoro—a photographer．Two years ago，Villatoro began offering photography sessions for people with serious illnesses to document their journeys and was hired by the Metz family．”I try to really showcase(充分展示)the person for who they are and not the illness，”she told The Huffington Post during a phone conversation Tuesday afternoon．
Villatoro went to Jim and Grace’s home for a shoot and offered to do one with their young daughter，Josie．After she left，she posted about the family on her website to get gift donations for the girl to help make her last birthday with her father memorable．But she decided to take a step further as a surprise and dreamed up the idea of a wedding for the girl—complete with，flowers，desserts，a promise ring and a dress from L．A．Fashion Week—so that her father could walk her down the aisle．”
For today，appreciate those you love．Give them lots of hugs and be grateful they are in your life．You never know what can happen．Say more“I Love Yous”and show more appreciation for all of your friends and family．Appreciate the blessings you have．I'm going to hug my husband Rich more today，call my Dad，call my friend in NC，and give lots of kitty hugs to my pets．Hugs to all of you—I appreciate you all so much and am grateful to have you in my life every single Day!   
小题1:Villatoro was hired by Josie’s parents to _______________．

A．take care of them	B．treat Jim’s cancer
C．take photographs	D．fix Josie’s wedding

小题2:What do we know about Josie’s father，Jim?

A．He wants to attend Josie’s wedding．	B．He is fond of photography．
C．He had all idea of a wedding．	D．He suffered from cancel

小题3:Villatoro posted about the family on her website to _____________．

A．show her gratitude to her customers

B．collect birthday presents for the girl

C．raise money for people with illnesses

D．celebrate the poor girl’s last birthday

小题4:What does the last paragraph mainly talk about?

A．We should Treasure loved ones．	B．Blood is thicker than water．
C．Without love，nothing can go far．	D．Time and tide wait for no man．

小题5:Which of the following best describes Villatoro?

A．Talented and popular	B．Humorous and friendly
C．Intelligent and proud	D．Creative and helpfull