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Happiness and sadness are states of being that define the way we view the world. It is often said that some people by nature have a sunny character. Now scientists may have discovered why.

Some people may be born for happiness, while others are genetically negative, scientists have suggested in a study published late February in a British journal.

Earlier research had already established that the gene known as 5-HTTLPR plays a key role in determining how the neurotransmitter (神经传递素) serotonin (含于血液中的复合胺) works within the brain. Serotonin, a hormone (荷尔蒙), passes chemical messages between nerve cells. It has been closely linked to mood. Several anti-depressant (抗抑郁) drugs regulate serotonin levels. Scientists had also identified three variants (变体) of the gene. Two so-called "short" variants were linked to a higher risk of depression and suicide attempts. Unlike the two "short" variants, the "long" variant of 5-HTTLPR showed a clear dislike of negative images, such as fierce animals, and a clear liking for positive ones, such as flowers.

Researchers from the University of Essex in Britain, led by Elaine Fox, showed participants a series of images. The images were divided into three kinds: negative ones aimed at inspiring fear or stress such as a spider or person about to commit suicide, pleasant ones and neutral (中性的) ones. The participants who had the long variant of the 5-HTTLPR gene "showed a clear dislike of negative material alongside a careful attention for positive material," the researchers found. They paid close attention to the pretty pictures, and ignored the frightening ones. On the other hand, the short variant groups had the opposite reaction.

In January, the Australian government organized "happiness workshops", teaching government staff how to be happy. The department that held the "happiness workshops" said unhappy staff weren't productive staff. Australian political opposition parties have argued that the "happiness workshops" are probably a waste of money and couldn't increase productivity as intended. However, whether the workshop will have a happy or disappointing result, we will have to wait and see.

1. For the passage,by what means can we view the world?

A. Happiness and sadness.                                        B. Happiness and curiosity.

C. Sadness and amazement.                                      D. Disappointment and sadness.

2. What is most important in the role of deciding how the the neurotransmitter serotonin works within the brain?

A. The gene known as 5-HTTLPR.                            B. Three variants.

C. Neurotransmitter serotonin       .                                  D. A hormone.

3 Which of the following sentences is WRONG?

A. Serotonin, a hormone within the brain., passes chemical messages between nerve cells, which has been closely linked to mood.                              

B. Scientists identified the two "short" variants, and the "long" variant of 5-HTTLPR which showed a clear hatred of negative images, such as fierce animals.  

C. Scientists identified three variants of the gene. Two so-called "long" variants were linked to a higher risk of depression and murder attempts.                     

D. In terms of researchers’ research, the images were divided into three kinds: negative ones, pleasant ones and neutral ones.  

4. Why did the Australian government organize “Happiness workshops”?

A. To enrich staff’s free life.                                 

B. To teach staff the ways to be happy.

C. To prove the result of the researchers’ research.     

D. To test who weren’t productive staff.

5. What is the result of setting up “Happiness workshops” according to the last paragraph?

A. A waste of money.                                              

B. No effect on increasing productivity.

C. A disappointing result       .                                 

D. An uncertain result.

People should be warned against using mobile phones outdoors in stormy weather because they may“be struck by lightning”，according to doctors．

Three experts have described how a teenage girl was struck by lightning while using her phone in a large London park．The girl，aged 15，recovered，but a year later was still wheelchair-bound and found to be suffering complex physical and emotional problems.

The girl also had a perforate eardrum(打孔耳膜)on the side where she had been holding the mobile phone．She was having general recovery in Northwick Park Hospital，Middlesex．

Swinda Esprit，a senior house officer, said that while the brain and muscle damage was similar to that of many lightning victims—who can experience heart attacks on being struck—the ear problems were not．

She said that the damages were particularly relevant for people who might be involved in less serious lightning incidents，who might otherwise recover, but would never get their full hearing back if struck while on the phone．

“We were shocked by the damage，which is why we wanted to draw attention to it，”Dr Esprit said．“A year on and she still was suffering these difficult hearing．”

They added that three other cases had been reported in newspapers in China，South Korea，and Malaysia．In the Malaysian case，a sales executive was killed by lightning while talking on his phone during a thunderstorm near Kuala Lumpur．

“All these events resulted in death，”the doctors wrote．“This rare phenomenon is a public health issue，and education is necessary to stress the risk．”

The Australian Lightning Protection Standard recommends that metallic objects，including cordless or mobile phones，should not be carried outdoors during thunderstorms．However, “the United States National Weather Service says on its website that both are safe to use “because there is no direct path between you and the lightening”．

Paul Taylor, of “the Met Office'’，said the ear injuries were a consequence of mobile phones being metal，and not related to radio waves．

Mr. Taylor said that mobile phones should be treated as another piece of metal，similar to carrying coins or wearing rings，and people need to be warned against the possible danger．

1.What do we know about the teenage girl?

A．She was struck by lightning at schoo1．

B．She completely recovered from being struck．

C．She still suffered from mental problems．

D．She had to press her ear all day．

2.It can be inferred that damage done by lightening while using mobile phones      .

A．is more serious than that when one is not using a mobile phone

B．can be healed quickly except for heart attacks

C．is less serious because the victims can usually recover

D．is mainly in the brain and muscle of the victims

3.Why did doctors stress the risk about using phones outside in lightening?

A．Because more people are faced with it．

B．Because some deaths have been caused．

C．Because lightning is harmful for the brain．

D．Because a teenage girl got killed．

4.We can infer from the last three paragraphs that        .

A．both cordless and mobile phones are safe to use outside in lightning

B．there is no direct connection between lightning and ear injuries at all

C．opinions differ as to whether it is safe to use mobiles phones in lightning

D．ear injuries are the result of carrying coins or wearing rings in lightning

5.The purpose in writing this passage is       .

A．to draw attention to the risk of using mobile phones in lightening

B．to focus on various damages done to lightning victims

C．to tell us the news that a teenage girl was struck by lightning

D．to stress the danger of making phone calls in lightning

 

I'll be a photographer. I'm going to bring bits of Australia back home with me. I told myself this before, yet I feel so doubtful on this plane that's flying me thousands of miles away. I was so confident yesterday .But today I don't belong to this plane where men sit with briefcases reading newspapers. They're all adults.

I've never been out of the US. And now ,I'm traveling into Australia alone, a world I know nothing about. A part of me recognizes it as home.

I remember little about my mother, but I remember she had an Australian accent and golden hair. She wan fun and she would often take us to New Jersey beaches, where we would spend the whole day taking walks along the shore. My mom told me that in Australia, Christmas was always spent on the beach with friends and family, and everyone wore Santa hat with their bathing suits. It never got cold and bitter there. My mom was different and I was proud of her.

I don't know how she met my father. but after they met several years, they got married and moved into an apartment in New Jersey. Then I was born and we were a perfect family of three who went out to dinner and watched movies in the dark and loved each other.

I know things have been hard on my father since my Mom died years ago. It's hard for me, too, and I have to experience the wonderful place my mom grew up in and loved. My mom talked about Australia so much and now I have to see this place.

This is an adventure.

1.How did the author feel when he was on the plane?

A．Confident	B．Foolish
C．Doubtful	D．Childish

2.The author traveled to Australia alone mainly because he wanted to__.

A．search his fortune there	B．find more about his mother
C．look for his grandparents there	D．find more about this wonderful place

3.The third paragraph is mainly concerned with__.

A．the author's first impression of Australia

B．the author's brief impression of his mother

C．the reason why the author loved his mother

D．the difference between his mother and father

4.What can we learn from the passage?

A．The author writes this passage to honor his mother.

B．The author decides to learn taking photos in Australia.

C．The author had a good time when his mother was still alive.

D．The author didn't like to live with his father after his mother died.

5.Where did the author most probably write this passage?

A．In America.

B．In Australia.

C．At home

D．On the Plane

 

 

CANBERRA(Reuters)—Australia’s kangaroos are genetically similar to humans and may have first evolved in China, Australian researchers said Tuesday.

Scientists said they had for the first time mapped the genetic code of the Australian marsupials(有袋类)and found much of it was similar to the genome for humans, the government backed Center of Excellence for Kangaroo Genomics said.

 “There are a few differences, we have a few more of this, a few less of that, but they are the same genes and a lot of them are in the same order,”center Director Jenny Graves told reporters in Melbourne.

“We thought they’d be completely scrambled, but they’re not. There is great chunks of the human genome which is sitting right there in the kangaroo genome,” Graves said, according to AAP.

Humans and knagaroos last shared an ancestor at least 150 million years ago, the researchers found, while mice and humans separated and went in different ways from one another only 70 million years ago.

Kangaroos first evolved in China, but migrated across the America to Australia and Antarctica, they said.

“Kangaroos are hugely informative about what we were like 150 million years ago,” Graves said.

68.Where does the kangaroo first develop according the scientists?

         A.In China.       B.In America.  C.In Australia. D.In Antarctica.

69.What does the passage mainly tell us?

         A.How the Kangaroo first evolved. B.Kangaroo’ genetic code have been mapped.

         C.Kangaroos’genes are close to humans’.      D.Scientists did much research into Kangaroos.

70.What does the underlined word “scrambled” probably mean in the fourth paragraph?

         A.Funny.   B.Wrong. C.Curious.        D.Right.

 

Australia has passed regulations that will enable more international students to further their education in the country.
The new measures were released by the Australian Department of Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations in September and will take effect in mid-2012.
As a result, the student visa application process for overseas students has been simplified, and the deposit (押金) required to study in Australia has been reduced. Language requirements for overseas students have also been eased.
Also, overseas students receiving a higher education in Australia will be granted a working visa lasting from two to four years after graduation, as long as they meet the basic IELTS requirement.
"This change will definitely make Australia a more attractive destination for Chinese students planning to study overseas," says Wang Lan, a consultant from Education International Cooperation Group (EIC), a Beijing-based company that provides services to students wishing to study overseas.
However, in the past few years, many of Wang's student clients (客户) could not start studies in Australia because they did not meet the language requirements, visa processing took a long time and deposit regulations were tough. The change in policy is good news for the parents of students wishing to study in Australia, Wang says.
A 22-year-old female student surnamed Li, in Beijing, who is planning to do her postgraduate studies in Australia, learned about the policy change several weeks ago.
"According to the previous deposit requirement for my student visa, my family was required to put down 550,000 yuan ($86,850). Now we only need to prepare 410,000 yuan. This is a relief for my parents," Li says.
She also says that the two to four years working visa makes her feel much clearer about her study plans.
"I believe several years of working experience abroad will strengthen my competitiveness when I return to China," she says.
Gaining a competitive advantage is the major reason for Chinese students to study abroad, according to the report by EIC.
【小题1】What's the main idea of the passage? 

A．Language requirement for overseas students have been eased in Australia.

B．Australia is a most attractive place for students in China.

C．Australia widens window of opportunity for international students.

D．More students will work in Australia after their graduation.

【小题2】 Which of the following is NOT the content of the new regulations? 

A．The student visa application process for overseas students has been simplified.

B．The deposit required to study in Australia has been reduced.

C．Language requirements for overseas students have been more difficult.

D．After graduation, some overseas students can get a working visa in Australia.

【小题3】After the new regulations are passed, _______ . 

A．more students will come to Australia to work

B．more Chinese students will choose to live in Australia.

C．the opportunities to work in Australia decrease for overseas students

D．more Chinese students will choose to further their education in Australia

【小题4】How much can Li's parents save according to the new regulations? 

A．550,000 yuan

B．140,000 yuan

C．410,000 yuan

D．86,850 yuan

【小题5】 Why do many students want to work in Australia after their graduation? 

A．The working experience abroad will strengthen their competitiveness.

B．They can earn more money in Australia.

C．Their working experience can make them stay in Australia forever.

D．They have to do so according to the new regulations.