Most children, even the youngest of children, are delighted to be around cats and dogs. But these pets carry plenty of germs and allergens（过敏原）, prompting researchers to ask: Are cats and dogs really safe for children？
A study finds that, contrary to many parents’ fears, owning cats or dogs does not increase a child’s risk of developing allergies, and in fact, may actually protect them. The study’s lead author, Dr. Dennic Ownby of the Medical College of Georgia, says that even he was “very surprised” by the results. Ownby and colleagues followed more than 470 children from birth to age 6 or 7, comparing those exposed to cats and dogs during their first year of life to those who were not.
By using skin-prick tests for detecting common allergies, the researchers found that, contrary to what many doctors had been taught for years, children who had lived with a pet were not at greater risk.
Even more remarkable, children who had two or more dogs or cats had an even greater reduction, up to 77 percent, in risk of allergies. Researchers suggest this protective effect may be the result of early exposure to lots of bacteria that are carried by dogs and cats. Exposing young children to these bacteria helps "exercise" their immune systems early in life so that they're better able to resist allergic diseases later.
There's something very important in that first year of life when the immune(免疫) system is developing that we can retrain it away from an allergic response, said Dr. William Davis.
And while researchers are not encouraging parents to buy dogs or cats just to reduce a child’s allergy risk, they say if a family already has one or more animals, there's no need to get rid of them.
1.Why do the researchers feel “very surprised” by the results of the study?
A. Because the results are contrary to their expectation．
B. Because so many children are playing with cats and dogs．
C. Because parents are so much worried about their children．
D. Because children with animals may develop allergies easily．
2.Compared with children who have pets，those who haven’t ______.
A. will lose the chance to develop immune system
B. will reduce the harm from bacteria
C. may suffer allergic diseases more often
D. can keep doctors away
3.The underlined word “it” in the fifth paragraph refers to________.
A. the early life B. an allergic disease
C. something important D. immune system
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A. How to protect your kids from allergies
B. Bacteria do good to your kids
C. Your pets may be helping your kids
D. Advantages of owning pets
Tail Spin
Two dolphins race around in a big pool in the Ocean Park. The smaller dolphin Grace, shown off a few of her tricks, turning around and waving hello to the crowd. The most amazing thing about her, however, is that she’s even swimming at all. She doesn’t have a tail.
Grace lost her tail as a baby when she got caught up in a fish trap.
When the dolphin arrived at the Ocean Park in December 2005, she was fighting for her life. “Is she going to make it?” Her trainer, Abbey Stone, feared the worst. Grace did make it — but her tail didn’t. She ended up losing her flukes and the lower part of her peduncle.
Over the past six years, she has learned to swim without her tail. Dolphins swim by moving their flukes and peduncle up and down. Grace taught herself to move another way—like a fish! She pushed herself forward through the water by moving her peduncles from side to side.
The movement put harmful pressure on Grace’s backbone. So a company offered to create a man-made tail for her. The tail had to be strong enough to stay on Grace as she swam but soft enough that it wouldn’t hurt her.
The first time Grace wore the artificial tail. She soon shook it off and let it sink in the bottom of the pool. Now, she is still learning to use the tail. Some days she wears it for an hour at a time, others not at all. “The tail isn’t necessary for her to feel comfortable,” says Stone, “but it helps to keep that range of motion(动作) and build muscles(肌肉).”
Now, the dolphin is about to get an even happier ending. This month, Grace will star in Dolphin Tale, a film that focus on her rescue and recovery. Her progress has inspired more than just a new movie. Many people travel from near and far to meet her. Seeing Grace swim with her man-made tail gives people so much courage.
1.When Grace first arrived at the Ocean Park, her trainer worried about her .
A. physical buildB. potential ability
C. chance of survivalD. adaptation to the surroundings.
2.A man-made tail is created for Grace to .
A. let her recover fasterB. make her comfortable
C. adjust her way of swimmingD. help her perform better tricks
3.The story of Grace inspires people to .
A. stick to their dreamsB. treat animals friendly
C. treasure what they haveD. face difficulties bravely
The idea for the book Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone came to Joanne Kathleen Rowling in 1990. It took her seven years to finish writing it. During those seven years she had a number of jobs, including one job as an English teacher in Portugal.
Rowling sent the book to four publishers before one of them bought it. She was very happy to sell her book because it was her life's dream to be a published writer. Before she sold her book, Rowling was living in a small apartment with her daughter and was so poor that she could not afford heat in the winter.
Harry Potter became very successful with children and adults in England. The book also really took off in the United States. After her second and third books were published, the three Harry Potter books filled the top three places on many newspapers' lists of best-sellers. Then the books were made into popular movies. Without question, Rowling's life had completely changed, in just three years.
Harry Potter books have now sold more than 30 million books around the world and have been translated into more than thirty-five languages. In 1997, Rowling was earning ￡70 (about US$110) a week. By the end of 2001, she had earned over ￡150 million ($250 million), making her one of the most successful female writers of all time.
1.This reading is about _________.
A. Harry Potter's life B. the writer's life
C. how the book became a movie D. why Harry Potter is popular
2.Which sentence is true about the first Harry Potter book?
A. Four publishers bought it.
B. It took the writer several years to finish it.
C. It was first published in Portugal.
D. Rowling got the idea from her daughter.
3.Rowling's dream was _________.
A. to be a magician B. to make a movie
C. to have her books published D. to be an English teacher
4.How many languages has Harry Potter been translated into?
A. more than 35 B. about 135 C. about 90 D. more than 150
I often read of incidents of misunderstanding or conflict. I'm left . Why do these people create mistrust and problems, especially with those from other ?
I was growing up in Kuala Lumpur in the early 1960s, children from different races and religions played and studied in harmony. At that time my family lived a stone's from Ismail's. And no one was bothered that Ismail was a Malay Muslim and I was an Indian Hindu—we just our differences. Perhaps，our elders had not filled our heads with unnecessary advice, well or otherwise.
We were nine when we became friends. During the school holidays, we 'd the countryside on our bicycles，hoping to the unexpected. At times Ismail would accompany my family as we made a rare shopping trip to town. We would be glad of his .
When I was twelve, my family moved to Johor. Ismail's family later returned to their village, and I touch with him.
One spring afternoon in 1983, I stopped a taxi in Kuala Lumpur. I my destination. The driver acknowledged my but did not move off. Instead, he looked at me. “Raddar?" he said, using my childhood nickname (绰号).I was astonished at being so addressed (称呼).Unexpectedly! It was Ismail! Even after two we still recognized each other. Grasping his shoulder, I felt a true affection, something to describe.
If we can allow our children to be without prejudice, they'll build friendships with people，regardless of race or religion, who will be their side through thick and thin. On such friendships are societies built and we can truly be, as William Shakespeare once wrote, “We happy few, We band of brothers".
1.A. interestedB.pleasedC.puzzledD. excited
2.A. partiesB.cities C.villagesD. races
3.A. whyB.whichC.howD. when
4.A. togetherB.aroundC.aloneD. apart
5.A. dropB.throwC.moveD. roll
6.A. refusedB.madeC.soughtD. accepted
7.A. paidB.meantC.Preserved(保存)D. treated
8.A. exploreB.searchC.DiscoverD. desert
9.A. get throughB.deal withC.come acrossD. take away
10.A. arrivalB.choiceC.effortD. company
11.A. lostB.gainedC.developedD. missed
12.A. statedB.orderedC.decidedD. chose
13.A.attempts B.instructions C.opinions D. arrangements
14.A. anxiouslyB.carelessly C.disappointedlyD. fixedly
15.A. familiarly B.strangelyC.fullyD. coldly
16.A. departuresB.monthsC.yearsD. decades
17.A. possibleB.funnyC.hardD. clear
18.A. themB.themselvesC.usD. ourselves
19.A. from B.by C.with D. against
20.A. stillB.otherwiseC.thenD. instead
When it comes to job interviews, first ________________ including the way you speak and dress, are extremely important.
A. impressions B. appointments C. assignments D. considerations
The chairman thought necessary to invite Professor Smith to speak at the meeting.
A. that B. this C. it D. which
