Scientists have connected the “fat gene” with the “happy gene”. They believed there could be genetic evidence which explains why fat people are often happier than their skinny friends. The breakthrough could be an explanation for why fat characters, such as The Laughing Policeman and Father Christmas are often described as joyful and kind.
FTO is the major genetic contributor to being fat. But it is also connected with an eight percent reduction in the risk of depression. Researchers at McMaster University in Canada had been studying whether there was a connection between being fat and being depressed. They found the opposite was true．
They studied 17,200 DNA from participants in 21 countries. Results showed people with FTO gene — the fat gene — showed less signs of depression. This finding was supported by three additional international studies.
Professor David Meyre said, “We set out from the belief that being depressed and being fat both deal with brain activity. We thought that fat genes may be related to depression. However, we have discovered a molecule (分子) contributing to depression. It is the first evidence that an FTO fat gene is connected with protection against depression.
In a recent interview, actress Lisa Riley said she was more than comfortable with her size. She said she is a “big, really happy” girl who is lucky enough to be confident in her own skin, and added, “Many people want to be thinner. Not me. I love being different and it drives me mad that people don’t believe I’m happy with what I am.”
1.According to the passage, FTO is ________.
A. a molecule connected with happiness B. a kind of DNA from participants
C. a gene that contributes to depression D. a gene which leads to being fat
2.According to what Professor David Meyre said, we can know ________.
A. his former beliefs were right
B. fat genes are connected with depression
C. there was no evidence for the role of an FTO fat gene in the protection against depression before
D. there should be more people involved in the study
3.By mentioning the actress Lisa Riley, the author aims to show that ________.
A. Lisa Riley is unhappy with her size B. it’s not easy to be an actress
C. many people want to be thinner D. fat people are really happier
4.The passage is likely to appear in ________.
A. a health magazine B. a lesson plan
C. an advertisement D. an amusement program
There is a popular belief among parents that schools are no longer interested in spelling. No school I have ever taught in has ever ignored spelling or considered it unimportant as a basic skill. There are, however, different ideas about how to teach it, or how much priority (优先) it must be given over general language development and writing ability. The problem is how to encourage a child to express himself freely and confidently in writing without holding him back with the complexities (复杂性) of spelling. That’s why teachers often encourage the early use of dictionaries and pay attention to content (内容) rather than spelling.
If spelling becomes the only focus of his teacher’s interest, clearly a bright child will be likely to “play safe”. He will tend to write only words within his spelling range, choosing to avoid adventurous language.
I was once shocked to read on the bottom of a piece of writing about a personal experience. “This work is terrible! There are far too many spelling mistakes and your writing is terrible.” It may have been a sharp comment on the pupil’s spelling in writing, but it was also a sad sign that the teacher had failed to read the composition, which contained some beautiful expressions of the child’s deep feelings. The teacher was not wrong to draw attention to the mistakes, but if his priorities had centered on the child’s ideas, an expression of his disappointment with the spelling would have given the pupil more encouragement to seek improvement.
1.Teachers are different in their opinions about ______.
A. the difficulties in teaching spelling
B. the complexities of the basic writing skills
C. the role of spelling in general language development and writing ability
D. the necessity of teaching spelling
2.Teachers encourage the use of dictionaries so that ________.
A. students will have more confidence in studying
B. students will be able to express their ideas more freely
C. students will have less trouble in correcting mistakes
D. students will learn to be independent of teachers
3.The author seems to think that the teacher’s comment on that piece of writing is ________.
A. fair B. unreasonable C. amusing D. careless
4.The major point discussed in the passage is ________.
A. the importance of developing writing skills
B. the complexities of spelling
C. the relationship between spelling and the content of a composition
D. the correct way of marking compositions
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1.What is mainly discussed in Paragraph 3?
A. The different types of the products. B. The quick service of 1234 PENS.
C. The trade shows of 1234 PENS. D. The high quality of the products.
2.What is special about the pens produced in 1234 PENS?
A. They are designed in 16 styles. B. They come in 48 different colours.
C. Their price is much lower in the pen market. D. Their material is less harmful to the earth.
3.The main purpose of the passage is to ________.
A. show people how to choose different pens B. explain the process of making logo pens
C. persuade people to order the products D. introduce the different services of 1234 PENS
After I mastered my first concerto (协奏曲) at the age of 14, my parents decided to get me a nice violin. I tried out dozens of instruments before I found my match: a German violin. It was beautiful, but what I liked best about it was its voice. Confident and strong, it was everything I longed to be.
I’m not sure how much that violin cost, but my parents made me promise never to let it out of my sight. They didn’t understand that pulling a large violin case ran counter to my daily middle school task of not being noticed. I was a strange, absent-minded kid. When I spoke up in class, my comments brought confused silence from teachers and wild laughter from students. Like a deer in a wolf pack, I tried to be quiet and still.
However, my new violin was almost shockingly loud. Together, we were much louder than the rest of my middle school orchestra — which was encouraged, since the other kids made sounds like cats’ crying. For one wonderful hour every day, I was showered with attention. Everyone wanted to hear what I had to say.
Between classes, I bent under the combined weight of my violin case and a backpack filled with books. My body suffered, but my confidence grew. With my violin by my side, I found my voice. More and more, I contributed to class discussions and even made a couple of friends.
Today, I’m just an excellent violinist with a regular day job. As I sit in my community orchestra, sometimes I feel jealous (嫉妒的) of my fellow musicians’ instruments with their elegant voices. I may not be the best violinist around, but at least I’m still the loudest.
1.The underlined part “ran counter to” in Paragraph 2 probably means ________.
A. was similar to B. went along with
C. had something in common with D. was the opposite of
2.We know from Paragraph 2 that the author ________.
A. was an excellent student B. did not fit in at school
C. was strong and confident D. did not attend classes regularly
3.What kind of feeling is expressed in Paragraph 3?
A. Pride. B. Anger. C. Disappointment. D. Regret.
4.What can we infer from the text?
A. The violin always made the author embarrassed.
B. The author hated the loud voice of his violin.
C. The violin changed the author in some way.
D. The author was the best violinist in his community orchestra.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.How many official languages are there in South Africa?
A. 10. B. 11. C. 12.
2.When was English declared the official language of the Cape Colony?
A. In 1822. B. In 1910. C. In 1925.
3.Where are most South Africa’s Asians from?
A. Japan. B. India. C. China.
4.What’s the home language of Gauteng?
A. Afrikaans. B. Dutch. C. English.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.When did Julie and her classmates go to a restaurant?
A. Last Friday. B. Last Saturday. C. Last Sunday.
2.What did Julie buy from a street store?
A. Some fried chicken. B. An ice cream. C. A piece of cake.
3.What can Julie download from the Internet?
A. The Chinese lessons. B. The biology lessons. C. The geography lessons.
