Genetic modification (基因改良) dates back to ancient times, when humans influenced genetics by selectively breeding organisms (培育生物) according to an article by Gabriel Rangel, a public health scientist at Harvard University. When repeated over several generations, this process leads to great changes in the organisms.
Dogs were likely the first animals to be purposefully genetically modified, with the beginnings of that effort dating back about 32,000 years, according to Rangel. Wild wolves joined our hunter-gatherer ancestors in East Asia, where the aggressive canines were kept in the household and bred to become docile and easier to get along with. Over thousands of years, people bred dogs with different desired character and physical characteristics, eventually leading to the wide variety of dogs we see today.
The earliest known genetically modified plant is wheat. This valuable crop is thought to have originated in the Middle East and northern Africa in the area known as the Fertile Crescent, according to a 2015 article published in the Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine. Ancient farmers selectively bred wheat grasses beginning around 9000 B. C. to create improved varieties with larger grains and hardier seeds. By 800 B.C., the cultivation (培养) of improved wheat had spread across Europe and Asia. The continued selective cultivation of wheat resulted in the thousands of varieties that are grown today.
Corn has also experienced some of greatest genetic changes over the past few thousand years. The main crop was changed from a plant known as teosinte, a wild grass with tiny ears and only a few seeds. Over time, farmers selectively bred the teosinte grasses to create corn with large ears bursting with seeds.
Beyond those crops, many of the fruit and vegetables we eat today, including bananas, apples and tomatoes, have experienced several generations of selective raising, according to Rangel.
In 1973, researchers also modified bacteria to be used as drugs. In 1982, human insulin (胰岛素) made from genetically engineered bacteria, became the first genetically engineered human drugs approved by the FDA.
1.What does the word “docile” in paragraph 2 most probably mean?
A.Gentle. B.Loyal. C.Smart. D.Ambitious.
2.How did the ancient farmers try to improve wheat?
A.Through selective cultivation. B.By editing its genes constantly.
C.Through mixture with teosinte. D.By planting it in large numbers.
3.What can we infer about genetic modification?
A.It is rarely seen in daily life. B.It was quite difficult to accept.
C.It is hardly influenced by humans. D.It played a role in medical field.
4.From which section of a newspaper is the text most probably taken?
A.Health. B.Lifestyle. C.Science. D.Agriculture.
When my 8-month-old cries, I ask him if he’s hungry, or wet or just needs a hug.
“Babububuu,” he says.
What I need is a baby cry translator. That’s just what a team of researchers say they’ve developed.
“Experienced nurses or pediatricians (儿科医师) can identify why baby is crying because they have experience, says Lichuan Liu, a professor of electrical engineering at Northern Illinois University, who conducted the research.” We talked to them, and they mentioned that based on the cry’s’ sound there’re’ some clues (线索).”
So Liu set out to identify the features of cries that can help mark them as expressions of pain or discomfort. These features include differences in pitch (音高) and frequency. The team then developed an algorithm (算法) based on automatic speech recognition to detect and identify these features. This “cry language recognition algorithm” was trained on recordings of baby cries taken from a hospital. It uses compressed sensing, a process that reconstructs a signal based on incomplete data. It can identify a baby cry against a background of, say, adult speech or loud television sounds. By classifying different cry features, like pitch, the algorithm can suggest whether the cry is due to sickness or pain, and identify the degree of urgency.
The team had experienced pediatric care providers assess forty-eight baby cry recordings for probable cause of crying hunger, tiredness, etc. They then compared these to the algorithm’s assessments. The algorithm agreed with the humans 70% of the time. Generally, so-called “uncommon cry signals”—signs of pain or sickness—are high-pitched and very loud compared to ordinary crying.
Liu and her team continue to train the technology for greater accuracy. They also plan to add more features, like the ability to identify and classify movement and facial expressions. This could help give more detailed reading of baby’s emotional (情感的) and physical state. They also hope to begin human trials in the near future.
1.The author mentions the 8-month-old child to ________.
A.draw attention to baby cries B.prove baby cries are common
C.lead in a translator for baby cries D.show the use of cry translators
2.What inspired Lichuan Liu’s idea of doing the study?
A.Pediatric care workers’ words. B.The pediatricians’ strong requests.
C.Her own nursing experiences. D.Her doubts about the previous research.
3.What did the researchers do in the study?
A.They collected baby cries from big hospitals.
B.They got 48 baby cry recordings evaluated.
C.They created an automatic speech recognition.
D.They analyzed cry features with compressed sensing.
4.What can we know about Liu’s cry language recognition algorithm?
A.It has been widely used in daily life.
B.It’s mainly meant for hungry cry signals.
C.It has been proved effective on babies.
D.It’s only been tested on recorded cries now.
After a Blockbuster store in Australia closes on March 31, the American city of Bend, Oregon will have the only one left on Earth.
For years, Blockbuster was a big name in the video rental business. The company had thousands of stores in the United States and around the world. But Blockbuster began to lose money during the 2000s. By 2014, all company-owned stores had closed. Since then, locally owned Blockbusters have closed, one by one.
Operating the last Blockbuster Video on Earth is not easy. The computer system uses old disks that only the store’s general manager knows how to use. The video rentals are recorded on a kind of aging tape. The tape cannot be replaced because Radio Shack, another once famous store, went out of business.
Sandi Harding has worked at the Blockbuster in Bend for over 15 years and is the store’s general manager. She says “stubbornness” is part of the reason the store is still open. “We did everything we could to cut costs and keep ourselves relevant,” she said.
Zeke Kamm lives in Bend. He is making a documentary about the store with his friend. He notes that many people who rented videos over the years want to share memories of their experiences Kamm explained how Blockbuste were once an important part of small town in America. The Blockbuster was the only place that was open past nine at night, and a lot of them stayed open much later.
Recently, Harding has noticed that more children are coming to the store, brought in by their parents who like remembering the past. Jerry Gilless and his wife, Elizabeth, on a trip to Oregon, recently brought their two children, aged 3 and 5, to the store in Bend. They watched with a smile as their children walked from row to row, looking at movies. “How could we not stop? It’s the last one,” said Gilless. “They need to see that not everything’s on the iPad.”
1.What is the third paragraph mainly about?
A.The popularity of the video rental business. B.The special computer system of the last store.
C.The value of the last Blockbuster on Earth. D.The difficulties of running the last Blockbuster.
2.Why is the Blockbuster store in Bend still open?
A.It has a long history in all Blockbuster stores. B.Its employees try their best to keep it running
C.Its general manager is very stubborn woman. D.It is a place where people can watch old movies.
3.What is the documentary of Zeke Kamm probably about?
A.People’s experiences of sharing their own memories.
B.Zeke Kamm’s work with his friend in the Blockbuster.
C.People’s memories of renting videos in the Blockbuster.
D.Blockbusters’important role in a small town of America.
4.What’s the best title for the text?
A.Oregon Will Have the Last Blockbuster on Earth B.Different Opinions About the Last Blockbuster
C.People Are Interested in the Last Blockbuster D.A Documentary About the Last Blockbuster
The Berkshire Riding Centre Ltd is a highly recommended riding school. Everyone is welcome. Whether you are an absolute beginner or have dreams of becoming an Olympic champion, we can design the right riding lesson program for you.
Riding lessons for beginners
We help kids from the age of 4 and adults learn to ride. We start beginners with half-hour private lessons while they learn the basics. Once you ride independently (usually after 4—6 lessons), your instructor will recommend a suitable group.
Private lessons
We offer 1-to-1 private tuition (讲授) for riders of all levels. We start beginners with half-hour private lessons while they learn the basics and build their confidence. The more experienced riders will benefit from personal tuition too. Whether you want to improve specific aspects of your riding, or just enjoy riding, private lessons are tailored to your specific requirements.
Group riding lessons
We offer broad range of group riding lessons, from child or adult beginner to advanced dressage (花样骑术) lessons and jumping lessons. Call the office to discuss the weekly Group Lesson Schedule on 01344 884992.
Riding lessons on your own horse
We also welcome horse owners who would like to bring their own for either one-off lessons or a concentrated course of lessons to improve their riding. Your horse is going or to prepare you both for competitions. Pricing is the same.
How to book your riding lesson
Call the office on 01344 884992 or email us on info@brc. co. uk.
We are open 7 days a week and have evening riding lessons on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Our three all-weather schools, two outside and one inside, make us have good all-year-round riding.
Note: All new riders, regardless of their abilities, must have a 30-minute assessment lesson so that we can design the most appropriate plan for them.
1.When are beginners likely to ride on their own?
A.Before having three private lessons. B.Before building up their confidence.
C.After meeting with their instructors. D.After taking about five riding lessons.
2.How can learners discuss their schedules of group riding lessons?
A.By making calls to the office. B.By visiting the riding school in person.
C.By writing to group members. D.By writing emails to their instructors.
3.What are all new riders required to do?
A.Take four evening riding lessons. B.Get assessed for proper programs.
C.Spend half an hour riding horses. D.Offer plans on how to ride horses.
阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。续写的词数应为150左右。
While 1 was sitting in the living room, the days that I spent with my mom crowded in on me. We had a very Tom and Jerry relationship. She was a strict trainer; I was naughty. She would ask me to buy groceries, and I wouldn't come right home because I'd be using the change from the milk and bread to play video games at the supermarket. I loved video games. I was a master at Street Fighter. I could go forever on a single play. I'd drop a coin in, time would fly, and the next thing 1 knew there'd be a woman standing behind me with a belt. It was a race. I'd take off out the door and through the dusty streets of Eden Park, climbing over walls. It was a normal thing in our neighborhood:
Everyone knew: The child would come through like a bat out of hell, and his mom would be right there behind him. She could go fast in high heels, but if she really wanted to come after me, she'd kick her shoes off while still going at top speed. She'd do this strange move with her ankles and the heels would go flying and she wouldn't even miss a step. When 1 was little she always caught me, but as I got older I got faster. So it was not easy for her to catch me.
Paragraph 1: When speed failed her, she used her wisdom.
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Paragraph 2: If given a chance, I would let my mom run in front of me.
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假定你是李华，在网上看到美国学生Kate的发帖：
Kate | Hi, everyone. Staying at home during the epidemic really bores me. What's worse, for lack of workout, I have put on some weight. Is there anybody who can offer me some advice? |
| Hi, Kate. This is Li Hua from China. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Don't hesitate to contact me if more help is needed. |
请你给Kate回帖，内容包括：
1.读贴后的感受；
2.给出两点建议。
注意：
1.词数80左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3.开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
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