Tales From Animal Hospital

David Grant

David Grant has become a familiar face to millions of fans of Animal Hospital. Here Dr Grant tells us the very best of his personal stories about the animals he has treated, including familiar patients such as the dogs Snowy and Duchess, the delightful cat Marigold Serendipity Diamond. He also takes the reader behind the scenes at Harmsworth Memorial Animal Hospital as he describes his day, from ordinary medical check-ups to surgery （外科手术）. Tales From Animal Hospital will delight all fans of the program and anyone who has a lively interest in their pet, whether it be cat, dog or snake I !

$ 14.99 Hardback 272 pp Simon Schuster

ISBN 0751304417

Isaac Newton: The Last Sorcerer

Michael White

From the author of Stephen Hawking: A Life in Science, comes this colorful description of the life of the world’s first modern scientist. Interesting yet based on fact, Michael White’s learned yet readable new book offers a true picture of Newton completely different from what people commonly know about him. Newton is shown as a gifted scientist with very human weaknesses who stood at the point in history where magic (魔术)ended and science began.

£8.99 Hardback 320 pp Fourth Estate

ISBN 1857024168

Fermat’s Last Theorem

Simon Singh

In 1963 a schoolboy called Andrew Wiles reading in his school library came across the world’s greatest mathematical problem: Fermat’s Last Theorem (定理). First put forward by the French mathematician Pierre de Fermat in the seventeenth century, the theorem (法则)had baffled and beaten the finest mathematical minds, including a French woman scientist who made a major advance in working out the problem, and who had to dress like a man in order to be able to study at the Ecole

Polytechnique. Through unbelievable determination Andrew Wiles finally worked out the problem in 1995. An unusual story of human effort over three centuries, Fermat’s Last Theorem will delight specialists and general readers alike.

£12.99 Hardback 384 pp Fourth Estate

ISBN 1857025210

42．In Michael White’s book, Newton is described as        .

A．a person who did not look the same as in many pictures

B．a person who lived a colorful and meaningful life

C．a great but not perfect man

D．an old-time magician

43．Which of the following best explains the meaning of the word “baffle” as it is used in the text?

A．To encourage people to raise questions.   B．To cause difficulty in understanding.

C．to provide a person with an explanation.  D．To limit people’s imagination.

44．If a student wants to read a book about a famous scientist and he doesn’t want it too serious to read, which of the three books in the above is suitable?

A. The first.   B. The second.

C. The third.   D. Both the first and the second.

Lost a German Dog

Address: Stoneywood Circle, Mableton, GA, 30126

Please help up find our missing boy. He escaped through the backyard fence this morning. Weighing pounds, he is black and wearing a blue collar. He was last seen beside the Cooper Lake. If anyone finds it, please call us. Thanks.

Meghan: 678-458-2045

Dave: 678-350-6959

Found an Orange Cat

Address: Marietta, GA

I found an orange cat with medium—length hair in the Indian Hills neighborhood. He is an adult cat, and may even be an elderly cat. He is extremely thin, and has probably been missing from his home for a while. His legs, which give him a little bit of trouble, have some old mjuris. Call me and he prepared to answer questions to de termine if this is truly your cat.

Dog Found

Address: Tujunga, CA

The dog has been wandering the streets of Tujunga. She is very sweet. Please let me know if you are looking for this wonderful girl. Be prepared to answer questions.

Julia: 834-600-2316

Lost Camera

Address: Uvalde, Tx, 78801

I lost my camera yesterday. I believe it was left in a car at about 2:30 p.m. on my way to the St. Louis Airport or at the Airport. I would love the camera back. It has every picture that I have taken since Jan. 1, 2009. It is a Kodak EasyShare Z612 camera in a black case. Please contact me if you have found it.

Cindy: 689-346-2389

1．The purpose of the text is to____________.

A．tell people to be careful with their things

B．show how many things are lost or found

C．help people find the things they have lost

D．list the information about the lost things

2．All the four pieces of information include___________ .

A．the exact and detailed addresses of the four people

B．the places where the things were lost or found

C．the colors and sizes of the lost or found things

D．the ways in which the things were lost or found

3．If you find a black dog with a blue collar beside the Cooper Lake, you may call__________.

A．Meghan at 718-322-5809       B．Julia at 834-600-2316

C．Cindy at 678-458-2045   D．Dave at 678-350-6959

4．Why do John and Julia ask callers to answer questions?

A．To make sure whether they are the real owners.

B．To test whether they can raise the animals well.

C．To write an essay with the detailed information.

D．To make an appointment with the real owners.

 Is there a limit to the number of years that a person can expect to live? Can changes in life-style add years to one’s life? Throughout history people have sought answers to these questions and others.

Various myths offer the hope of great longevity. In the imaginary land of Shangri-La, for example, people are said to lead a charmed existence for a thousand years. The Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon was convinced that he would find the Foundation of Youth in what is now the state of Florida. According to the Bible, Methuselah lived to be more than 900 years old.

The subject of longevity is fascinating, and scientists study individuals such as Jeanne Calment to learn about the aging process. Calment died in 1997 in Arles, France, at the age of 122. She never married, and she lived in her own apartment until moving to a retirement community when she was 109.

Most scientists agree that bodies will last, at best, about 125 years. This potential has changed little since modern human beings appeared more than 100 thousand years age. Recent improvements in medicine and the environment have extended life expectancy, especially for those from poorer parts of the world. It is not clear, however, whether such improvements will lengthen life expectancy beyond a certain point.

Life expectancy is the number of years an infant can be expected to live, given the conditions into which it is born. Life expectancy, therefore, is affected by nutrition, medical care, and social and political circumstances. An individual’s genetic makeup is also an important factor. Children from long-lived families can hope to enjoy long lives themselves. According to recent data, the average life expectancy worldwide in 1998 was 67 years. This can be compared with an average life expectancy of 77 in the United States.

In 1970 the average life expectancy worldwide was 61 years, or 6 years less than it was in 1998. This same period saw a drop in infant mortality -— the death of a child before the first birthday-—from 80 births out of 1,000 to 54 births out of 1,000. According to some researchers, the rise in the average life expectancy is due primarily to the drop in infant mortality. It is not so much that adults are living to an older age. It is, rather, that more people are living into adulthood because more children are surviving beyond their first birthdays.

1.Infant mortality is defined as ________ .

A. the number of children born alive

B. the kinds of behavior typical of very young children

C. the number of children, out of 1,000 births, who die before their first birthday

D. the typical and obvious thoughts of very young children

2.Although it may be possible to improve the life expectancy of a particular group of people, ________ .

A. it is more difficult to affect the rate of infant mortality

B. it is unlikely that one will be able to extend the potential life span of human beings in general

C. the process of evolution is extending the potential life span beyond 125 years

D. the potential that bodies will last, at best, about 125 years has changed much since modern human beings appeared

3.One can infer that people have at times imagined that ________ .

A. people live longer in the state of Florida

B. a long life is a burden rather than a blessing

C. it is possible to find a way to live for centuries

D. life expectancy is affected by a couple of factors

4.One can conclude that  ________ .

A. the aging process can be stopped.

B. the aging process is inevitable.

C. life expectancy in the United States will soon reach 125 years.

D. the average life expectancy worldwide is decreasing

Tales From Animal Hospital

David Grant

David Grant has become a familiar face to millions of fans of animal Hospital. Here Dr Grant tells us the very best of his personal stories about the animals he has treated, including familiar patients such as the dogs Snowy and Duchess, the delightful cat Marigold Serendipity Diamond. He also takes the reader behind the scenes at Harmsworth Memorial Animal Hospital as he describes his day, from ordinary medical check-ups to surgery（外科手术）.  Tales from animal hospital will delight all fans of the programme and anyone who has a lively interest in their pet, whether it be cat, dog or snake! ￡14.99 Hardback 272pp Simon Schuster

ISBN 0751304417

Isaac Newton: The Last Sorcerer

Michael White

From the author of Stephen Hawking: A Life in Science, comes this colourful description of the world’s first modern scientist. Interesting yet based on fact. Michael White’s learned yet readable new book offers a true picture of Newton completely different from what people commonly know about him. Newton is shown as a gifted scientist with very human weaknesses who stood at the point in history where magic（魔术）ended and science began.

￡18.99 Hardback 320pp Fourth Estate

ISBN 1857024168

Fermat’s Last Theorem

Simon Singh

In 1963 a schoolboy called Andrew Wiles reading in his school library came across the world’s greatest mathematical problem; Fermat’s Theorem（定理）. First put forward by the French mathematician Pierre de Fermat in the seventeenth century, the theorem had baffled and beaten the finest mathematical minds, including a French woman scientist who made a major advance in working out the problem, and who had to dress like a man in order to be able to study at the Ecole Polytechnique. Through unbelievable determination Andrew Wiles finally worked out the problem in 1995. An unusual story of human effort over three centuries, Fermat’s Last Theorem will delight specialists and general readers alike.

￡12.99 Hardback 384pp Fourth Estate

ISBN 1857025210

63．What is Animal Hospital?

       A．A news story    B．A popular book.      C．A research report.    D．A TV programme.

64．In Michael White’s book, Newton is described as _____________.

       A．a person who did not look the same as in many pictures

       B．a person who loved a colourful and meaningful life

       C．a great but not perfect man

       D．an old-time magician

65．Which of the following best explains the meaning of the word “baffle” as it is used in the text?

       A．To encourage people to raise question.

       B．To cause difficulty in understanding.

       C．To provide a person with an explanation.

       D．To limit people’s imagination.

66．The person who finally proved Fermat’s last Theorem is ___________.

       A．Simon Singh                  B．Andrew Wiles

       C．Pierre Fermat                 D．a French woman scientist

67．What is the purpose of writing these three texts?

       A．To make the books easier to read.          B．To show the importance of science.

       C．To introduce new authors.                  D．To sell the books.

Jewelweeds are pretty flowers that grow in wet, shady spots all over the Northern Hemisphere. According to a recent experiment, they seem to know their own flower family —or at least, recognize whether or not they came from the same mother plant. Together with other through their leaves, but through their roots.
Scientists planted jewelweeds in pots with either siblings（兄弟姐妹）or strangers. Sibling plants were grown from seeds that came from the same mother plant. Stranger plants were grown from seeds from different plants.
When jewelweeds were planted in pots with strangers, the plants started to grow more leaves than if they had been planted alone. This response suggests that plants are competing with strangers for sunlight, since a plant with more leaves can receive more light and make more food.
When jewelweed seedlings were planted with siblings, they few a few more branches than they normally would if they were alone—but they did not start growing lots of extra leaves. This behavior suggests the plants are more likely to share resources, rather than compete.
The plants only responded this way when they shared soil. If stranger seedlings were planted in different pots and placed next to each other, for example, they did not grow more leaves. This different shows that the plants must use their roots to detect sibling plants in the same soil. In 2007, Dudley and her team studied the Great Lakes sea rocket, a plant that grows on the beach—where it may be hard to get fresh water. In that experiment, the botanists observed that when sea rockets were planed with siblings, they tolerated each other. But when they were planted with strangers, the sea prickets reacted by working extra hard to grow lots of roots, but not extra leaves.
The different types of plants may react in different ways, but they have one thing in common: the roots. In both experiments, on Jewelweeds and sea rockets, the key was the shared soil—and other plant species may turn out to show similar behavior. These experiments, as well as earlier experiments, suggest “The phenomenon is quite common.” Says Hans de Kroonof, an ecologist in the Netherlands.
57．In Paragraph 1, the author mentions a recent experiment of Jewelweeds to___________.
A．make a comparison  B．introduce a topic
C．describe a pretty flower   D．put forward a new theory
58．What can we know from the experiments done by scientists?
A．Jewelweeds can grow in the Northern Hemisphere.
B．Jewelweeds can grow in wet, shady spots.
C．Jewelweeds are more friendly to their siblings than to stranger plants.
D．jewelweeds can recognize their siblings through leaves.
59．If jewelweeds and their siblings are planted in different pots and placed close to one another, they will___________.
A．start to grow more leaves       B．detect the strangers 
C．compete with sibling plants     D．grow normally
60．The best title of the passage would be___________.
A．Flower family knows its roots
B．The growing conditions of Jewelweeds
C．Jewelweeds and sea rockets
D．The stranger plant recognize each other