Passage One Among all the malignancies, lung cancer is the biggest killer; more than 100,000 Americans die of the disease. Giving up smoking is one of obvious ways to reduce the risk, but another answer may lie in the kitchen. According to a new report, even heavy smokers may be protected from developing lung cancer by eating a daily portion of carrots, spinach or any other vegetable or fruit containing a form of vitamin A called carotene. The finding, published in THE LANCET, is part of a long-range investigation of diet and disease. Since 1957, some American researchers have monitored the dietary habits and medical histories of 2,000 middle-aged men employed by the Western Electric Co. in Chicago. Led by Dr. Richard Shekelle of St. Luke's Medical Center, the researchers recently began to sort out the links between the subjects' dietary patterns and cancer. Other studies of animals and humans have suggested that vitamin A offer some protection against lung cancer. The correlation seemed logical, explains Shekelle, since vitamin A is essential for the growth of the epithelial tissue that lines the airways of the lungs. Vegetables: But the earlier research did not distinguish between the two different forms of the vitamin. "Preformed" vitamin A, known as retinols found mainly in liver and dairy products like milk, cheese, butter and eggs. But vitamin A is also made in the body from carotene, which is abundant in a variety of vegetables and fruits, including carrots, spinach, squash, tomatoes, sweet potatoes and apples. In the study, Shekelle and his colleagues found little correlation between the incidence of lung cancer and the consumption of foods containing preformed vitamin A. But when they examined the data on carotene intake, they discovered a significant relationship. Among the 488 men who had the lowest level of carotene consumption, there were 14 cases of lung cancer; in a group of the same size that ate the most carotene, only two cases developed. The apparent protective effect of carotene held up even for long-time smokers—but to a lesser degree. Further studies will be necessary before the link between lung cancer and carotene can be firmly established. In the meantime, researchers warn against taking large numbers of vitamin A pills, because the tablets contain a form of the chemical that can be extremely toxic in high doses. Instead, they advise a well-balanced diet that includes goods rich in carotene. For a smoker, a half-cup of carrots every day might possibly make the difference between life and death.
1. The word "malignancy" (Line 1, Para. 1) most probably refers to ______.
[解析] 推理题。根据文中第三段的 "Preformed" vitamin A, known as retinol, is found mainly in liver and dairy products like milk, cheese, butter and eggs. 亦即维A醛能在肝制品和奶制品中找到，可以根据这个推断出C(苹果)为正确答案。
3. Carotene is present in all of the following EXCEPT ______.
Passage Two Liver disease is the 12th-leading cause of death in the U.S., chiefly because once it's determined that a patient needs a new liver it's very difficult to get one. Even in case where a suitable donor match is found, there's guarantee a transplant will be successful. But researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital have taken a huge step toward building functioning livers in the lab, successfully transplanting culture-grown livers into rats. The livers aren't grown from scratch, but rather within the infrastructure of a donor liver. The liver cells in the donor organ are washed out with a detergent that gently strips away the liver cells, leaving behind a biological scaffold of proteins and extracellular architecture that is very hard to duplicate synthetically. With all of that complicated infrastructure already in place, the researchers then seeded the scaffold (支架) with liver cells isolated from healthy livers, as well as some special endothelial cells to line the bold vessels. Once repopulated with healthy cells, these livers lived in culture for 10 days. The team also transplanted some two-day-old recellularized livers back into rats, where they continued to thrive for eight hours while connected into the rats' vascular systems. However, the current method isn't perfect and cannot seem to repopulate the blood vessels quite densely enough and the transplanted livers can't keep functioning for more than about 24 hours (hence the eight-hour maximum for the rat transplant). But the initial successes are promising, and the team thinks they can overcome the blood vessel problem and get fully functioning livers into rats within two years. It still might be a decade before the tech hits the clinic, but if nothing goes horribly wrong—and especially if stem-cell research establishes a reliable way to create health liver cells from the very patients who need transplants—lab-generated livers that are perfect matches for their recipients could become a reality.
1. It can be inferred from the passage that the animal model was mainly intended to ______.
A.investigate the possibility of growing blood vessels in the lab
B.explore the unknown functions of the human liver
C.reduce the incidence of liver disease in the U.S.
Passage Three Patients whose eyes have suffered heat or chemical burns typically experience severe damage to the cornea—the thin, transparent front of the eye that refracts light and contributes most of the eye's focusing ability. In a long-term study, Italian researchers use stem cells taken from the limbus, the border between the cornea and the white of the eye, to cultivate a graft of healthy cells in a lab to help restore vision in eyes. During the 10-years study, the researchers implanted the healthy stem cells into the damaged cornea in 113 eyes of 112 patients. The treatment was fully successful in more than 75 percent of the patients, and partially successful in 13 percent. Moreover, the restored vision remained stable over 10 years. Success was defined as an absence of all symptoms and permanent restoration of the cornea. Treatment outcome was initially assessed at one year, with up to 10 years of follow-up evaluations. The procedure was even successful in several patients whose burn injuries had occurred years earlier and who had already undergone surgery. Current treatment for burned eyes involves taking stem cells from a patient's healthy eye, or from the eyes of another person, and transferring them to the burned eye. The new procedure, however, stimulates the limbal stem cells from the patient's own eye to reproduce in a lab culture. Several types of treatments using stem cells have proven successful in restoring blindness, but the long-term effectiveness shown here is significant. The treatment is only for blindness caused by damage to the cornea; it is not effective for repairing damaged retinas or optic nerves. Chemical eye burns often occur in the workplace, but can also happen due to mishaps involving household cleaning products and automobile batteries. The results of the study, based at Italy's University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, were published in the June 23 online issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
1. What is the main idea of this passage?
A.Stem cells can help restore vision in the eyes blinded by bums.
B.The vision in the eyes blinded by burns for 10 years can be restored.
C.The restored vision of the burned eyes treated with stem cells can last for 10 years.
D.The burned eyes can only be treated with stem cells from other healthy persons.
Passage Four Researchers have recently found a connection between disease and stressful situations. To test this theory, psychologists are trying to find a link between the brain and the immune system. The immune system in our bodies fights the bacteria and viruses which cause disease. Therefore, whether or not we are likely to get various diseases depends on how well our immune system works. Biologists used to think that the immune system was a separate, independent part of our bodies. Recently, however, they have found that our brain can affect our immune system. This discovery indicates that there may be a connection between emotional factors, such as stress or depression, and illness. Although many doctors in the past suspected a connection between emotional factor and disease, they had no proof. Scientists have only recently discovered how the brain and the immune system function. Before this, no one could see a link between them. As a result, medical science never seriously considered the idea that psychological factors could cause disease. Several recent studies showed a connection between stress and illness, for example, researchers went to an American military school to study the students. They found that the sick students there had a lot of academic pressure and wanted to achieve, but they were not very good students. In a similar study, researchers studied a group of student nurses and found that the nurses who developed cold sores were the ones who described themselves as generally unhappy people. In addition to these results, which support their theory, researchers are also looking for proof that stress can damage the immune system. Researchers studied recently bereaved people, i.e. , people whose loved ones have just died, because they are more likely to become ill or die. By examining the immune system of recently bereaved people, the researchers made an important discovery. They examined some white blood cells which are an important part of the immune system. They were not functioning properly. The fact that they were not working correctly indicates that severe psychological stress, such as a loved one's death, may damage an important part of our immune system. There is still no positive proof of a connection between the immune system and psychological factors. Researchers also say that the results of the studies on bereaved people could have a different explanation. For example, bereaved people often sleep and eat less than normal, or may drink alcohol or take medication. These factors can also affect the immune system. More research is needed to clearly establish the connection between the immune system and psychological factors.
1. The study on the military school students indicated that ______.
A.life in the school was very stressful
B.disease could be caused by psychological factors
C.the good students were likely to fall ill
D.stress often made students unhappy
A B C D
B
[解析] 第三段中科学家们怀疑心理因素可能导致疾病，第四段第一句指出Several recent studies showed a connection between stress and illness，以美国一个军事学校为例对该观点进行论证，可以判断选项B正确。
2. The immune system ______.
A.used to be unconnected with the brain
B.causes a lot of stress to people
C.can be affected by emotional factors
D.functions independently
A B C D
C
[解析] 第二段中第三句提到生物学家曾认为the immune system was a separate，independent part of our bodies，即免疫系统是完全独立的，但最近研究发现our brain can affect our immune system，而疾病也和情绪有关，据此可以判断情绪能够影响免疫系统。
3. In the past, many doctors ______.
A.never thought of any possible link between stress and illness
B.hardly considered emotional factors when dealing with a patient
C.discovered that the brain and the immune system functioned independently
D.found that diseases were caused by psychological factors
A B C D
D
[解析] 第三段第一句中many doctors in the past suspected a connection between emotional factor and disease, they had no proof表明医生们认识到心理因素和疾病产生有关，但是不能证实这一点，可以排除其他三个选项。
4. Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the passage?
A.Unhappiness may cause disease.
B.Drinking alcohol may cause damage to the immune system.
C.Too much sorrow is harmful to the immune system.
D.Psychological stress leads naturally to the damage of the immune system.
5. The text mainly supplies information for answering which of the following questions?
A.Can the immune system be affected by emotional factors?
B.Why can our bodies fight the bacteria and viruses which cause diseases?
C.How can the immune system be affected by emotional factors?
D.Why can't blood cells in bereaved people's bodies work properly?
A B C D
A
[解析] 本文通过一些例子证实了情绪会影响免疫系统，是对选项A“情绪是否能影响免疫系统”的回答。
Passage Five Conventional wisdom about conflict seems pretty much cut and dried. Too little conflict breeds apathy (冷漠) and stagnation (呆滞). Too much conflict leads to divisiveness (分裂) and hostility. Moderate levels of conflict, however, can spark creativity and motivate people in a healthy and competitive way. Recent research by Professor Charles R. Schwenk, however, suggests that the optimal level of conflict may be more complex to determine than these simple generalizations. He studied perceptions of conflict among a sample of executives. Some of the executives worked for profit-seeking organizations and others for not-for-profit organizations. Somewhat surprisingly, Schwenk found that opinions about conflict varied systematically as a function of the type of organization. Specifically, managers in not-for-profit organizations strongly believed that conflict was beneficial to their organizations and that it promoted higher quality decision making than might be achieved in the absence of conflict. Managers of for-profit organizations saw a different picture. They believed that conflict generally was damaging and usually led to poor-quality decision making in their organizations. Schwenk interpreted these results in terms of the criteria for effective decision making suggested by the executives. In the profit-seeking organizations, decision-making effectiveness was most often assessed in financial terms. The executives believed that consensus rather than conflict enhanced financial indicators. In the not-for-profit organizations, decision-making effectiveness was defined from the perspective of satisfying constituents. Given the complexities and ambiguities associated with satisfying many diverse constituents executives perceived that conflict led to more considered and acceptable decisions.
1. In the eyes of the author, conventional opinion on conflict is ______.
A.wrong
B.oversimplified
C.misleading
D.unclear
A B C D
D
[解析] 细节题。文中第一句“Conventional wisdom about conflict seems pretty much cut and dried. ”其中的“cut and dried”意思是：关于冲突的传统的思想是陈词滥调。这就意味着oversimplified“过于简单了”。
2. Professor Charles R. Schwenk's research shows ______.
A.the advantages and disadvantages of conflict
B.the real value of conflict
C.the difficulty in determining the optimal level of conflict
D.the complexity of defining the roles of conflict
A B C D
C
[解析] 推理题。文中第二段第—句：“Recent research by Professor Charles R. Schwenk, however, suggests that the optimal level of conflict may be more complex to determine... ”Charles教授的研究表明冲突的最佳程度很难决定。其中的“complex to determine”即“很难决定”，就等于答案C中的阐述。
3. We can learn from Schwenk's research that ______.
A.a personls view of conflict is influenced by the purpose of his organization
B.conflict is necessary for managers of for-profit organizations
C.different people resolve conflicts in different ways
D.it is impossible for people to avoid conflict
A B C D
A
[解析] 推理题。文中第三段第一句：“Somewhat surprisingly, Schwenk found that opinions about conflict varied systematically as a function of the type of organization. ”意思是：有些令人吃惊，Schwenk教授发现关于冲突的观点是根据公司的结构类型的功能而有系统地变化的。从中可以看出A为答案，即一个人关于冲突的观点是受他公司的结构影响的。B、C、D都是上面这句话的例证。
4. The passage suggests that in for-profit organizations ______.
A.there is no end of conflict
B.expression of different opinions is encouraged
C.decisions must be justifiable
D.success lies in general agreement
A B C D
D
[解析] 细节题。第四段最后一句“The executives believed that consensus rather than conflict enhanced financial indicators. ”意思说：主管们相信是一致性而不是冲突提高了经济的指标。从中可以看到答案为D。本句中的“consensus”意思就是“agreement”.
5. People working in a not-for-profit organization ______.
A.seem to be difficult to satisfy
B.are free to express diverse opinions
C.are less effective in making decisions
D.find it easier to reach agreement
A B C D
B
[解析] 细节题。本文最后一句“Given the complexities and ambiguities associated with satisfying many diverse constituents executives perceived that conflict led to more considered and acceptable decisions. ”意思是：考虑到满足许多不同的员工的复杂性和模糊性，主管们感到冲突能产生更值得被考虑的、更能被接受的决定。这与答案B的意思相符。即工作人员可以自由表达思想，企业会考虑他们的想法，从而制定决定。
Passage Six Stephanie Smith, a children's dance instructor, thought she had a stomach virus. The aches and cramping were tolerable that first day, and she finished her classes. Then her diarrhea turned bloody. Her kidneys shut down. Seizures knocked her unconscious. The convulsions grew so relentless that doctors had to put her in a coma for nine weeks. When she emerged, she could no longer walk. The affliction had ravaged her nervous system and left her paralyzed from the waist down. Ms. Smith, 22, was found to have a severe form of food-borne illness caused by E. coli, which Minnesota officials traced to the hamburger that her mother had grilled for their Sunday family party. In the simplest terms, she ran out of luck in a food-safety game of chance whose rules and risks are not widely known. Meat companies and grocers have been barred from selling ground beef tainted by the virulent strain of E. coli known as o157:H7 since 1994. Yet tens of thousands of people are still sickened annually by this pathogen with hamburger being the biggest culprit. Ground beef has been blamed for 16 outbreaks in the last three years alone. This summer, contamination led to the recall of beef from nearly 3,000 grocers in 41 states. Ms. Smith's reaction to the virulent strain of E. coli was extreme, but tracing the story of her burger shows that neither the system meant to make the meat safe, nor the meat itself, is what consumer have been led to believe. Ground beef is usually not simply a chunk of meat run through a grinder. Instead, a single portion of hamburger meat is often an amalgam of various grades of meat from different parts of cows and even from different slaughterhouses. This makes the costs 25% less than it would have for cuts of whole meat. These cuts of meat are particularly vulnerable to E. coli contamination, food experts and officials say. Despite this, there is no federal requirement for grinders to test their ingredients for the pathogen. Those ingredients include cuts from areas of the cow that are more likely to have had contact with feces, which carries E. coli, industry research shows. Yet most meat companies rely on their suppliers to check for the bacteria and do their own testing only after the ingredients are ground together. Unwritten agreements between some companies appear to stand in the way of ingredient testing. Many big slaughterhouses will sell only to grinders who agree not to test their shipments for E. coli for fear of a recall of ingredients they sold to others. "Ground beef is not a completely safe product," said Dr. Jeffrey Bender, a food safety expert at the University of Minnesota who helped develop systems for tracing E. coli contamination. He said that while outbreaks had been on the decline, "unfortunately it looks like we are going a bit in the opposite direction."
A.most people get sickened every year for eating hamburgers tainted by E.coli
B.so far there have been 16 outbreaks of E.coli contamination of beef
C.beef contamination is so serious that it can be found in 41 states
D.Ms. Smith's reaction to o157:H7 is uncommon
A B C D
D
[解析] 推理题。A选项偷换了概念：原文第三段中讲到tens of thousands of people会因为大肠杆菌致病，但该选项中用的most，即全体中的大多数，故该选项不对；B选项中的16对应的范围与原文不符合，原文中的16次爆发对应的是碎牛肉导致的大肠杆菌中毒事件；C选项中的41个州在原文中对应的细节为：给41个州销售了碎牛肉，故错误。只有D选项是正确的，可在第四段中首句...was extreme推理得知答案。
3. The reason behind the way ground beef is produced is ______.
A.the making of more profits
B.the satisfaction of the customer's needs
C.the vulnerability to E. coli contamination
D.the requirement of the federal government
A B C D
A
[解析] 细节题。碎牛肉如此制作，原因在于成本问题。该题答案在第四段中“This makes the costs 25% less than it would have...”即为了减少成本，获取更多的利益。
4. We can infer that many big slaughterhouses ______.
A.conducted a recall of ground beef this summer
B.cannot be too careful about the safety of their beef products
C.actually know the possibility of their ground beef contamination
D.are completely ignorant of E. coli contamination of their beef supplies
A B C D
C
[解析] 推理题。通过big slaughterhouse定位到第七段第二句，大意是：很多大型屠宰场担心会召回已经出售的货物，因此只会将原料销售给同意不对其货物进行测试的商家。由此可推理得知，这些大型屠宰场的担心证明他们其实很清楚自己的产品感染大肠杆据的可能性。因此本题答案为C。B选项中cannot be too careful是一个特殊结构，意思是“十分小心”，与原文含义相反。
5. As Bender implies at the end of the passage, ______.
A.it is wise for consumers to stay away from beef products
B.the outbreaks of E. coli contamination are on the decline
深色：已答题 浅色：未答题