When scientists accidentally killed what turned out to be the world’s oldest liv
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When scientists accidentally killed what turned out to be the world’s oldest living creature, it was bad enough. Now, their mistake has been worsened after further research found it was even older – at 507 years.
The ocean quahog, a type of deep-sea clam, was dredged (捕捞) alive from the bottom of the North Atlantic near Iceland in 2006 by researchers. They then put it in a fridge-freezer, as is normal practice, unaware of its age. It was only when it was taken to a laboratory that scientists from Bangor University studied it and concluded it was 400 years old.
The discovery made it into the Guinness Book of World Records. However, by this time, it was too late for Ming the Mollusc(软体动物), named after the Chinese dynasty when its life began. Unfortunately researchers who calculated Ming’s age killed it instantly by opening its shell.
The researchers opened the ancient clam up to judge its age by counting growth rings inside. But the rings were so close together that scientists ended up having to count the rings on the outside to be accurate, leading CBS journalists to point out that if scientists had just started there, Ming could have lived on. Now, after examining the quahog more closely, using more advanced methods, the researchers have found the animal was actually 100 years older than they first thought.
Dr Paul Butler, from the University’s School of Ocean Sciences, said: “We got it wrong the first time and maybe we were a bit hasty publishing our findings back then. But we are absolutely certain that we’ve got the right age now.” The mollusc was born in 1499 – just seven years after Columbus discovered America and before Henry VIII had even married his first wife, Catherine of Aragon in 1509.
A quahog’s shell grows by a layer every year, in the summer when the water is warmer and food is plentiful. It means that when its shell is cut in half, scientists can count the lines in a similar way that trees can be dated by rings in their trunks.
Jan Heinemeier, associate professor at the University of Denmark, who helped date Ming, told Science Nordic: “The fact that we got our hands on a 507-year-old animal is incredibly fascinating, but the really exciting thing is of course everything we can learn from studying the mollusk.”
小题1:At first, the scientists found that _____________. | A．The ocean quahog got a deadly disease | | B．The growth rings inside were so close together | | C．it was accurate to count the growth rings outside | | D．The ocean quahog was 400 years old |
小题2:Why did the scientists open the ancient clam up?| A．To count the growth rings outside of the clam. | | B．To study how old the clam was. | | C．To see the structure of it. | | D．To give an immediate operation on it. |
小题3:The sixth paragraph is mainly about_____________. | A．How to calculate the age of a tree | | B．Why a quahog’s shell grows by a layer each year | | C．How to calculate the age of a quahog | | D．Why a quahog likes it when the water is warmer |
小题4:Which of the following is NOT true?| A．The researchers have got the right age of the ocean quahog. | | B．The mollusc was born after Columbus discovered America. | | C．The ocean quahog was named after the Chinese dynasty. | | D．A quahog’s shell grows by a layer every season. |
小题5:Where does the text probably come from?| A．A magazine of marine life. | B．A travel brochure. | | C．A biography. | D．A science fiction. |
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答案
小题1:D
小题2:B
小题3:C
小题4:D
小题5:A |
解析
试题分析：这篇文章讲的是科学家无意中杀死了北大西洋捕捞上来的一只最古老的圆蛤，这让他们很沮丧，而且文章也介绍了计算圆蛤的年龄的方法。
小题1:细节题：从第二段的句子：It was only when it was taken to a laboratory that scientists from Bangor University studied it and concluded it was 400 years old.可知一开始科学家认为这个海洋的圆蛤是400岁，选D。
小题2:细节题：从第四段的句子：The researchers opened the ancient clam up to judge its age by counting growth rings inside. 可知科学家打开蛤是为了研究这个蛤有多大了，选B。
小题3:段落大意题：从第六段的句子：It means that when its shell is cut in half, scientists can count the lines in a similar way that trees can be dated by rings in their trunks.可知这段讲的是怎样计算圆蛤的年龄，选C。
小题4:细节题：从第六段的句子：A quahog’s shell grows by a layer every year, in the summer when the water is warmer and food is plentiful. 可知圆蛤的贝壳每年都会增加一层，而不是每个季节，选D。
小题5:文章出处题：这篇文章讲的是科学家无意中杀死了北大西洋捕捞上来的一只最古老的圆蛤，这让他们很沮丧，而且文章也介绍了计算圆蛤的年龄的方法，说明这篇文章是关于海洋生物的，选A。 |
举一反三
Twenty-three-year old Rio Safiyanto sells face masks, or coverings, for about 30 cents each in central Jakarta, Indonesia. He makes enough money to buy a cell phone that permits him to visit websites. He says every average person has a cellphone. He likes having one because he can talk to his family when he is away from home. And, he is especially pleased that he can use it to listen to music. It is known as a feature phone 。That is because it is cheaper and cannot perform as many actions as more advanced phones like the Apple iPhone.
These devices make up the majority of cell phones sold around the world. They have proven more successful in places like Indonesia, where some smartphones cost 700 dollars or more. Although many lower-income users are new to smartphones, they are quickly learning to use the technology.
Cell manufacturer Nokia offers a service called Life Tools. For a small monthly payment, the company sends text messages to farmers. The messages tell of weather conditions, crop prices, agricultural news and give other advice.
Local businessman Aldi Haryopratomo has developed a way for small store owners to sell things like prepaid cellphone minutes and life insurance through text messages. Ruma is the company that developed the technology. The company is working on a system that will notify people about jobs in their area.
At a recent digital technology show in Jakarta, banks offered no-interest financing for credit card purchases. Marina Luthfiani manages a mobile shop in the area. She said almost everyone can buy a smartphone because of competitive financing and credit choices. She says Indonesians like to buy the latest devices.
A report last June by Semiocast, a French internet research company, said Jakarta was the world"s top tweeting（发微博）city, ahead of Tokyo and London.
小题1:Why are feature phones popular in Indonesia?| A．It has fewer functions. | | B．It can be used to enjoy music. | | C．It is less expensive. | | D．It is more attractive. |
小题2:What is true of the service Life Tools?| A．It can sell agricultural products | | B．It provides useful information to farmers | | C．It is free of charge mainly for farmers. | | D．It helps farmers to make production plan. |
小题3:What does the underlined word “notify’ in Paragraph 4 mean?| A． Inform | B．Ask | C．Direct. | D．Help. |
小题4:What is the main idea of the text?| A．Indonesians like services on the Internet | | B．The Internet is widely used in Indonesia. | | C．Feature phones are the only choices in Indonesia. | | D．More and more Indonesians use smartphones. |
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Sydney—A shark savaged a schoolboy"s leg while he was surfing with his father at a beach in Sydney on February 23．It was the third shark attack along the coast of Australia"s largest city in a month．
The 15-year-old boy and his father were in the water off Avalon, on Sydney"s northern beaches, around dawn when he was attacked．The city"s beaches are packed with locals and tourists during the summer months．
"The father heard a scream and turned to see his son trashing （扭动） about in the water," police said．"Fortunately, the shark swam away and the boy was helped to shore by his father．
Lifesaving Club spokesman Nick Miller: "It got him around the top of his left leg and the father came and dragged him out of water．" He said the boy was bleeding heavily when he was brought to shore．"There was a lot of pain, as you can imagine"．The teenager was airlifted to hospital for treatment for leg injuries．
Police said the bites" cut through to the bone" , but the boy did not appear to have sustained any fractures （骨折）．He was in a stable condition now．
Several beaches were closed after the attack．Water police and lifeguards were searching for the shark, while police hoped to identify its species by the shape of the bite marks．But they said it was too early to say what type of shark attacked the boy．"I don"t even know if he saw it," Miller said．
Many shark species live in the waters off Sydney"s beaches, but attacks on humans are still relatively rare．However, there were two attacks on successive days earlier this month, one on a navy diver in Sydney harbor, not far from the famous Opera House, and the other on a surfer at the city"s world-famous Bondi beach．
Fishermen say shark numbers are on the rise．There is a ban on commercial fishing in the harbor, which has increased fish stocks．Marine experts also claim environmental protection has created a cleaner environment, attracting sharks closer to shore as they chase fish．Many shark species, including the Great White—the man-eater made famous in Steven Spielberg"s Jaws—are protected in Australian waters．
小题1:The report mainly tells us _______．| A．shark attacks on humans are on the rise | | B．sharks attacked humans three times in one month | | C．a boy was attacked by a shark at a Sydney beach | | D．shark numbers are increasing in the waters off Sydney"s beaches |
小题2:The underlined word" savaged "in the first paragraph probably means _______．| A．attracted | B．dragged | | C．bit | D．packed |
小题3:What do we know about the city of Sydney from the passage?| A．It is one of the largest cities in Australia． | | B．Sydney harbor is not far from the famous Opera House． | | C．There are many locals and tourists on its coast all year round． | | D．There are few shark species in the waters off Sydney"s beaches． |
小题4:All the followings are the causes of Australia"s sharks increasing EXCEPT that_______．| A．environmental protection has created a cleaner environment | | B．a ban on commercial fishing has increased fish numbers | | C．many shark species are protected in Australia waters | | D．the film Jaws made the Great White famous |
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WASHINGTON—Laura Straub is a very worried woman. Her job is to find families for foreign teenagers who expect to live with American families in the summer.
It is not easy, even desperate.
“We have many children left to place—40 out of 75,” said Straub, who works for a foreign exchange programme called LEC.
When foreign exchange programmes started 50 years ago, more families were accommodating. For one thing, more mothers stayed at home. But now, increasing numbers of women work outside the home. Exchange-student programmes have struggled in recent years to sign up host families for the 30, 000 teenagers who come from abroad every year to spend an academic year in the United States, as well as the thousands more who take part in summer programmes.
School systems in many parts of the U.S., unhappy about accepting non-taxpaying students, have also strictly limited the number of exchange students they accept. At the same time, the idea of hosting foreign students is becoming less exotic(有异国情调的).
In search for host families, who usually receive no pay, exchange programmes are increasingly broadening their requests to include everyone from young couples to the retired.
“We are open to many different types of families,” said Vickie Weiner, eastern regional director for ASSE, a 25-year-old programme that sends about 30,000 teenagers on academic-year exchange programmes worldwide.
For elderly people, exchange students “keep us young—they really do”, said Jen Foster, who is hosting 16-year-old Nina Post from Denmark.
小题1:According to the text, why was it easier for Laura Straub to find American families for foreign students?| A．American school systems were better than now. | | B．The government was happy because it could gain tax. | | C．Foreign students paid hosting families a lot of money. | | D．More mothers didn’t work outside and could look after children. |
小题2:To deal with the problem in recent years, exchange programmes have to ______.| A．extend the range of host families | | B．limit the number of the exchange students | | C．borrow much money to pay for the costs | | D．make hosting foreign students more exotic |
小题3:Which of the following is the best title of this passage?
A Exchange Students Keep Old People Young.
B. Idea of Hosting Students is Different.
C. Foreign-exchange Program Is Going on.
D U.S. Struggle to Find host Families. |
Here is some news of the future.
March 20. 2035
There was a lot of news around the life extension drugs that hit the market a decade ago. They didn"t promise that you would live forever. but they gave you a chance to extend your life an extra five to ten years. Even though the life expectancy rate at birth has increased greatly. the life expectancy for seniors hasn"t improved that much. Basically. you have a greater chance to become a senior, but you will not have a much longer lifespan, and this is where the anti-aging drugs intend to kick in. So ,do the anti-aging drugs work? Well. it is too early to tell. But the sales so far are very good.
April 19, 2035
Of the total US population of 378 million, people over 65 years of age now make up 20% for the first time. The senior ratio was only 4.1% by year 1900. and l2.4% 30 years ago.
The number of people above 65 compared to those of what is considered working ages. between 15 and 64. is currently 33.7%. This is up from l85% since year 2005. which means that for every retired person there are now two workers. compared to four workers 30 years ago. The number of people above the age of 80 has grown t0 23.8 million; making them 6.3% of the total population compared t0 3.6% in 2005.
April 12. 2040
Although introduced in the market only five years ago, 10% of all hydrogen fuel now sold in the US is of the environmentally friendly Re-Hydro label, produced through. eletrolysis (电解) based on a source of 1OO% renewable energy. Several producers have turned to producing Re-Hydro. mainly because of lower tax. which also keeps the price of. Re-Hydro on the same level as regular hydrogen. Most analysts believe that Re-Hydro will be the .dominating fuel in the future
小题1:The sales of the life extension drugs so far clearly show that .
A. people have no faith in them
B people want to give them a try
C. they work very well for seniors
D. they have no effect on people"s health
小题2:What can we learn from News 2?| A．Many Americans will find it hard to find a job . | | B．It"s very hard for seniors to pass the age of 80. | | C．The US population has been increasing rapidly since 2005. | | D．The US population has been aging rapidly since 2005. |
小题3:We can know from the passage that the fuel of the Re-Hydro label is______.
A. expensive B cheap C.green D. dangerous
小题4:What can we infer from News 3?| A．Re-Hydro will be widely used in the future. | | B．The government discourages the production of Re-Hydro. | | C．Producers are not interested in producing Re-Hydro. | | D．Re-Hydro is more expensive than regular hydrogen. |
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In the early hours of March 8, a Boeing 777 took off from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Its destination was Beijing. But for unknown reasons, it never arrived there.
There were 239 people on the Malaysia Airlines flight, including 154 Chinese. As of March 13, 12 different countries, including Malaysia, China, Vietnam and the US, were searching for the plane.
The disappearance is an “aviation (航空) mystery”, Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, the head of Malaysia’s Civil Aviation Authority, said on March 10.There was no clear sign of a crash by March 13.
Between 1-2 hours after takeoff, the plane suddenly lost contact with people on the ground. The weather was clear, and the pilots didn’t make any calls . No evidence was found in the area where the flight last made contact. People are also talking about a possible hijacking (劫机).
International police agency Interpol confirmed on March 9 that at least two passengers on the flight had used stolen passports to get on board. “We are looking at all possibilities,” said Malaysian Transport Minister Hishamuddin Hussein. The incident is now being called simply a “plane disappearance”.
So, what are some possible causes of a plane disappearance? An AP story provided a summary.
1. A failure of the plane’s body or its engines. However, even if both engines stopped working, the plane could still glide (滑翔) for up to 20 minutes, giving pilots time to make an emergency call.
2. Bad weather. Planes are designed to fly through most severe storms. However, in June 2009, an Air France flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris crashed during a bad storm over the Atlantic Ocean.
3. A bomb. Throughout history, several planes have been brought down by bombs.
4. An accidental shoot-down by some country’s military. In July 1988, the US Navy accidentally shot down an Iran Air flight. In September 1983, a Korean Air Lines flight was shot down by a Russian fighter jet.
No matter how unlikely a situation, it’s too early to determine what really happened to MH370. It could take months, if not years, to rule out any possibilities, say experts..
小题1:How many cities are mentioned in this passage?| A．Four cities. | B．five cities. | C．Six cities. | D．Seven cities. |
小题2:What could the underlined phrase “rule out” in the last paragraph mean?| A．cross out | B．get rid of | C．take out | D．take the place of |
小题3:What could be the best title of the passage? | A．An Air Crash | B．The Causes of the Disappearance | | C．The Disappearance of MH 370 | D．An Aviation Mystery |
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