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 (捕撈) 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(軟體動(dòng)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.”
【小題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

【小題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.

【小題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

【小題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.

【小題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.

Mark Thompson, the BBC’s director general, is expected to announce on Thursday that the BBC will quit its entire west London home -- possibly selling the land to Chelsea football club -- as part of main plans that will see more staff moved out of the capital to Salford and elsewhere．
The move is at the heart of the BBC’s long-awaiting cost-cutting strategy（策略）which will see nearly 2,000 more jobs going at the public broadcaster, and some original programming，such as daytime shows on BBC2, eliminated to save money．
Several thousand people are employed at the west London sites，including Thompson himself and the bosses of all the BBC’s television channels．The employees are expected to be relocated（重新安排）to Broadcasting House in central London, Salford, or elsewhere．
The BBC has been broadcasting at various locations in the Shepherd’s Bush area since moving into Lime Grove in 1949．It then switched to the Television Centre in 1960，and more modern offices at nearby White City．But it is now open to selling the site, and the broadcaster has had talks about attracting Premier League clubs Chelsea or Queen’s Park Rangers as buyers．Both clubs are looking for new homes．
Earlier leaks（透露）suggest that the BBC will seek to cut spending on sports where the corporation has already decided to share coverage of Formula 1 with Sky TV -- and imports，such as Mad Men and The Killing．BBC4 is expected to focus on “arts and archive（檔案）”, but Thompson has long ruled out closing any channels or radio stations．BBC1 and Radio 4 will be protected，but there are expected to be some cuts to local radio programs, which will see stations share shows outside breakfast and drive-time hours．
The corporation is already committed to remove TV Centre by 2015, but because parts of the building are listed, the football clubs have expressed an interest in the BBC’s White City offices instead，which could be knocked down. The White City building is where Thompson and the broadcaster's commercial division, BBC Worldwide, are based．
BBC sources say the 2,500 job losses being proposed（提議）include the 650 cuts to the World Service already announced, with up to l,000 coming from BBC News．It is understood that some staff who have only just made the move to Salford could see their jobs at risk. Salford is now home to Radio5 Live, children’s programs such as Blue Peter, and sports output including Match of the Day．
【小題1】Why is the BBC planning to quit its west London home?

A．The BBC wants to earn more money．

B．The BBC would like to support British football sport．

C．The BBC is planning to save money for new programs．

D．The BBC has to cut down its cost．

【小題2】The underlined word “eliminated” in the second paragraph means“_________”．

A．set aside

B．cut out

C．sold out

D．put on

【小題3】What will happen if the BBC moves its home ?

A．Some original programmes will be adjusted．

B．All the BBC staff will have to work outside London．

C．More people will be employed for new programs．

D．Some TV channels or radio stations will be closed．

【小題4】From the passage，we can learn that ________．

A．the BBC will cover Formula 1 on its own as usual

B．the football clubs are likely to buy some of the BBC’s offices

C．the BBC’s commercial division will be open to selling the sites

D．the BBC’s offices are all in the White City of London

Tiangong -- 1（or．Heavenly Palace）space module（艙）is the first step toward China’s plan to build a space station around 2020．Its launch（發(fā)射）by China has upset some countries，which are asking why China did not add on to the International Space Station that has been in place since 1998. After all, the Americans，Russians，Europeans and Japanese are using one platform to experiment in space．
Questions have also been asked about China’s final purpose in space and suggestions made that there is something as unpleasant as the theme in a James Bond movie，in which Chinese-looking enemies were at the root of some evil（邪惡的）plot to control the world．
Chinese don’t see themselves that way, and never in history have they been flag-planting settlers．Most Westerners are educated in the adventures of the great European explorers，headed by Christopher Columbus and James Cook，and followed closely by the groups of culture egotists（自大者）with a mix of guns，gold and the Bible in their hands．
In comparison，Zheng He，the great Chinese sailing master，took groups of ships to Africa and the Middle East to promote goodwill, with gifts of chinaware and art．No flags claiming（宣稱） possession of distant areas．But this is strange to Western society．
In this century，it is clear that space cannot be claimed by one nation．Yet advantage of technology in space does seem to be on some minds．Former US president Ronald Reagan caused shocks and worries with his Star Wars program．So when China shot down its own satellite as a test in January 2010 there were anxieties in the West about Star Wars 1ike scenario（劇本）becoming reality in the near future．
【小題1】The launch of Tiangong -- 1 __________．

A．is appreciated by countries like the USA and Japan

B．will bring trouble to the western countries in space

C．is part of China’s plan to set up a station in space

D．will help China be a member of the Space Station

【小題2】It is most probable that the US，Russia，Europe and Japan _______­­­­__．

A．a(chǎn)re competing against one another in space wars

B．feel anxious about China’s setting up a space station

C．a(chǎn)re cooperating to compete against China in space

D．have warned the world of China’s final purpose

【小題3】The author of the passage mentions Zheng He _________．

A．to tell people China’s will never be enemies of world peace

B．to compare him to the great European explorers like Columbus

C．to indicate that he is the pride of the Chinese people

D．to show that the Chinese people are as great as other peoples

【小題4】From the last paragraph，we can infer that _________．

A．China’s shooting down its satellite made the scenario become reality

B．some countries are trying to be ahead of the others in space exploration

C．China will be in control of the world if she starts space exploration

D．if a nation has a better technology in space，it will start a star war

University of Maryland student Ben Simon and his friends couldn’t stand to see good food thrown out on their campus.“We basically noticed that some of the extra food from the dining hall was going to waste at the end of the day.And we met with the dining services and asked them whether it would be okay if instead of throwing out the food we would donate it.And they were on board，” he said.
So 18 months ago，the students began what they call the Food Recovery Network.Each night，volunteers would show up at a campus dining hall to pick up leftovers and deliver them to area shelters and food banks.So far，they have donated more than 23 000 kilos of food that would otherwise have been thrown out.
Nationwide，$165 billion worth of food is wasted each year，according to the National Resources Defense Council.Spokesman Bob Keefe says that is about 40% of the country’s entire food production.“If we can reduce our waste in this country by 15%，we can feed 25 million hungry Americans.That is a huge benefit.That is what programs like this Food Recovery Network are doing，” he said.
Christian Life Center is one of the beneficiaries (受益者) of the students’ efforts.Ben Slye，the senior pastor (牧師)，said，“It has been just amazing to see these students take their own time，their own vehicles and own gas money and be able to make an effort like this.Each week we are able with this food probably to feed over hundred people.”
The University of Maryland’s Food Recovery Network now has 200 volunteers and the program has expanded to 18 schools across the country.“I want to grow 18 chapters to a thousand chapters within five years.And once we get to the Food Recovery Nation being at every college campus in America，we want to expand to restaurants and farms.” said Simon.
The volunteers are committed to making that happen.
【小題1】The dining services in University of Maryland________.

A．threw out good food on the campus

B．supported the volunteers’ job

C．enjoyed the talk with the students

D．donated their leftovers to the poor

【小題2】Volunteers from the Food Recovery Network________.

A．started the Food Recovery Network two years ago

B．delivered leftovers as well as money to shelters

C．helped to solve the hunger issues in America

D．donated leftovers to avoid food waste

【小題3】Ben Slye’s attitude toward the volunteers’ effort was that of________.

A．unconcern	B．doubt
C．a(chǎn)ppreciation	D．opposition

【小題4】We can learn from the text that________.

A．over 40% of the country’s entire food is wasted each year

B．a(chǎn)ltogether 25 million Americans suffer from hunger nowadays

C．Simon aims to expand the program to restaurants and farms

D．every college has started the Food Recovery Network

【小題5】What can be the best title for the text?

A．College Students Rescue Leftover Food

B．Battles Against the Problem of Hunger

C．How to Pick up Leftovers on College Campuses

D．Waste Problems in University of Maryland

PERTH—Search crews will send a submarine(潛航器)deep into the Indian Ocean on Monday for the first time to try to determine whether signals detected by sound-locating equipment are from the  missing Malaysian plane's black boxes, the Australian head of the search said.
Angus Houst on said the crew on board the Ocean Shield  will send the underwater vehicle sometime Monday evening. The Bluefin 21 submarine can create a sonar(聲吶)map of the area to chartany wreckage(殘骸)on the seafloor.
The move comes after crews picked up a series of underwater sounds over the past two weeks that were consistent with an aircraft's black boxes.
“We haven’t had a single detection in six days, and l guess it’s time to go under water,” said Houston.
“Analysis of the four signals has reduced the search area on the ocean floor. The experts have therefore determined that the Australian Defense Vessel Ocean Shield will stop searching with the Towed Pinger Locator(拖曳聲波定位儀)later today and use the underwater vehicle Bluefin 21 as soon as possible," he said at a news conference in Perth.
But Houston warned the switch to the submarine will not automatically "result in the detection of the aircraft wreckage. It may not.”
He said the submarine will take 24 hours to do each task, including two hours to dive, 16 hours to search the bottom, then two more hours hack up and four hours to download data.
Recovering the plane's flight data and cockpit(飛行員座艙)voice recorders is necessary For investigators to try to figure out what happened to Flight 370, which disappeared on March 8. 
Houston said the search using the submarine will be a slaw and painstaking process.
The submarine takes six times longer to cover the same area as the pinger locator,and will need about six weeks to two months to examine the present underwater zone. The signals are also coming from 4,500 meters (15,000 feet) below the surface, which is the deepest the submarine can dive.
【小題1】The submarine will be sent deep into the Indian Ocean on Monday to _____ .

A．create a sonar trap of the area

B．pick up underwater sounds

C．see if the signals detected are from the target black boxes

D．reduce the search area on the ocean floor

【小題2】According to the passage, the submarine_______ .

A．will download data of the black boxes

B．can find the aircraft wreckage within 24 hours

C．will recover the plane's flight data and voice recorder

D．can dive to a depth of no more than 4,500 meters

【小題3】The underlined sentences in the passage indicate that______.

A．the switch of the submarine may not function properly

B．the Ocean Shield will switch to submarine when it is necessary

C．the submarine will detect the wreckage of the plane automatically

D．the detection of the wreckage can't be guaranteed by using the submarine

【小題4】The search will be a slow and painstaking process, mainly because _____ .

A．the underwater sounds were consistent with an aircraft's black boxes

B．the submarine travels slowly and the ocean is deep

C．they haven't had a single detection in six days

D．Ocean Shield stops searching wine the towed pinger locator

A father with Parkinson's disease was arrested as he watched the Olympic cycling road race because he failed to smile or look as if he was enjoying himself.
Mark Worsfold, a martial arts trainer and former soldier, claims that he was thrown to the floor and handcuffed just as cyclists passed by. His worried wife Nicola only found out he was being held after she reported him missing when he did not turn up for their daughter's ninth birthday party. The 54­year­old man had his fingerprints, DNA and mugshot taken before being questioned about why he did not appear to be enjoying the event on July 28. Police said Mr. Worsfold, who was held for over five hours, was arrested because of his manner，his state of dress and his being too near to the course. A spokesman added that the arrest was necessary to avoid a breach(破壞) of the peace because he was standing near a group of protesters(抗議者)．
But Mr. Worsfold, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2010, said that one of the symptoms of the disease is muscle rigidity, which can cause his face to become expressionless. “I was sitting minding my own business”， he told a local newspaper. “Before I knew anything the police grabbed me off this seven­foot wall, threw me to the floor and handcuffed me, so all I saw of the cycle race was between the feet of people from the pavement. It could have been done better. I was arrested for not smiling. I have Parkinson's disease.”
Mr. Worsfold has since asked for a letter of not being guilty from police. The officers who made the arrest have apologized to him.
【小題1】Which word can be used to replace the underlined word “mugshot” in the second paragraph?

A．Clothes.

B．Photos.

C．Measures.

D．Tools.

【小題2】Which statement is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Worsfold's wife was immediately informed of his being arrested by the police.

B．Worsfold was arrested because he was extremely dangerous.

C．Worsfold enjoyed the cycle race though he saw it between the feet of people from the pavement.

D．Worsfold was arrested because of his clothes as well as his facial expression.

【小題3】What can we infer from the passage?

A．The officers must have been punished for Worsfold's arrest.

B．Worsfold has an expressionless face and probably looks strong.

C．The officers apologized to Worsfold after one day's arrest.

D．Worsfold was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease four years ago.

STARBUCKS China yesterday renamed a newly­opened outlet near one of Buddhism's most famous temples after a wave of controversy over what critics called a “cultural invasion”．
The coffee shop in Hangzhou had opened as the Lingyin Temple Starbucks, leading some people to believe it was located inside the renowned temple.
However, the company said in a statement yesterday that the coffee shop was actually in the Lingyin scenic area, about 20 minutes' walk from the temple's entrance.It was said the outlet would now be known as the Lingyin Starbucks.
Wang Shan, deputy director of the Lingyin office of the West Lake Administration in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province, said, “Actually, the coffee house is a long distance from the temple.It is located in the tourist service area on Lingyin Road outside of the temple, as part of the supporting facilities.”
The temple's administration urged the cafe to change its name to make it clear that it was not located inside the temple.
In a heated online debate, critics said the U．S.chain's commercial style would spoil the serenity that an oriental Buddhism temple should embrace.
Supporters, however, said that the talk of an “invasion” was misplaced as the outlet was not inside the temple but on a nearby commercial street where a KFC restaurant and a shopping mall had been open for more than six months.
The incident follows calls in 2009 to stop an earlier “cultural invasion” when the Seattle­based coffee chain had to move its outlet out of Beijing's Forbidden City seven years after it opened.
Critics urged closure of the outlet, which they said was a “humiliation” for a culture exemplified by the ancient buildings.
【小題1】Why did the temple's administration urge the cafe to change its name?

A．To attract the tourists.

B．To tell the public the coffee outlet doesn't lie inside the temple.

C．To obey the government.

D．To do something to protect the temple.

【小題2】Why did the Seattle­based coffee chain have to move its outlet out of Beijing's Forbidden City?

A．Because the Seattle­based coffee chain was thought as an earlier “cultural invasion”．

B．Because it changed Chinese culture.

C．Because the Seattle­based coffee chain earned much more money than the temples.

D．Because the Seattle­based coffee chain closed the shops by itself.

【小題3】What's the best title of this passage?

A．Coffee shop's new outlet deletes the word “temple”．

B．Cultural invasion.

C．Starbucks chain invasion.

D．Seattle­based coffee chain's invasion.

Three Central Texas men were honored with the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Director’s Award in a Tuesday morning ceremony for their heroism in saving the victims of a serious two­car accident.
The accident occurred on March 25 when a vehicle lost control while traveling on rain­soaked State Highway 6 near Baylor Camp Road. It ran into an oncoming vehicle, leaving the occupants trapped inside as both vehicles burst into flames.
Bonge was the first on the scene and heard children screaming. He broke through a back window and pulled Mallory Smith, 10, and her sister, Megan Smith,9, from the wreckage.
The girls’ mother, Beckie Smith, was not with them at the time of the wreck, as they were traveling with their baby sitter, Lisa Bowbin.
Beckie Smith still remembers the sickening feeling she had upon receiving the call informing her of the wreck and the despair as she drove to the scene.
Bozeman and Clemmons arrived shortly after Bonge and helped rescue the other victims and attempted to put out the fires.
“I was nervous,” Bozeman said. “I don’t feel like I’m a hero. I was just doing what anyone should do in that situation. I hope someone would do the same for me.”
Everyone at the accident made it out alive, with the victims suffering from nonlife­threatening injuries. Mallory Smith broke both femurs(股骨), and Megan had neck and back injuries. Bowbin is still recovering from a broken pelvis(骨盆), ankle and foot.
The rescuers also were taken to the hospital and treated for cuts and smoke breathing, Bonge said.
In addition, Bozeman got to meet accident victim Anthony Russo in the hospital after the accident, where Russo presented him with a glass frame inscribed with “Thank you”, Bozeman said. Those involved in that fateful encounter on Highway 6 credited God blessing for bringing them together.
“Whatever the circumstances, Tuesday’s ceremony provided a time to be grateful for those who put their lives on the line for the lives of complete strangers,” Beckie Smith said, “We’re calling it The Miracle on Highway 6.”
【小題1】 What’s the main idea of the passage?

A．Three persons were awarded for rescuing victims in a car accident.

B．Three ordinary people were regarded as great heroes.

C．Several victims were carried to safety from the burning cars.

D．A car accident occurred on rain­soaked State Highway 6.

【小題2】 Who saved Megan Smith from the damaged car?

A．Clemmons.	B．Anthony Russo.
C．Bozeman.	D．Bonge.

【小題3】Which of the following can be used to describe Bozeman?

A．Kind.	B．Modest.
C．Excited.	D．Smart.

【小題4】 Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Luckily, no one received too serious injuries in the accident.

B．All the victims received slight injuries in the accident.

C．The rescuers were taken to the hospital to visit the victims.

D．The injured will soon recover from their injuries.

Bus crash kills four Taiwanese, injures 15
(People’s Daily Online)
14:38, August 16, 2011
A tourist bus crashed on the highway in Jilin province leaving four Taiwanese tourists dead at the scene and 15 injured.
According to the Jilin Publicity Department, the bus overturned after colliding with a car on the Hunchun-Ulanhot expressway in Jilin province around 440 kilometers away from Changchun. Four Taiwanese tourists were killed instantly, including one man and three women, and of the 15 injured, 14 were Taiwanese tourists.
The tour leader provided a list of the dead: The three women killed were Lv Huiyu, 42; Zhao Zhuo, 62; Liao Xiuyun, 42, and the man was Wang Mingwei, 24. Moreover, the injured tourists were mostly elderly. The oldest injured tourist is around 80 years old and the youngest victim was about 50 years old. Five of them were hurt seriously, but their injuries are not life threatening.
According to the local public security bureau, the bus had a capacity(載客量) of 39 people and carried a real load of 21 people. It belongs to the Heilongjiang Juntai Transport Co., Ltd.
The departments of public security, fire control, the Taiwan Affairs Office have actively operated scene rescue, accident investigation and follow-up care for victims after the tragedy(悲劇). The Jilin provincial party committee secretary Sun Zhengcai issued instructions immediately requiring proper handling of the aftermath and genuine care in helping the victims. The vice-governor Chen Weigen visited the injured in the First Hospital of Jilin University.
The responsible person of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office is heading for Changchun.
【小題1】 Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．All the people injured on the bus were Taiwanese tourists.

B．The accident happened on the expressway near Changchun.

C．Most of the injured were elderly.

D．Most of the injured were seriously hurt and several of them were dying.

【小題2】 Which of the following has the similar meaning to the underlined word “colliding” in the passage?

A．碰撞；相撞	B．拐彎
C．翻轉(zhuǎn)	D．墜毀

【小題3】What is the writer’s attitude in writing this passage?

A．Sad.	B．Objective.
C．Disappointed	D．Doubtful.

The slavery drama “12 Years a Slave” won the Academy Award for best picture on Sunday, making history as the first movie from a black director to win the film industry’s highest honor in 86 years of the Oscars. British director Steve McQueen’s brave portrayal of pre-Civil War American slavery won two other Oscars, including best supporting actress for newcomer Lupita Nyong’o and best adapted screenplay based on the memoir of Solomon Northup, a free man tricked and sold into slavery in Louisiana. “Everyone deserves not just to survive but to live. This is the most important legacy of Solomon Northup,” said McQueen in his acceptance speech.
“12 Years a Slave” was better over space thriller “Gravity” from Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron, which nevertheless got the most Oscars of the night with seven, including the best director honor for Cuaron, a first for a Latin American director.The film starring Sandra Bullock as an astronaut lost in space swept the technical awards like visual effects and cinematography, a reward for its groundbreaking work on conveying space and weightlessness. Referring to the “transformative” experience he and others undertook in the four-plus years spent making “Gravity”, Cuaron, whose hair is graying, said, “For a lot of these people, that transformation was wisdom. For me, it was just the color of my hair.”
In one of the strongest years for film in recent memory, the 6,000-plus voters of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences scattered golden Oscar statuettes among the many acclaimed movies in contention.
It was a good night for the scrappy, low-budget film “Dallas Buyers Club”, directed by Jean-Marc Vallee, a biopic of an early AIDS activist two decades in the making that won three Oscars, including the two male acting awards.
Matthew McConaughey, in a validation of a remarkable career turnaround, won best actor for his portrayal of the homophobe who turned AIDS victim and then turned treatment crusader Ron Woodroof, a role for which he lost 50 pounds (23 kg). His co-star, Jared Leto, won best supporting actor for his role as Woodroof’s unlikely business partner, the transgender woman Rayon, for which he also slimmed down drastically.
Australia’s Cate Blanchett won the best actress Oscar for her acclaimed role as the socialite unhinged by her husband’s financial crimes in Woody Allen’s “Blue Jasmine.” “As random and subjective as this award is, it means a great deal in a year of, yet again, extraordinary performances by women,” said Blanchett, who beat out previous Oscar winners Bullock, Amy Adams, Judi Dench and Meryl Streep.
【小題1】The film which won the largest number of Oscar awards this year is ______.

A．12 Years a Slave	B．Gravity
C．Dallas Buyers Club	D．Blue Jasmine

【小題2】Which director spent the least money in making the film?

A．Steve McQueen.	B．Alfonso Cuaron.
C．Jean-Marc Vallee.	D．Woody Allen.

【小題3】How many Oscar best actresses are mentioned in this passage?

A．One.

B．Three.

C．Five.

D．Six.

【小題4】Which of the following statements is WRONG?

A．“12 Years a Slave” won two Oscar awards altogether.

B．The director of “Gravity” is from Latin America.

C．The character Rayon is played by Jared Leto.

D．The woman film star Cate Blanchett comes from Oceania.