Rescarchers in the US treated healthy mice with a form of gene therapy that refreshed older cells, making the animals more youthful according to biological markers that are used to measure the effects of ageing. Repeating the trick in humans is far from straightforward, but the findings will fuel interest in new therapiesthat aim to slow or reverse theageing process as a means of tackling age-related diseases such as cancers and Alzheimer’s.
The scientists drew on previous work by the Japanese Nobel winner Prof Shinya Yamanaka, who showed that a mixture of four molecules(原子)—known as Yamanaka factors—can turn adult cells into youthful stem cells that are capable of forming almost any tissue (组织) in the body.
Writing in the journal Nature Aging,the US team led by Jasper and Prof Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte at the Salk Institute in California and the San Diego Altos Institute, found that mice who received Yamanaka factors for several months were similar to younger animals in many ways, with their skin in particular showing signs of rejuvenation(恢复青春).
The experiments showed that rejuvenation was more effective when the therapy was given for a long time—7 to 10 months—starting when the animals were 12 to 15 months old, equal to age 35 to 50 in humans. Whén older animals, equal to 80 years old in human terms, were treated for one month, the scientists saw little impact.
Rather than using Yamanaka factors to rejuvenate aged humans, many scientists suspect that new drugs will be needed to partially reprogram cells safely and effectively. “In theory, biological age reversal or reduction could be possible. However, we are at very early stages where we need to understand the basic science behind it much better,” said Dr.Tamir Chandra, an expert in the biology of ageing at the University of Edinburgh.
1．Which of the following best describes the findings of the research?| A．Suspicious. |
| B．Tricky. |
| C．Amusing. |
| D．Inspiring. |
| A．They are made up of three molecules. |
| B．They can probably rejuvenate mice’s skin. |
| C．They were first found by a Japanese scientist. |
| D．They can become a part of mice’s body tissue. |
| A．The therapy given for a long time works better. |
| B．Humans may have better outcomes than animals. |
| C．The rejuvenation is more effective for people aged 12 to 15. |
| D．Older animals can live longer with the help of the treatment. |
| A．The researches are far from complete. |
| B．The process of growing old cannot be stopped. |
| C．The basic rule behind rejuvenation is fully understood. |
| D．The new drug has been put into use safely and effectively. |
In China, the use and cultivation (种植) of green tea goes back thousands of years. While there is no precise way to know
Legend assigns the discovery of tea to mythological emperor Shennong, who is said
In the heart of a forest, a nature photographer named Daniel discovered his heaven. This forest was a special place where the trees reached up high, their leaves forming a natural screen that lets speckles of sunlight filter through, creating a magic al play of light and shadow.
Daniel was famous for his wonderful wildlife photos, and he loved to spend time with the animals that called this forest home. He was fascinated by their daily lives and habits, pressing the shutter button and capturing those special moments in his photos.
He would often sit quietly, observing the animals in their natural setting.
The squirrels were some of his favorites. They’d dart around, scampering from tree to tree, busily gathering acorns (橡子) for the winter ahead. Sometimes, they’d take breaks to play games. In their spirited games of chase, they’d chase each other through the branches, their fluffy tails bouncing with excitement.
The deer, elegant and graceful, would graze in the lawn, their gentle eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs of danger. Sometimes, they would leap and bound, displaying their beauty in every jump. Birds of all colors and sizes would fill the forest with music, their songs echoing through the trees. Daniel loved to capture them mid-flight, their wings outstretched, as they soared above the treetops. Sometimes, he’d watch the raccoons (浣熊) as they washed their food by the stream, their nimble paws dipping into the water.
One crisp autumn day, he came across a young squirrel in great pain. He noticed the squirrel’s delicate pa w caught in a tangle of thorns (荆棘). The squirrel’s eyes, which were usually bright and full of curiosity, now held a different story, glistened with a mixture of pain and fear.
Daniel’s heart sank when he saw the scene.
Months later, Daniel once again went back to the forest.
How to Remember the Future
One of the trickiest recall tasks is called prospective memory: remembering what you want or need to do, in time to do it.
Diaries and alarms help, but your imagination plays a vital role in holding onto brief thoughts and keeping you in control of your future plans. For example, don’t just have an idea about going to the bank.
But that’s only the beginning. This process allows you to do much more than just reminding yourself to do things.
Here are some tips:
●Experiment to see if you prefer viewing this “mental movie” through your own eyes, or by watching yourself from someone else’s point of view.
●
●Use your full range of senses.
| A．Control the time frame. |
| B．Minimize all the feelings. |
| C．You can use it to do them better so try it now. |
| D．Engaging them all will create a rich, multi-dimensional memory. |
| E．Paint a mental picture of yourself there and actively make it memorable. |
| F．Pick an important event around the corner: a driving test or a public speech. |
| G．The reason it often fails is that we have an idea in mind but don’t make it into a memory. |
The artificial intelligence algorithms (算法) behind the program of an AI chat app, which has drawn attention for its ability to generate humanlike written responses to some of the most creative queries, might one day be able to help doctors detect Alzheimer’s disease in its early stages. Research from Drexel University’s School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems recently proved that the program of the AI chat app can identify clues from spontaneous (自发的) speech that are 80% accurate in predicting the early stages of dementia (痴呆) .
The current practice for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease typically involves a medical history review and lengthy set of physical and neurological evaluations and tests. While there is still no cure for the disease, spotting it early can give patients more options for ways of treatment and support. Because the language disability is a symptom (症状) in 60%-80% of dementia patients, researchers have been focusing on programs that can pick up on unobvious clues, such as hesitation, making grammar and pronunciation mistakes and forgetting the meaning of words, as a quick test that could indicate whether or not a patient should have a full examination.
“The AI systemic approach to language analysis and production makes it a promising possibility for identifying the unobvious speech characteristics that may predict the beginning of dementia,” said Felix Agbavor, a doctoral researcher in the school and the lead author of the paper. “Training the app with a lot of data of interviews, some of which are with Alzheimer’s patients, would offer the information it needs to select speech patterns that could then be applied to identify markers in future patients.”
To build on these promising results, the researchers are planning to develop a web application that could be used at home or in a doctor’s office as a pre-screening tool.
“Our proof-of-concept shows that this could be a simple, accessible and fully sensitive tool for community-based testing,” Felix said. “This could be very useful for early screening and risk assessment before a clinical diagnosis.”
1．What does the underlined word “queries” in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Solutions. | B．Details. | C．Comments. | D．Questions. |
| A．The hearing loss. | B．The speech barrier. |
| C．The increase of age. | D．The difficulty in moving. |
| A．Promising. | B．Confusing. | C．Challenging. | D．Complex |
| A．The AI algorithms behind an app has drawn attention |
| B．Speech patterns could be applied to identify Alzheimer’s |
| C．An AI chat app may help detect early signs of Alzheimer’s |
| D．A medical history review is involved in diagnosing dementia |
High-school sports were about the biggest thing that happened in the town of Verden. And sports were important in Lauren Wray’s family. Both of Lauren’s brothers were high-school athletes. Like others, she longed to be on the basketball team too. But the special point was, she had Down syndrome (唐氏综合症).
Mr. Wray and his wife never told Lauren that she was different. They treated her like their other children. They didn’t want her to feel disabled or different.
One day, for the extreme love of playing basketball, Lauren ran to her father and announced with great excitement. “I’m gonna play basketball. Daddy. I am joining the girls’ high-school basketball team.” Hearing that, Mrs. Wray and Mr. Wray were too surprised to believe what their daughter said. Lauren’s reflexes (反应能力) were slow. They knew how hard and unbelievable it would be for her to play basketball, let alone to be on the basketball team. But they decided to stand by her.
The next afternoon. Mr. Wray parked in front of the school gym. Inside, Coach Forsythe saw Mr. Wray, and he said, “I am glad Lauren came out for the team.” Lauren stood alone at the other end of the basketball court, shooting free throws. Other girls played together on the other side. After every shot, Lauren excitedly shouted, “Woo hoo !” At first, Lauren was in high spirits and so energetic. But things didn’t go smoothly. Her disability made her so clumsy (笨拙的) in the field. Having not made the basket for a long time, she was so discouraged. She gained nothing from the first training.
Paragraph 1: Later that night, Mr. Wray found Lauren lay on the couch, downhearted.
Paragraph 2: Mid November, the season’s first basketball game arrived.
After I gave birth, it seemed my brain had been dragged out of me along with my newborn son. Everything became
I told myself I’d feel intelligent again. I thought about my
My competitive spirit began to
| A．sunny | B．foggy | C．smooth | D．possible |
| A．physical | B．psychological | C．social | D．mental |
| A．sleep | B．cry | C．wake up | D．stay up |
| A．tension | B．security | C．confusion | D．depression |
| A．pre-school | B．pre-marriage | C．pre-baby | D．pre-teen |
| A．answers | B．questions | C．stars | D．eyes |
| A．website | B．comment | C．motivation | D．title |
| A．price | B．color | C．size | D．subject |
| A．dishes | B．reads | C．flowers | D．fruits |
| A．take care | B．take place | C．take advantage | D．take effect |
| A．saw | B．drove | C．caught | D．rode |
| A．awoke | B．froze | C．damaged | D．suffered |
| A．simple | B．common | C．different | D．similar |
| A．power | B．time | C．brain | D．son |
| A．talent | B．pleasure | C．process | D．skill |
My granddad often helped me make a tool to catch fish when I was young and we would spend hours along a river. It was lovely for both of us then. Many more of today’s grandparents have a growing sense of adventure. And a trend is catching on: skip-gen travel — grandparents taking fun-filled vacations with grand kids without their parents along.
A survey found that 83% of grandparents put travel with their grand kids as the number one thing when they retire. Skip-gen travel gets popular for good reason. Kids have their lives enriched and learn outside classrooms. This is also a time of talking and sharing ideas.
“How grandparents talk to children is different from how parents talk to them. Actually, I feel on a more equal footing with my grandchildren than I do with my own children,” Annie Collins, a travel architect and also part of the trend, says. “Kids away from their parents are more open to ideas and willing to express themselves. It’s not just kids gaining from traveling. Who gets the most out of this? You might think it’s them but it’s us.” According to a study by the Cleveland Clinic, grandparents who help watch and spend time with grand kids may actually live longer than their peers（同龄人）.
It’s also important to recognize that grandparents often have more time to travel. Unlike their children, who may still be in the pursuit of a personal career that offers limited time off, grandparents are often retired and likely have a different viewpoint on life, prioritizing experiences and family. So knowing the kids are in great hands, moms and dads will have a bit of time to themselves — some much-needed leisure time alone to rest and recharge their batteries.
However, skip-gen travel is not for every grandparent. After all, grandparents are worn out with years and not so energetic. They surely treasure the chance to form close ties with their grandchildren, but it’s wiser to say no when only the youth could enjoy themselves, for the travel should be a win for everyone involved.
1．Why does the author mention fishing experiences with his granddad?| A．To lead in the trend of skip-gen travel. | B．To share the pleasure in going fishing. |
| C．To stress the importance of family ties. | D．To show the growing interest in adventure. |
| A．Many parents are too strict with children. |
| B．Grandparents benefit more from skip-gen travel. |
| C．Spending time with grandparents is better for kids. |
| D．Children become mature when away from parents. |
| A．They enjoy the moment to relax. | B．They feel less anxious and stressed. |
| C．They miss their kids very much. | D．They look forward to their own trip. |
| A．Get kids involved in travel planning. | B．Strengthen the bond with grandchildren. |
| C．Reduce skip-gen travel appropriately. | D．Make decisions in both sides’ interests. |
Cooking is one of the most pleasant and important human activities. However, preparing meals is more of a trouble now than a way to celebrate being alive.
Start with a plan, which you can find online. Choose whichever day of the week works best for your schedule to buy groceries, and use that as your starting point each week. Remember, it doesn't have to be Sunday or Monday.
Make the most of money. Buy ingredients(原料) that can be used in many meals.
Cook with others. Who said you had to make all the preparations yourself? Get a group of friends to each make a different dish. You’ll try something new and get meal inspirations. The goal here is to make life easier.
| A．Use fresh ingredients first. |
| B．Try to avoid wasting food. |
| C．The traffic is too heavy on the two days. |
| D．Buy items you often use in great amounts. |
| E．This will keep your taste satisfied and your wallet happy. |
| F．And that can give you the freedom of mind to enjoy your food. |
| G．Thankfully, there are lots of small ways you can make cooking easier. |
In 2001, when Kunqu Opera
As one of China’s oldest traditional opera forms, Kunqu Opera was born in the region of Kunshan in today's Suzhou, Jiangsu province. Combining songs
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