Check your understanding:

1. With the joke at the beginning of the text, the author intends to tell us that _____.

A. politicians and diplomats have great concerns about high school students' lives

B. YouTube or MySpace are popular among high school students

C. Kevin Rudd is a good politician and diplomat

D. Kevin Rudd is a politician who impresses people with his fluent Chinese and his pages on YouTube and MySpace.

2. Why did Rudd create his own pages on MySpace and YouTube?

A. He wants to win more support from the public.

B. He finds it's an effective way to encourage people to pay attention to climate change.

C. He thinks it's fashionable.

D. He wants to advertise his American-style campaign T-shirts

3. Rudd promised action to improve in all of the following EXCEPT _____.

A. Australians' health

B. a high-speed Internet network in Australia

C. Australia's trade and economic policies

D. the number of Australian soldiers in Iraq

1. D 。由第二段的“ And the newly elected Australia Prime Minster Kevin Rudd is living proof of this. ”可知，文中引用这个笑话主要是为下文介绍澳大利亚新总理 陆克 文服务的，所以选 D 。

2. A 。由第六段的“ Known as a bookish, bespectacled figure, Rudd has worked hard to change his weak image in the eyes of the public, especially among young people. He set up his own pages on MySpace and YouTube... ”可知， 陆克 文在网上写文章主要是为了改变人们对他的印象，获得更多的民众支持，故 A 正确。

3. C 。由第七段的“ Rudd promised “action, and action now” on climate change and education, health and a high-speed Internet network as other top priorities of his government. ” 陆克 文承诺将在气候问题，澳大利亚人们的健康问题以及更高的网速方面采取行动，又由第八段“ Rudd also hopes to withdraw Australian soldiers from Iraq as soon as possible. But aside from Iraq and climate change, Australia's foreign, trade and economic policies are not expected to change much under Rudd. ”可知， 陆克 文希望从伊拉克尽快撤军；而澳大利亚的外交、贸易、经济政策并不会有大动作，可知 C 项符合题意。

1. Architects and designers from NY3D are happy with the students because _____.

A. they suggested good proposals for the project

B. they offered help to their school

C. they showed interest in architecture and designing

D. they bravely faced the challenges in the design project

2. The underlined word "principal" means _____ .

A. a teacher in charge of a project

B. the head of a high school

C. a student helping a teacher in daily duties

D. an architect helping students with the project

3. Which of the following is NOT true according to the text?

A. 18 students from a high school in Manhattan joined in the project.

B. Sometimes NY3D raised money from companies and charities.

C. Yeung was in the group working on the principal's office.

D. A special ceiling was installed to reduce the noise in the office.

4. We can learn from the text that _____.

A. NY3D was established specially for high school students

B. the school didn't want to provide money for the project

C. Rivas and Yeung will become architects after graduation

D. students learned a lot from the project

1. C 。由第一段的“ THE career aspirations of Maxwell Rivas and Gar Yan Yeung …should please a group of New York City architects and designers. ”可知， Maxwell Rivas 与 Gar Yan Yeung 对建筑设计这个职业的渴望与兴趣让那些大名鼎鼎的建筑设计师高兴。

2. B 。由第九段的“ The final plan for the principal's office includes installation of a special ceiling…with the bold color, “to signify the leadership of the school. ”可知 principal 是学校的领导，故选 B 。

3. A 。由第五段“ Rivas, 16, and Yeung, 18, are among 30 particpants in its first project. ”可知 A 项的不对，应该是 30 人；由第三段的“ If money for the redecoration is not available from the school, NY3D will seek donations from companies and charities. ”可知 B 项正确；由第七段的“ Yeung was in a group which worked on the principal's office. ”可知 C 正确；由第九段的“ The final plan for the principal's office includes installation of a special ceiling and changing the flooring to bright red carpeting, to help reduce sound and, ”可知 D 正确。

4. D 。由最后一段的“ Rivas said that working with the professionals ‘helped me see how they think and approach problems'. ”可知 D 正确；由第二段的“ The group, called NY3D, has drawn up a plan that gives high school students a taste of the work that these professionals do and the challenges they face doing it. ”可知 NY3D 是一个原本就存在的组织，并不是特意为中学校园装修而成立的； B 、 C 文中没有提及。

1. Why did Fabregas leave Barcelona ?

A. He thought the Spanish club would limit his development.

B. He felt it was boring to stay at the Spanish club.

C. He wanted to play at Euro 2008.

D. The coach at the Spanish club didn't like him.

2. What can we learn from the text?

A. Fabregas is interested in math and literature.

B. Fabregas is now studying at a university in Spain .

C. Fabregas wants to be perfect at everything.

D. It took a long time before Fabregas played for the first-team at Arsenal.

3. What kind of person is Fabregas according to the text?

A. Ambitious. B. Lack of confidence.

C. Sensitive. D. A good team player.

1. A 。由第五段的“ Fabregas initially came through Barcelona's football academy, but sensing he would have limited opportunities to play at the Spanish club, he left to join Arsenal at the age of 15. ”可知 Fabregas 离开 Barcelona 主要是因为他感觉到在这个西班牙俱乐部，发展机会有限。

2. C 。由第四段以及第五段的“ This perfectionist attitude has helped him to rocket to stardom. ”可以看出 Fabregas 是一个追求完美的人； A 项文中第三段提到“ So he meets with teachers four times a week after training to learn math and science. ”但是没有提及 Fabregas 对文学感兴趣；由第二段的“ Furthermore, he even plans to go to university. ”可知现在 Fabregas 还没有上大学；由第六段“ But a series of injuries to Arsenal's key players meant he was given a debut shortly after his 16th birthday and soon he became a regular first-team player. ”可知 D 项与事实不符。

3. A 。由第二段“ Yet the Spaniard does not want to settle for merely being a good footballer. Fabregas has decided to go back to school. Furthermore, he even plans to go to university. And he will do all this while helping Arsenal challenge for the Premier League title. ”以及文中最后一段“ I would like to establish a regular place in the Spanish team so I can play at Euro 2008 next year. Fortunately in my last game for them everything went well. ”可以看出 Fabregas 是一个不满足于现状、积极进取的人，所以 A 项符合题意。

1. What is the text mainly about?

A. The function of stem cells.

B. The advantages of regrowing lost limbs.

C. How certain animals like newts regenerate limbs.

D. How people in the future may be able to regrow lost limbs.

3. What does “zero in on” mean in the text?

A. develop something from nothing

B. focus one's attention on

C. have doubts about (something)

D. look for (something)

3. What can we learn from the text?

A. The nAG protein prevents nerves in a limb from growing back.

B. If the nerve bundle in an injured leg doesn't grow back, the limb won't grow.

C. The nAG protein can develop into almost any type of cell in the body.

D. The nAG protein plays a key role in the limb regrowth process.

1. C 。本文主要介绍了科学家研究蝾螈为什么可以再生肢体，所以 C 项很好地概括了文章主要内容。

2. B 。由第八段“ In its study, the British team zeroed in on a protein called nAG. When the team prevented nerves in a limb from growing, but added the nAG protein to stem cells in the limb, the limb still regrew. ” 可以看出科学家集中精力研究一种叫 nAG 的蛋白质，发现其与动物再生肢体紧密联系，所以 B 项正确。

3. D 。文中没有提及 nAG 蛋白质会阻止神经细胞再生； 由第八段的“ When the team prevented nerves in a limb from growing, but added the nAG protein to stem cells in the limb, the limb still regrew. ”可知 B 项信息与事实不符；由第五段的“ Stem cells are cells that can develop into nearly any type of cell in the body. ”可知 C 项错误； 由最后一段“ People and other animals have proteins that are similar to nAG. Further research into this field may some day help humans regrow limbs by themselves. ”可推知， nAG 蛋白质在肢体再生中起着关键作用，故 D 符合题意。