It isn’t easy being a princess. A princess addresses large crowds and uses perfect manners. A princess must always be polite and sweet and sometimes repairs car engines and fixes tires. Princess Elizabeth Ⅱ really did so.

Before she was Queen of England, Princess Elizabeth wanted to join the ATS, a female branch of the British military. It was in World War Ⅱ , and women worked at jobs traditionally held by men.

Elizabeth was a teenager and first had to convince (使信服) her parents about her plan. Her parents thought it was too dangerous, but she would not take no for an answer. “ I ought to do as other girls of my age do,” she said firmly. After some months, her parents finally agreed. Princess Elizabeth did not receive any special treatment in the ATS. The only thing different was that she returned to Windsor Castle each night to sleep.

When she arrived at the ATS camp for her first day of training, she was greeted by a jacked-up car with its wheels off. In the following weeks, she learned to take apart an engine and then assemble (组装) it. The princess loved the training, admitting, “I’m a mechanic at last. I’ve scraped the skin off my knuckles.”

Princess Elizabeth worked on cars, trucks, and even tank engines. She also learned to read maps and drive cars, ambulances, and military trucks. To complete her ATS training, she was required to drive a big truck on her own.

The King and Queen thought driving a truck was too dangerous, but before they could let her know how they felt, they discovered Elizabeth driving a truck onto the palace grounds. She had driven from the ATS camp through the busy London streets all by herself.

Now at her old age, she still drives — sometimes in London but more often around her large property at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Being a queen requires a lot of hard work, but it can be fun as well. Queen Elizabeth loves horses and still rides four times each week. She also still likes to get a little dirty. She actively manages her estate farm at Balmoral and is often seen hiking through the countryside there.

【小题1】Why was Elizabeth such a special princess?

A．Because she did many jobs always done by men.

B．Because she joined the army.

C．Because she was sent abroad to fight with the enemy.

D．Because she liked to repair some broken cars and trucks.

【小题2】At the ATS camp, Elizabeth __________.

A．spent one of the happiest moments in her life

B．received strict training in various aspects

C．failed to complete her training

D．was trained for a long time as an excellent princess

【小题3】What do we know about Elizabeth from the last paragraph?

A．She does a lot of hard work on her own farm.

B．She finds it difficult to become a qualified queen.

C．She has some difficulty in managing her spare time.

D．She leads a meaningful life even if she is at an old age.

【小题4】Which of the following words can best describe Elizabeth?

A．Energetic, homesick and capable.

B．Confident, lovely and selfish.

C．Brave, capable and independent.

D．Strong, proud and adventurous.

   Canada’s Alice Munro, called the “master of the contemporary short story”, won the 2013 Nobel Prize in Literature. After that, the Nobel committee（委员会）said on Twitter that it hadn’t been able to contact Munro and left a phone message to tell her the good news. But The Canadian Press contacted her, and she was quoted as saying the award was "quite wonderful"and she was "terribly surprised".

Douglas Gibson, Munro's publisher read a statement on the author's behalf. "I am amazed and very grateful. I am particularly glad that winning this award will please so many Canadians. I'm happy that this will bring more attention to Canadian writing," she said, according to Gibson.

"Munro is acclaimed for her finely tuned storytelling，which is characterized by clarity and psychological realism（现实主义），"the Nobel committee said.

The author has won many honors over the years，including the 2009 Man Booker International Prize. "Alice Munro is mostly known as a short story writer and yet she brings as much depth，wisdom and precision to every story as most novelists bring to a lifetime of novels，"the Man Booker judging committee said at the time.

Munro，who lives in Huron County in southwestern Ontario，was born near there in Wingham. She started writing stories in her teen years and studied journalism and English at the University of Western Ontario. She started publishing in various magazines in the 1950s. In 1968，she published Dance of the Happy Shades，a collection of short stories. In 1971 she published a collection of stories entitled Lives of Girls and Women，which critics have described as a coming-of-age work.

Munro gained world fame for writing about everyday people. "Here is a world prize being won by someone who writes about housewives in Vancouver, booksellers in Victoria, bean farmers in Huron County and accountants and teachers and librarians — ordinary Canadian people, and she turns them into magic," Gibson said.

【小题1】How did Alice Munro feel about her winning the Nobel Prize?
A．Satisfied and proud.
B．Puzzled but grateful.
C．Surprised but happy.
D．Concerned but lucky.【小题2】The underlined word "acclaimed" in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to"_________".
A．understood     B. admired
B．advertised D. criticized【小题3】Which of the following shows the correct order of what happened in Munro's life？
a. She published Lives of Girls and Women.
b. She won the Man Booker International Prize.
c. She studied at the University of Western Ontario.
d. She won the Nobel Prize in Literature.
e. She published Dance of the Happy Shades.
A．c-a-b-d-e B. c-e-a-b-d
B．a-c-b-e-d D. a-b-c-d-e【小题4】What do we know about Munro's writing？
A．It concerns the life of poor people.
B．It contains depth and wisdom.
C．It usually tells magic stories.
D．It tends to avoid realistic problems.

   More than four decades ago，British scientist Robert Edwards first witnessed the miracle of human life growing inside a test tube at his Cambridge lab. Since that groundbreaking moment，more than four million babies have been born through IVF（in vitro fertilization）（体外受精）and in 2010 his great contribution to science was finally recognized as he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

The prize for Dr. Edwards，who was given a Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Award in 2008，includes a ₤ 900，000check. The Nobel Assembly described IVF as“a milestone in modern medicine”.

With the help of fellow scientist Patrick Steptoe，the Batley-born physiologist developed IVF — leading to the birth of the world's first test-tube baby. Dr. Steptoe died 10 years later but their work has given hope to millions of couples.

It was a scientific breakthrough that transformed-the lives of millions of couples. They said，“His achievements have made it possible to treat infertility，a disease which makes humans unable to have a baby. This condition has been afflicting a large percentage of mankind including more than 10%of all couples worldwide.”

Louise Brown，the world's first test-tube baby，made international headlines when she was born in Oldham，Greater Manchester，in 1978 to parents Lesley and John who had been fruitlessly trying for a baby since 1969.

IVF is the process where egg cells are fertilized outside the body before being implanted in the womb（子宫）. After a cycle of IVF，the probability of a couple with infertility problems having a baby is one in five — the same as healthy couples who conceive（怀孕）naturally.

Professor Edwards，who has five daughters and 11 grandchildren，began his research at the University of Cambridge in 1963，after receiving his PhD in 1955. He once said,“The most important thing in life is having a child.  Nothing is more special than a child.”With the help of Patrick Steptoe, Prof. Edwards founded the Bourn Hall Clinic in Cambridgeshire, which now treats more than 900 women a year. Each year, more than 30,000 women in Britain receive IVF and 11,000 babies are born as a result of the treatment.

But his work attracted widespread criticism from some scientists who said it was“unethical and immoral”.

Martin Johnson, professor of Reproductive Sciences at the University of Cambridge, said the award was “long overdue”. He said,“We couldn't understand why the Nobel Prize has come so late but he is delighted — this is the cherry on the cake for him.”

Professor Edwards was too ill to give interviews but a statement released by his family said he was“thrilled and delighted”.

【小题1】What is Robert Edwards' great contribution to science?

A．Enabling millions of couples to live a better life.

B．Seeing the wonder of the first test-tube baby.

C．Helping couples with infertility to have test-tube babies.

D．Challenging a disease which stops humans having babies.

【小题2】The underlined word"afflicting"(Paragraph 4) can be replaced by ____________.

A．troubling	B．developing
C．improving	D．confusing

【小题3】Why did Professor Edwards begin his research on the test-tube baby?

A．Because he thought it of great importance to have a child in life.

B．Because the birthrate around the world was unexpectedly low then.

C．Because a special child did make a difference to an ordinary family.

D．Because his fellow scientist wanted to give hope to the unlucky couples.

【小题4】It can be inferred from Paragraph 8 and Paragraph 9 that ____________.

A．Professor Edwards deserved the prize for his breakthrough

B．different opinions were voiced on Professor Edwards' contribution

C．some people envied Professor Edwards for his being awarded

D．the prize was late because the contribution was first considered immoral

Most people know that Marie Curie was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize, and the first person to win it twice. However, few people know that she was also the mother of a Nobel Prize winner.
Born in September, 1897, Irene Curie was the first of the Curies’ two daughters. Along with nine other children whose parents were also famous scholars, Irene studied in their own school, and her mother was one of the teachers. She finished her high school education at the College of Sevigne in Paris.
At the age of 17 Irene entered the University of Paris to prepare for a degree in mathematics and physics. When World War I began, Irene went to help her mother, who was using X-ray facilities(设备) to help save the lives of wounded soldiers. Irene continued the work by developing X-ray facilities in military hospitals in France and Belgium. Her services were recognized in the form of a Military’s Medal by the French government.
In 1918, Irene became her mother’s assistant at the Curie Institute. In December 1924, Frederic Joliot joined the Institute, and Irene taught him the techniques required for his work. They soon fell in love and were married in 1926. Their daughter Helene was born in 1927 and their son Pierre five years later.
Like her mother, Irene combined family and career. Like her mother, Irene was awarded a Nobel Prize, along with her husband, in 1935. Unfortunately, also like her mother, she developed leukemia because of her work with radioactivity(辐射能). Irene Joliot-Curie died from leukemia on March 17, 1956.
【小题1】When did Irene Curie go to the University of Paris?

A．In 1897	B．In 1914
C．In 1918	D．In 1924

【小题2】Who was not a winner of Nobel Prize?

A．Marie Curie	B．Irene Curie
C．Frederic Joliet	D．Helene Joliot

【小题3】Which of the following about Irene Curie is not true?

A．She was the elder child of Marie Curie’s

B．She got a Military’s Medal because of her services to save the wounded

C．She met her husband at the Curie institute in 1924

D．She developed leukemia but was cured

【小题4】Which part in the newspaper may the passage come from?

A．People	B．Society
C．Culture	D．History

   If anyone knows what makes a great children's book，it must be Sussex author and illustrator（插图画家）Jane Hissey. Her "Old Bear" books have achieved classic status in a variety of formats.

I met Jane at her home in the East Sussex countryside and asked her what she thought the secret of a classic children's book was. "That's a difficult one, I suppose it has got to be related to children's stage of development-for young children, pictures on a page that are familiar; for older children, an experience. The book should be familiar, but hold some surprises too to keep the interest. It must inspire and delight them, but there are the things that happen every day."

After the birth of her first child, she gave up teaching and worked on her own artwork, drawing pictures of teddy bears. An editor from a publishing company saw her work and invited Jane to do a children's book. Over the years, from the first "Old Bear" book in 1986, her children have made a huge contribution-especially in terms of plots. She said, "I used to give my children the toys to play with-and they had tea parties and so on. One of my bear characters,' Little Bear', is the same age as Ralph, my youngest, who's seven now. All the children have joined in my work and, in years to come, they will realize how much."

"I hope I'll know when people are getting tired of the characters. If ever they did, I think I'd go on drawing them for fun," Jane continued. "My own children have been very useful to me in my work, but as they are older now, I' ll just have to hope that other people's children can inspire me."

【小题1】What is Jane's opinion about a successful children's book?

A．It contains something unexpected.

B．It offers an escape from everyday life.

C．It's more attractive as children get older.

D．It's set in a place known to its readers.

【小题2】Why did Jane take up writing books?

A．She got to know an editor.

B．She hoped to make classic children's books.

C．Her artwork attracted a professional.

D．She wrote stories for her own children.

【小题3】How did Jane's children assist her in her work?

A．By helping her concentrate on her work.

B．By telling her their own stories.

C．By suggesting characters for her stories.

D．By giving her ideas for her stories.

【小题4】What is Jane's attitude towards her future work？

A．Encouraged.	B．Uncertain.
C．Tired.	D．Disappointed.