Many of us remember being in awe(敬畏) when we saw cloned dinosaurs running wild in the film Jurassic Park. And the idea of using technology to revive(恢复) extinct species has long fascinated not only writers and directors, but scientists as well.

    According to The Telegraph, woolly mammoths(长毛猛犸象), which featured in the popular Ice Age animated movie series, “may walk the earth once more” now that scientists have taken another step toward realizing a long-held dream—recreating their DNA.

    Mammoths became extinct around 10,000 years ago. However, since the discovery of near-perfect preserved remains in Arctic permafrost(北极冻土带) in May 2013, a variety of research studies have been carried out since.

    Geneticists from Harvard University analyzed DNA from the remains, looking for genes which separated mammoths from elephants, such as hairiness and ear size. They then used the results to reproduce exact copies of 14 mammoth genes. “It is the first time that mammoth genes have been alive—although so far it has only been done in the lab,” George Church, lead researcher of the project, told the Sunday Times.

    Church then used a new technique which allows scientists to edit DNA carefully, replacing sections of elephant DNA with the mammoth genes. So “we now have functioning elephant cells with mammoth DNA in them,” he said.

    However, Church ruled out the possibility of bringing the mammoths back to life via cloning from frozen remains. He said he “preferred to focus on rebuilding the full mammoth genome(基因组) by analyzing DNA from preserved remains and putting it into the cells of its closest living relative – the Asian elephant,” reported The Telegraph.

    Church argued that the return of the woolly mammoth—or rather, the return of something very similar—could help bring back fragile(脆弱的) ecosystems. However, some scientists believe that bringing back the mammoth would be unethical.

    Professor Alex Greenwood, an expert on ancient DNA, said: “We may face the extinction of African and Asian elephants. Why bring back another elephant from extinction when we cannot even keep the ones that are not extinct around?” he told the Sunday Times. “What is the message? We can be as irresponsible with the environment as we want. Then we'll just clone things back?”

    “Money would be better spent focusing on conserving what we do have than spending it on an animal that has been extinct for thousands of years,” he said.

根据短文理解，选择正确答案。

    Love it or hate it, there is no escape from Internet slang(俚语).

    This is especially true among young people in some English-speaking countries such as Australia, the UK and the US. These days, if they haven't caught up with the latest popular Internet slang, chances are that they often feel behind the times.

    Take these posts by The Washington Post for example: “David Bowie dying is totes tradge” and “When Cookie hugged Jamal, it made me totes emosh. ”

    What on earth do these mean? Well, “totes” is a short form of the adverb “totally”. Likewise, “tradge” means “tragic” and “emosh” means “emotional”.

    It seems that, for millennials (those born between the early 1980s and late 1990s), typing in this abbreviated form is not only time-saving but also in.

    Many millennial slang words are formed by what linguists(语言学家) call the practice of  “totesing” —the systematic abbreviation of words, according to a recent article in The Washington Post.

    Some people think that millennial slang affects the English language negatively. However, Melbourne University linguist Rosey Billington doesn't agree.

     “When you are able to use language in a creative way, you show you are linguistically knowledgeable because you know the language rules well enough to use words in a different way.” Billington told News.com.au.

    Her view is supported by two linguists, Lauren Spradlin and Taylor Jones, from the City University of New York and the University of Pennsylvania respectively. The two believe that totes-speak is a highly-organized system that can only be used by speakers who have mastered English pronunciation.

    The ability to break apart syllables(音节) and mix different sounds together is key. “Totesing is about sounds, and it follows the sometimes-complex sound system of English,” Jones told The Washington Post. “Totesing is considered random by some people, but it's not true. Instead, it has strict rules to follow. You need to be very fluent in the English language to be able to understand totes-speak. ”

    I left university with a good degree in English Literature, but no sense of what I wanted to do. Over the next six years, I was treading water, just trying to earn an income. I tried journalism, but I didn't think I was any good, then finance, which I hated. Finally, I got a job as a rights assistant at a famous publisher. I loved working with books, although the job that I did was dull.

    I had enough savings to take a year off work, and I decided to try to satisfy a deep-down wish to write a novel. Attending a Novel Writing MA course gave me the structure I needed to write my first 55,000 words.

    It takes confidence to make a new start — there's a dark period in-between where you're neither one thing nor the other. You're out for dinner and people ask what you do, and you're too ashamed to say, “Well, I'm writing a novel, but I'm not quite sure if I'm going to get there.” My confidence dived. Believing my novel could not be published ,

    I put it aside.

    Then I met an agent（代理商）who said I should send my novel out to agents. So, I did and, to my surprise, got some wonderful feedback. I felt a little hope that I might actually become a published writer and, after signing with an agent, I finished the second half of the novel.

    The next problem was finding a publisher. After two-and-a-half years of no income, just waiting and wondering, a publisher offered me a book deal — that publisher turned out to be the one I once worked for.

    It feels like an unbelievable stroke of luck — of fate, really. When you set out to do something different, there's no end in sight, so to find myself in a position where I now have my own name on a contract of the publisher — to be a published writer — is unbelievably rewarding.

    It was Mother's Day morning last year and I was doing my shopping at our local supermarket with my five-year-old son, Teayson. As we were leaving, we found that only minutes earlier an elderly woman had fallen over at the entrance and had hit her bead on the concrete. Her husband was with her, but there was blood everywhere and the woman was embarrassed and clearly in shock.

    Walking towards the scene, Tenyson became very upset about what had happened to the couple. Ile said to me. “Mums it's not much fun falling over in front of everyone.”

    At the front of the supermarket a charity group had set up a stand selling cooked sausages and flowers to raise funds. Tenyson suggested that we should boy the lady a flower. “It will make her feel better,” he said. I was amazed that he'd come up such a sweet idea. So we went over to the flower seller and asked her if we could buy a flower for the lady to cheer her up. “Just take it,” she replied. “I can't take your money for such a wonderful gesture.”

    By now paramedics(救援人员) had arrived, and were attending the injured woman. As we walked up to her, my son became intimidated by all the blood and medical equipment. He said he was just too scared to go up to her.

    Instead I gave the flower to the woman's husband and told him. “My son was very upset for your wife and wanted to give her this flower to make her feel better.”

    At that, the old man started crying and said, “Thank you so much, you have a wonderful son, Happy Mother's Day to you.”

The man then bent down and gave his wife the flower, telling her who it was from. Though badly hurt and shaken, the old lady looked up at Tenyson with love in her eyes and gave him a little smile.

    Traveling abroad is a great way for young adults to explore,learn about global citizenship,service learning and gain a better insight into the world and different cultures.Ready for the adventure of a lifetime?Visit our website for further details.

Global Vision International

    Experience everything a Latin American adventure should be,and more,when you join us in Costa Rica with a team of international under 18 volunteers.Assist with construction projects that will benefit poor children's development and education.Discover the area's amazing beaches,explore beautiful tropical jungles and immerse（沉浸）yourself in the friendly local culture.

    Cost: 2 weeks from $2,990

    Tel: 1-888-653-6028

    Email: info@gviworld.com

    Website: www.volunteerandadventureexperienceincostarica.com
Broadreach Summer Adventures

    Since 1993,Broadreach has taken over 12,000 students on their worldwide summer adventure volunteer programs for middle school and high school students.Their 75+ program offerings include sailing,medicine,culture, arts,community service and leadership adventures.Programs are located in 40+ countries including the Caribbean, Central and south America,Canada,Australia,China,India,South Africa,France,Thailand,the Solomon Islands and Fiji.

    Cost: Starting at $3,880

    Tel: 919-256-8200

    Email: info@gobroadreach.com

    Website: www.gobroadreach.com

    Cross-Cultural Solutions

    CCS teen summer service trips are for high school students ages 15-17.The High School Volunteer Abroad program offers you an awesome opportunity to volunteer side by side with local people and new friends on a teens—only group volunteering project in our Costa Rica,India,Peru,Ghana, and Guatemala High School Volunteer Abroad Home—Bases.You'll participate in tons of cultural activities and guided tours during the week and on weekends.

    Cost: Contact us for pricing and availability

    Tel: US toll flee: 1-800-380-4777

    Email: info@crossculturalsolutions.org

    Website: www.crossculturalsolutions.org

United Planet

    United Planet offers tailored volunteer abroad programs in five destinations for those under 18.Volunteers may work in orphanages,after-school centers,building homes or at environmental conservation projects.Destinations for 1-12 week Teen Quests include Romania,Peru,Ecuador and Chile.Candidates 16 years and older can apply,or travel with their family.

    Cost: Varies with duration of your stay

    Tel: 617-267-7763

    Email: quest@unitedptanet.org

    Website: www.unitedplanet.org

    A recent study surveyed 5,000 British families about their experiences with volunteering and their mental health. Participants completed the same survey every two years from 1996 to 2008.

    About 20 percent of the survey participants reported doing regular unpaid work Researchers found that these volunteers also scored highest on their mental health scores. The two were linked so directly that the more a person volunteered, the happier they were.

    One could argue a chicken-and-egg theory: happier people are more likely to have the time, money, energy and resources to give back to others. But even when researchers adjusted for education, social class and total health, the link was there, suggesting that the mental increase came from volunteering and not the other way around.

    According to Dr. Stephen G. Post, author of The Hidden Gifts of Helping, when you help others, your brain releases feel-good chemicals, which can help cells repair themselves and grow. And this translates to better health.

    So volunteering can help improve both your physical and mental health—on one condition. You have to mean it. People who volunteered for "self-oriental" reasons, either because they were forced to do so for work or school or because they were trying to get away from problems in their lives, had a mortality（死亡率）risk that was similar to those who didn't volunteer at all. It was only when people were volunteering out of a true sense of sympathy that they saw any health benefits.

    So whether it's arranging books at the library or walking dogs at the animal shelter, find a cause that's important to you and give it a try. Volunteering is a good way to develop a sense of connection that not only helps your community, but may also be good for you.