Thousands of years ago man used handy rocks for his surgical operations. Later he used sharp bones or horns, metal knives and more recently, rubber and plastic. In the 1960s a new tool was developed, one which was, first of all, to be of great practical use to the armed forces and industry, but which was also to revolutionize the art and science of surgery. The tool is the laser and it is being used by more and more surgeons all over the world. As we all know, light is hot, and any source of light will give warmth. But light is usually spread out over a wide area. The light in a laser beam, however, is concentrated. This means that a light with no more power than that produced by an ordinary electric light bulb becomes intensely strong as it is concentrated to a pinpoint-sized beam. Experiments with these pinpoint beams showed researchers that different energy sources produce beams that have a particular effect on certain living cells. It is now possible for eye surgeons to operate on the back of human eye without harming the front of the eye, simply by passing a laser beam right through the eye-ball. Operations which once left patients exhausted and in need of long period of recovery time now leave them feeling relaxed and comfortable. The rapid development of laser techniques in the past ten years has made it clear that the future is likely to be very exciting. Perhaps some cancers will be treated with laser in a way that makes surgery not only safer but also more effective.

What are the speakers talking about?

What does the author do at the airport?

What happened to the author's company five years ago?

阅读下面的对话，根据其内容写一篇有关巧克力制作的说明文。要求：1．所写短文应与对话相关内容意义相符，涵盖其要点。2．用你自己的语言来表达，可以改写对话中的句子，但不可以照抄原句。注意：词数80词左右。Suzie: It's so good to have some chocolate after such a long day. I wonder how they could be made so delicious. Charles: They are made from Cocoa beans, grown on a small tropical plant called the Cocoa, tree. Suzie: So it can only be grown in the tropical countries? Charles: Yes, in Central and South America, and other tropical areas. As a matter of fact, 70% of the world's Cocoa trees are grown in South Africa. Cocoas beans are the seeds of the tree. Unlike the fruit, it's actually quite bitter.Suzie: Really? Then how does it become the sweet chocolate then?Charles: The Cocoa beans are roasted so that it dries and the flavor becomes stronger. After that, the beans would get cracked to leave out the outer shells, and then ground to a paste.Suzie: Can the paste be eaten?Charles: If we remove the fat from the paste, we then get cocoa, which is a favorite drink in winter. But if we want to make chocolate bars, we still need to add things like sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla, and milk. When this mixture get heated and cooled for several times, it gets really smooth and can be made into the chocolate bars that you love so much.Suzie: Wow.

What will the woman do about the dress?

August 13th, 2014 Dear Sirs, I am very happy to apply for the position of secretary, which you advertised in China Daily of August 11, 2014. I have been working as a secretary at a college office. Because I am the only secretary in the office, it is necessary for me to work quickly and efficiently and to be flexible in my daily work. Professors value my work and my ability to meet their needs. Although I am happy now, I feel that my promotion (晋升) is limited here, and I would like to have a more challenging job. Therefore, I enrolled (参加) in a program to expand my knowledge of international business affairs. Now, both my English and Chinese have been improved and I am ready to begin working as a bilingual secretary in an international company like yours, and I believe I can be a great help to your firm. The enclosed resume gives further details of my qualifications, and I would appreciate it if you could give me an opportunity to have an interview. I am looking forward to receiving your call at 62428866 or please use the enclosed pre-paid postcard to send me your reply. Thank you very much for your consideration. Faithfully Yours, Mary Lee

Who is Molly?

The first time I left my mother, I was five years old. She told me I couldn't go out to play【C1】______ I picked up my toys. Who could put up with such【C2】______ ? "I'm running away," I announced. "Oh, dear, I'll【C3】______ you. But if you really want to【C4】______ , I guess I shouldn't stop you." Mother got my red coat from the cupboard and【C5】______ my white gloves in a pocket. She walked me to the【C6】______ , kissed me good-bye, and【C7】______ the door behind me. Off I went. As I【C8】______ the house next door, my footsteps【C9】______ . It struck me for the first time that I had no【C10】______ where I was headed, and after a moment, I turned around.【C11】______ on our front steps, I began to consider my immediate【C12】______ . But as the afternoon wore on, I didn't【C13】______ from my place. Mrs. Ford, our neighbor, took out her rubbish and called, "Hi, honey! How are you doing?" "I' m【C14】______ ," I said, and my lips started to tremble (颤抖). "You are? Well, I won't【C15】______ you then," she said, and went back inside. As darkness fell, I decided to be【C16】______ . I knocked on the door, and when Mother opened it, I walked past her. "I'm giving you another【C17】______ ," I said, as she enveloped me in a warm hug (拥抱). I【C18】______ ran away again. But I【C19】______ , and that' s different. When I left for college, Mother waved until my train pulled out of sight. When I got to the college, I found a【C20】______ she had hidden among my sweaters that read, " We' re so proud of you!"

When is Julia's birthday?

It is reported that bags are getting bigger all the time, and that there are more bags per person on the street today than at any other time in history. If this is true, possible explanations could include the wide use of small electric and electronic gadgets(装置), a reading-material explosion, a popular interest toward tight or pocketless clothing, or cheap bagmaking labor overseas. But, much as nature finds ways—such as disease-—to control overpopulation, city life has thrown up impediments(障碍) to bags. To enter many public buildings, theatres, ballparks, and perhaps even underground railway stations, you must go through a search or go bagless. The city has countless bag rules. It is hard to keep them all straight, and you' re never sure, when leaving home for the day, whether it might be a bad idea to bring one along. Last week, the New York Public Library got in the game. Students, researchers, writers, historians, and anyone else who has got used over the years to treating the vast Rose Main Reading Room as an office or a reading room came up against a new rule. You are no longer allowed to bring a bag larger than eleven inches by fourteen inches into the library. If you walk in with one, you must leave it at the coat check. You may keep its contents with you, however, and the library provides big clear plastic bags for them. You return them when you come back for your own bag. What the library is trying to prevent, in this case, is people taking things out, rather than bringing things in. A librarian said on the second day, "It' s a big change for people who used to come and bring in half their flats. The people who use the library responsibly will continue to do so. The people who steal will continue to get away with it, if they really want to."

Most people have had a dog or wanted one as their companion at some time in their lives. If you are thinking of buying a dog, however, you should first decide what sort of companion you need and whether the dog is likely to be happy in your house. Specialists' (专家) advice is useful to help you choose the most suitable kind of dog. But in part the decision depends on common sense. Different dogs were developed to perform specific tasks. So, if you want a dog to protect you or your house, for example, you should choose the one that has the right size and characteristics. You must also be ready to devote (投入) a great deal of time to training the dog when it is young and give it the exercise it needs throughout its life, unless you live in the countryside and can let it run freely. Dogs are demanding pets. Cats love the house and so are satisfactory with their place where there is secure, but a dog is loyal to its master and consequently wants him to show proof of his affection. The first consideration in buying a dog is whether the dog is likely to be happy in the surroundings you can provide. The best time to buy a baby dog is when it is between 6 and 8 weeks old so that it can transfer its love from its mother to its master. If baby dogs have not established a relationship with the human being until they are over three months old, their strong relationship will always be with dogs. They are likely to be too shy when they are brought out into the world to become good pets.

There is distinction between reading for information and reading for understanding.【B1】______ The first sense is the one in which we read newspapers, magazines, or anything else.【B2】______ Such materials may increase our store of information, but they cannot improve our understanding. And clearly we don't have any difficulty in gaining the new information, for our understanding was equal to them before we started. Otherwise, we would have felt the shock of puzzlement. The second sense is the one in which we read something that at first we do not completely understand. Here the thing to be read is at the first sight better or higher than the reader. The writer is communicating something that can increase the reader's understanding.【B3】______ Otherwise one person could never learn from another. Here "learning" means understanding more, not remembering more information. What are the conditions in this kind of reading? First, there is inequality in understanding.【B4】______ Besides, his book must convey something he possesses and his potential readers lack. Second, the reader must be able to overcome this inequality in some degree. And he should always try to reach the same level of understanding with the writer. If the equality is approached, success of communication is achieved. 【B5】______ It is the least demanding and requires the least amount of effort. Everyone who knows how to read can read for entertainment if he wants to. In fact, any book that can be read for understanding or information can probably be read for entertainment as well.[A] The writer should have a better communicating skill.[B] Such communication between unequals must be possible.[C] We can get access to the content of those materials easily.[D] The writer must be "superior" to the reader in understanding.[E] Thus, we can employ the word "reading" in two distinct senses.[F] Reading for entertainment is capable of increasing our understanding for information.[G] Besides gaining information and understanding, there's another goal of reading-entertainment.

Life is difficult. It is a great truth because once we truly understand and accept it, then life is no longer difficult. Most do not fully see this truth. Instead they complain about their problems and difficulties as if life should be easy. It seems to them that difficulties represent a special kind of suffering especially forced upon them or else upon their families, their class, or even their nations. What makes life difficult is that the process of facing and solving problems is a painful one. Problems, depending on their natures, cause us sadness or loneliness or regret or anger or fear. These are uncomfortable feelings, often as painful as any kind of physical pain. And since life causes endless serious problems, life is always difficult and is full of pain as well as joy. Yes, it is in this whole process of solving problems that life has its meaning. Problems are the serious tests that tell us success from failure. When we desire to encourage the growth of human spirit, we encourage the human ability to solve problems, just as in school we set problems for our children to resolve. It is through the pain of meeting and working out problems that we learn. As Benjamin Franklin said, "Those things that hurt, instruct." It is for this reason that wise people learn not to fear but to welcome the pain of problems.

Why did the man get to sleep so late?

It was the first snow of winter. Up until now, I had been able to dress myself for recess(课间休息) , but today I would need some help. Miss king, my kindergarten teacher, may still remember this one. I managed to get into my snow pants, but I struggled with my jacket because it did not fit well. It was a hand-me-down from my brother. Finally it was time to have Miss King help me with my boots. She said, "By the end of winter, you will be able to put on your own boots." I handed her my boots, and she managed to get the first one into place and then worked the second one on, too. I said, "They are on the wrong feet." She struggled to get the boots off and tried again. Then I said," These aren't my boots, they are my brother's boots and I hate them!" Somehow, she managed to act as though I was not an annoying little girl. She pushed and shoved, less gently this time and the boots were returned to their proper place on my feet. Seeing the end of her struggle with me, she asked, "Now, where are your gloves?" I looked into her eyes and said, "I did not want to lose them, so I put them into the toes of my boots."

Tips for Cooking on a Tight Schedule From my experience, there are three main reasons why people don' t cook more often: ability , money, and time.【B1】______ Money is a topic I'll save for another day. So today I want to give you some wisdom about how to make the most of the time you spend in the kitchen. Here are three tips for great cooking on a tight schedule: 1. Think ahead. The moments when I think cooking is a pain are when I'm already hungry and there' s nothing ready to eat. So think ahead of the coming week. When will you have time to cook? Do you have the right materials already?【B2】______ 2. Make your time worth it. When you do find time to cook a meal, make the most of it and save yourself time later on. Are you making one loaf of bread?【B3】______ It takes around the same amount of time to make more of something. So save yourself the effort for a future meal. 3.【B4】______ This may surprise you, but one of the best tools for making cooking worth your time is experimentation. It gives you the chance to hit upon new ideas and recipes that can work well with your appetite and schedule. The more you learn and the more you try, the more ability you have to take control of your food and your schedule. Hopefully that gives you a good start.【B5】______ And don' t let a busy schedule discourage you from making some great changes in the way you eat and live![A] Try new things.[B] Ability is easily improved.[C] Make three or four instead.[D] Understand your food better.[E] Cooking is a burden for many people.[F] Let cooking and living simply be a joy rather than a burden.[G] A little time planning ahead can save a lot of work later on.

Eric has been fortunate to find a job he loves and, ________, he gets well paid for it.

Almost every family buys at least one copy of a newspaper every day. Some people subscribe (订阅) to as many as two or three newspapers. But why do people read newspapers? Five hundred years ago, news of important happenings—battles lost and won, kings or rulers overthrown (推翻) or killed—took months and even years to travel from one country to another. The news passed by word of mouth and was never accurate. Today we can read in our newspapers of important events that occur in far away countries on the same day they happen. Apart from supplying news from all over the world, newspapers give us a lot of other useful information. There are weather reports, radios, television and film guides, book reviews, stories and, of course, advertisements. The bigger ones are put in by large companies to bring attention to their products. They pay the newspapers thousands of dollars for the advertising space, but it is worth the money, for news of their products goes into almost every home in the country. For those who produce newspapers, advertisements are also very important. Money earned from advertisements makes it possible for them to sell their newspapers at a low price and still make a profit. Newspapers often have information on gardening, cooking and fashion as well as a small but very popular section on jokes and cartoons (漫画).

Ella has been complaining about the traffic________her awake at night.