单选题The political situation in the region has {{U}}deteriorated{{/U}} rapidly.
A. improved
B. changed
C. worsened
D. developed
单选题
Pregnancy Anomalies May Lower Breast Cancer
Risk Certain abnormalities occurring in problem
pregnancies are associated with a long-term reduction in risk of breast cancer,
according to a study released on Tuesday that tracked women for four decades.
Researchers led by epidemiologist Barbara Cohn of the Public Health Institute in
Berkeley, California, examined records on 3, 804 white women in the San
Francisco area who were pregnant during the period from June 1959 through April
1967. The study found that three anomalies—two relating to the
placenta and one involving the women's blood pressure—were linked with a big
decline in breast cancer occurrence. Cohn said changes in the levels of hormones
and other substances in the body caused by the abnormalities may produce a
protective effect. She also noted that most of the women who experienced the
anomalies still gave birth to healthy babies. "It's more subtle than to say
what's bad for the baby is good for the mother. It's really not quite like
that." Cohn said in a telephone interview. She said she was
hopeful that researchers could nail down the exact mechanisms at work in
providing the long-term cancer protection for the women who experienced these
complications. "It's certainly possible that one might be able to design a
treatment or possibly a prevention that is related to these factors," Cohn
said. She said scientists have known for many years that events
that occur in pregnancy have an impact on the risk of breast cancer. Cohn said
her study provides new details about some specific characteristics of
pregnancies that may relate to long-term protection against breast
cancer. A blood pressure increase experienced by the mother
between the second and third trimesters of the pregnancy was associated with
lower breast cancer incidence, the study found. Women whose increase was in the
highest 25 percent of population studied had a 51 percent reduction in breast
cancer rate. Women with a smaller placenta size (weight and
diameter) also had lower breast cancer rates. The placenta, the tissue that
connects the mother and fetus, produces hormones to help maintain the pregnancy
and allows the exchange of oxygen, nutrients and waste materials.
In addition, women who experienced a condition known as maternal floor
infarction of the placenta—a serious abnormality that can block the flow of
oxygen and nutrients to the fetus—had a 60 percent reduction in breast cancer
rate. All three risk factors in combination were linked with up
to a 94 percent reduction in breast cancer incidence, the study
concluded.
单选题In my frigeless Fifties childhood, I was fed well and healthily. The milkman came daily, the grocer, the butcher, the baker, and the ice.. cream man delivered two or three times a week. The Sunday meat would last until Wednesday and surplus bread and milk became all kinds of cakes. Nothing was wasted and we were never troubled by rotten food. Thirty years on, food deliveries have ceased, flesh vegetables are almost unobtainable in the country. What was not mentioned as part of my childhood's diet?A. Milk.B. Meat.C. Bread.D. Bacon.
单选题Different Phases of Death
Modern scientists divide the process of dying into two phases—clinical or temporary death and biological death. Clinical death occurs when the vital organs, such as the heart or lungs, have ceased to function, but have not suffered permanent damage. The organism can still be revived (复活). Biological death occurs when changes in the organism lead to the "breaking up" of vital cells and tissues. Death is then unchangeable and final.
Scientists have been seeking a way to prolong the period of clinical death so that the organism can remain alive before biological death occurs. The best method developed so far involves cooling of the organism, combined with narcotic (麻醉的) sleep. By slowing down the body" s metabolism (新陈代谢), cooling delays the processes leading to biological death.
To illustrate how this works, scientists performed an experiment on a six-year-old female monkey called Keta. The scientist put Keta to sleep with a narcotic. Then they surrounded her body with ice bags and began checking her body temperature. When it had dropped to 28 degrees the scientists began draining blood from an artery (动脉). The monkey"s blood pressure decreased and an hour later both the heart and respiration stopped: clinical death set in. For twenty minutes Keta remained in this state. Her temperature dropped to 22 degrees. At this point the scientists pumped blood into an artery in the direction of the heart and started artificial respiration. After two minutes Keta"s heart became active once more. After fifteen minutes, spontaneous (自然产生的) respiration began, and after four hours Keta opened her eyes and lifted her head. After six hours, when the scientists tried to give her a penicillin injection, Keta seized the syringe (注射器) and ran with it around the room. Her behavior differed little from that of a healthy animal.
单选题 Youth Emancipation in Spain The Spanish Government is so worried about the number of young adults still living with their parents that it has decided to help them leave the nest. Around 55 percent of people aged 18-34 in Spain still sleep in their parents' home, says the latest report from the country's state-run Institute of Youth. To coax(劝诱) young people from their homes, the Institute started a "Youth Emancipation(解放)" programme this month. The programme offers guidance in finding rooms and jobs. Economists blame young people's family dependence on the precarious(不稳定的)labour market and increasing housing prices. Housing prices have risen 17 percent a year since 2000. Cultural reasons also contribute to the problem, say sociologists(社会学家). Family ties in south Europe—Italy, Portugal and Greece—are stronger than those in middle and north Europe, said Spanish sociologist Almudena Moreno Minguez in her report "The Late Emancipation of Spanish Youth: Key for Understanding". "In general, young people in Spain firmly believe in the family as the main body around which their private. life is organized," said Minguez. In Spain— especially in the countryside, it is not uncommon to find entire groups of aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews(外甥/侄子) all living on the same street. They regularly get together for Sunday dinner. Parents' tolerance is another factor. Spanish parents accept late-night partying and are wary of setting bedtime rules. "A child can arrive home at whatever time he wants. If parents complain he'll put up a fight and call the father a fascist," said Jos6 Antonio Gomez Yanez , a sociologist at Carlos III University in Madrid. Mothers' willingness to do children's household chores(家务) worsens the problem. Dionisio Masso, a 60-year-old in Madrid, has three children in their 20s. The eldest, 28, has a girlfriend and a job. But life with mum is good. "His mum does the wash and cooks for him; in the end, he lives well," Masso said.
单选题Hearing loss caused by damage to the sensory cells
单选题The plan was abandoned when it was discovered just how much the scheme would cost.A. given upB. kept upC. set upD. ran up
单选题The air is polluted. The earth is poisoned. Water is unsafe to drink and garbage is burying the civilization that produced it. Our environment is being polluted faster than nature and man's efforts can prevent it, Time is bringing us more people, and more people will bring us more industry. More people and more industry will bring us more motorcars, larger cities, and the growing use of man-made materials. This is happening not only in advanced societies but also among the developing nations as they become industrialized. Now many scientists are worrying about the possibility of world pollution. Some experts declare that the balance of nature is being so upset that the very survival of human beings in danger. What can solve this problem? The fact is that pollution is caused by man--by his greed and his modern way of life. We make "increasing industrialization(工业化)" our chief aim. For its sake we are willing to sacrifice everything: clean air, pure water, good food, our health, and the future of our children. There is a constant flow of people from the country into the cities, eager for the benefits of modern society. But as our technological achievements have grown in the last twenty years, so in that time pollution has became a serious problem. Isn't it the time we should stop and ask ourselves where we are going--and why? It reminds one of the stories about the airline pilot who told his passengers over the loud speakers: "I've some good news and some bad news. The good new is that we're making rapid progress at 530 miles per hour. The bad news is that we're lost and don't know where we're going." The sad fact is that this becomes a true story when applied to our modern society.
单选题We are
sure
that he will get over his illness.
单选题The book took ten years of
thorough
research.
单选题The oscillator was easier to use, more {{U}}stable{{/U}}, and less expensive than others available at the time.
单选题 下面的短文有15处空白,请根据短文内容为每处空白确定1个最佳选项。
World Heart Day Sunday
was World Heart Day. The World Heart Federation and its member groups in more
than one hundred countries organized the celebrations. The World Health
Organization and other United Nations agencies provided support for the
{{U}}(51) {{/U}}. World Heart Day was first observed six
years {{U}}(52) {{/U}}. Organizers proposed the event as a way to help
reduce the spread of heart disease. The World Heart Federation says heart
{{U}}(53) {{/U}} kills seventeen million people each year.
The group urges people to be active and have a good, healthy diet. It also
warns {{U}}(54) {{/U}} activities known to increase a person's risk of
heart attack or stroke. Some of the warnings are directed at
children. The World Heart Federation says about twenty-two million boys and
girls under the age of five are obese--severely overweight.
Children are normally energetic and active. {{U}}(55) {{/U}} , two
thirds of all children are not active enough. Such children greatly
{{U}}(56) {{/U}} their risk of becoming obese. They also increase
their-- {{U}}(57) {{/U}} of developing heart disease or other
disorders. One message of World Heart Day is to eat right.
Children {{U}}(58) {{/U}} eat a healthy and balanced diet. Also, limit
sugary drinks, sweets and eating between meals. The World Heart
Federation urges parents to keep their children {{U}}(59) {{/U}}. It
says physical exercise helps to decrease the risk of obesity and {{U}}(60)
{{/U}} a child healthy. Obese children often become obese adults.
{{U}}(61) {{/U}} you believe your child is too heavy, talk with a health
care provider. The World Heart Federation is also concerned
about the effects of tobacco on young people. It says the younger someone begins
to smoke, the {{U}}(62) {{/U}} the chance of a health problem tied to
smoking. Half of the young people who continue to smoke are {{U}}(63)
{{/U}} to die later in life from a smoking-related disease.
The group says almost half of all children live with a smoker. It gays
children who live with a {{U}} (64) {{/U}} can breathe
an amount of tobacco equal to more than two thousand cigarettes. And that is by
the time they are five years old. The World Heart Federation
also says parents should warn children not to be {{U}}(65) {{/U}} by
tobacco companies. And it says parents who smoke should try to
stop.
单选题The fuel tanks had a {{U}}capacity{{/U}} of 140 liters.
A. function
B. ability
C. power
D. volume
单选题Many economists have given in to the fatal lure of mathematics. A. error B. function C. attraction D. miracle
单选题Light Night, Dark Stars
Thousands of people around the globe step outside to gaze at their night sky. On a clear night, with no clouds, moonlight, or artificial lights to block the view, people can see more than 14,000 stars in the sky, says Dennis Ward, an astronomer with the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) in Boulder, Colo. But when people are surrounded by city lights, he says, they"re lucky to see 150 stars.
If you"ve ever driven toward a big city at night and seen its glow from a great distance, you"ve witnessed light pollution. It occurs when light from streetlights, office buildings, signs, and other sources streams into space and illuminates the night sky. This haze of light makes many stars invisible to people on Earth. Even at night, big cities like New York glow from light pollution, making stargazing difficult.
Dust and particles of pollution from factories and industries worsen the effects of light pollution. "If one city has a lot more light pollution than another," Ward says, "that city will suffer the effects of light pollution on a much greater scale."
Hazy skies also make it far more difficult for astronomers to do their jobs.
Cities are getting larger. Suburbs are growing in once dark, rural areas. Light from all this new development is increasingly obscuring the faint light given off by distant stars. And if scientists can"t locate these objects, they can"t learn more about them.
Light pollution doesn"t only affect star visibility. It can harm wildlife too. It"s clear that artificial light can attract animals, making them go off course. There"s increasing evidence, for example, that migrating birds use sunsets and sunrises to help find their way, says Sydney Gauthreaux Jr., a scientist at Clemson University in South Carolina. "When light occurs at night," he says, "it has a very disruptive influence." Sometimes birds fly into lighted towers, high-rises, and cables from radio and television towers. Experts estimate that millions of birds die this way every year.
单选题Many Women Who Beat Cancer Don't Change Habits Many women who battle breast cancer will tell you it's a life-changing experience. However, a new study shows that for many (51) , the changes aren't always positive or permanent. Beth Snoke has watched her mother and both grandmothers battle and survive breast (52) . So when she was diagnosed, there was no doubt in her mind (53) she had to do. "I do exactly what the doctors say as far as the medicine that I'm on , as (54) as the vitamins, the diet, and the fitness. And I can't stress enough (55) important that is. " says Beth Snoke. But a surprising new study shows that (56) every woman who beats breast cancer is getting that message. In fact, nearly 40% of them say even (57) surviving breast cancer, they haven't made significant changes in the (58) they eat or how much they exercise. "Not all survivors are taking advantage of this teachable moment and making positive health changes in (59) life. " says Electra Paskett, PhD, at Ohio State University's Comprehensive Cancer Center. Paskett says diet and exercise have been proven to not only help women feel better during and after treatment, they may (60) play a role in preventing some cancers from coming back. (61) growing evidence, some women just aren't listening. "Colon cancer survivors (62) exercise have actually been shown to have improved survival rates. So, yes, it is true that perhaps by making some of these healthy choices we can actually increase their health. " says Paskett. As a breast cancer survivor (63) , Paskett knows first hand how much difference diet and exercise can (64) . The challenge, she says, is to get more survivors to be more like Beth. Experts say exercising more and eating a healthier diet can also cut (65) on stress and help women overcome depression. There are more than 2 million breast cancer survivors living in the U. S. of those, nearly a million have yet to change their diet or exercise routines.
单选题For young children, getting dressed is a
complicated
business.
单选题A Desert Between Paul and Clara
Paul had long promised to marry Clara. But at thirty-three be met and married Alice. Clara was driven mad.
Paul was taken to court. The judge ordered him to pay Clara $600 because of the broken promise. Paul had to borrow the money from a moneylender. He agreed to pay back $5 a month—for twenty years. His wages at the time were $16 a month.
Paul and Alice were poor but not unhappy. They had little enough food, certainly, even before the children began to arrive. Each month Paul paid $5 to the moneylender. He worked hard, never taking a holiday. In time, there were seven mouths to feed.
Illness was always with them. It grew serious when the oldest child was eight. The years of hunger weakened the family, because each month Paul paid $5. The details of the sickness were ugly, but the result was this: after twelve years of family life, Paul was alone in the world.
He lived alone except for memories. Work was not now a god for him: it was a pain- killer. Each month he paid, and in time the twenty years ended. From that moment his wages were his own.
One day, it was a holiday went to the seaside. He sat down on a seat by the sea. A middle-aged woman came and sat down near him. They recognized each other at once.
The woman said, "The $600 has been in the bank since the day it was paid to me. It is now $6,000, and I have kept it for you. Will you let me share it with you?"
"No," said Paul, gently. "Each thousand is a lost life in a desert between us. It can never bring any happiness. "
单选题Although originally a German innovation, kindergarten got its real start in the United States as a movement to provide
an improved
learning environment for children.
单选题His answers were
obscure
and confusing.