单选题They only have a
limited
amount of time to get their points across.
单选题The idea of test-tube babies may make you starry-eyed with delight at the wonders of modern medicine or bleary-eyed with considering the moral/legal implications of starting life in a laboratory. But if you've ever been pregnant(怀孕的)yourself, one thing is certain: You wonder what it's like to carry a test-tube baby. Are these pregnancies normal? Are the babies normal? The earliest answers come from Australia, where a group of medical experts at the Queen Victoria Medical Center in Melbourne have taken a look at the continent's first nine successful test-tube pregnancies. The Australians report that the pregnancies themselves seemed to proceed according to plan, but at birth some unusual trends did show up. Seven of the nine babies turned out to be girls. Six of the nine were delivered by Caesarean section(剖腹产术). And one baby, a twin, was born with a serious heart defect and a few days later developed life-threatening abdominal(腹剖的)problems. What does it all mean? Even the doctors don't know for sure, because the numbers are so small. The proportion of girls to boys is high, but until there are many more test-tube babies, no one will know whether that's pure coincidence(巧合)or something special. The same thing is true of the single heart defect; it usually shows up in only 15 out of 60,000 births in that part of Australia, but the fact that it occurred in one out of nine test-tube babies does not necessarily mean that they are at special risk. One thing the doctors can explain is the high number of Caesareans. The Australian researchers report that they are quite encouraged. All the babies are now making normal progress--even the twin with the birth defects.
单选题Sauna Ceremonial bathing has existed for thousands of years and has many forms, one of which is the sauna. The Finns have perfected the steam bath, or sauna, which may be taken, usually in an enclosed room, by pouring water over hot rocks or as a dry heat bath. The Japanese, Greeks. Turks and Russians as well as Native Americans have forms of the sweat bath in their bathing rituals. Dry heat and steam baths had advocates in ancient Rome and pre-Columbian Americans used sweat lodges. The earliest saunas were probably underground caves heated by a fire that naturally filled with smoke as chimney making was unknown at that time. A fire kept in a fire-pit would heat the rock walls of the cave. After reaching full heat, the smoke was let out of the cave and the stones would retain heat for several hours. A few people today say that the smoke sauna, "savusauna", is the only true sauna experience and that all saunas should have at least a background odor or smoke. Today most saunas use electric stoves, although gas and wood-burning stoves are available. Saunas are relaxing and stress relieving. Those with muscle aches or arthritis may find that the heat relaxes muscles and relieves pain and inflammation, Asthma patients find that the heat enlarges air passageways of the lung and facilitates breathing. Saunas do not cure the common cold but they may help to alleviate congestion and speed recovery time. The body' s core temperature usually rises a 1-2 degrees while in the sauna, thus imitating a slight fever. The sauna could be considered to follow the old saying "feed a cold, starve a fever" . The regular use of a sauna may decrease the likelihood of getting a cold in the first place. Sauna is good for your skin as the blood flow to the skin increases and sweating occurs. Adults sweat about 2 lbs of water per hour on average in a sauna. A good sweat removes dirt and grime from pores and gives the skin a healthy glow. The loss in water weight is temporary as the body's physiological mechanisms will quickly restore proper volumes. The cardiovascular system gets a work out as the heart must pump harder and faster to move blood to the surface for heat exchange. Heart rate may increase from 72 beats per minute on average to 100-150 beats per minute. A. normal heart can handle these stresses but those with heart trouble wishing to begin to use a sauna should seek a doctor's advice. The elderly and those with diabetes should check with their doctor prior to beginning to take saunas. Pregnant women should not take saunas, particularly in the first three months. Indeed, everyone just starting out should take short sessions at first to become accustomed to this type of bath.
单选题They agreed to settle the dispute by peaceful means.
单选题Your plan will call for a lot of money.
单选题She can be
relied on
in a crisis.
单选题
阅读下面这篇短文,短文后列出了7个句子,请根据短文的内容对每个句子作出判断。如果该句提供的是正确信息,请选择A项;如果该句提供的错误信息,请选择B项;如果该句的信息文章中没有提及,请选择C项。
{{B}}
Irradiating
Food{{/B}} Irradiating fruits, vegetables, pork and chicken to
kill insects and bacteria has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration
over the past decade or so. Irradiation of other meats, such as beef and lamb,
is being reviewed. Federal approval does not require that industry adopt the
process, and few food processors presently offer irradiated products.
Market studies have shown that many consumers are afraid that eating
irradiated foods may cause cancer, despite scientific studies that prove the
safety of treated foods. Some people argue that more severe government
inspection, higher food-safety standards, and more careful-preparation practices
by consumers are all that is needed to ensure that food is safe. Consequently,
companies currently see no need to spend millions of dollars outfitting
processing plants with the equipment necessary for a process that very few
shoppers are in favor of. All supermarkets that sell irradiated
food must label the food either directly on the packaging, or, in the case of
bulk items like fruits and vegetables, by placing a sign nearby. There is no
requirement for the labeling of irradiated food served by chain restaurants or
hospitals that buy directly from distributors, nor any regulations for products
that contain irradiated ingredients. Presently, the FDA allows
food to be treated with three types of radiation—gamma rays, high-energy
electrons, and X rays—and sets limits on doses, depending on the type of food.
The principle is that the dose to be used for a certain type of food should not
exceed the amount that is sufficient to kill most harmful insects and bacteria
present in it. Different types of food, because of their molecular compositions,
may require different doses of radiation.
单选题Henry Manley had no idea at all why George Strong wanted to see him.
单选题Mary looked pale and {{U}}weary{{/U}}.
A. worried
B. ugly
C. silly
D. exhausted
单选题Mary called me up very late last night,
单选题Please do not hesitate to call me if I can be of further assistance. A. see B. contact C. help D. touch
单选题Tell me the exact time when the next train will arrive.A. awareB. accurateC. actualD. abroad
单选题He {{U}}replied{{/U}} that this was absolutely impossible.
A. started
B. answered
C. said
D. claimed
单选题The foodis insufficient for three people.
单选题Her judgement is{{U}} warped{{/U}}, biased because of possible advantage for herself.
单选题The police have conducted the
extensive
investigation for this murdering.
单选题Not on Board with Baby
It"s no surprise that Jennifer Senior"s insightful, provocative magazine cover story, "I Love My Children, I Hate My Life," is arousing much chatter—nothing gets people talking like the suggestion that child rearing is anything less than a completely fulfilling, life enriching experience. Rather than concluding that children make parents either happy or miserable, Senior suggests we need to redefine happiness, instead of thinking of it as something that can be measured by moment-to-moment joy, we should consider being happy as a past-tense condition. Even though the day-to-day experience of raising kids can be soul-crushingly hard, Senior writes that "the very things that in the moment dampen our moods can later be sources of intense gratification and delight".
The magazine cover showing an attractive mother holding a cute baby is hardly the only Madonna-and-child image on newsstands this week. There are also stories about newly adoptive and newly single-mom Sandra Bullock, as well as the usual "Jennifer Aniston is pregnant" news. Practically every week features at least one celebrity morn, or morn-to-be, smiling on the newsstands.
In a society that so persistently celebrates procreation, is it any wonder that admitting you regret having children is equivalent to admitting you support kitten-killing? It doesn"t seem quite fair, then, to compare the regrets of parents to the regrets of the children. Unhappy parents rarely are provoked to wonder if they shouldn"t have had kids, but unhappy childless folks are bothered with the message that children are the single most important thing in the world, obviously their misery must be a direct result of the gaping baby-size holes in their lives.
Of course, the image of parenthood that celebrity magazines like Us
Weekly
and
People
present is hugely unrealistic, especially when the parents are single mothers like Bullock. According to several studies concluding that parents are less happy than childless couples, single parents are the least happy of all. No shock there, considering how much work it is to raise a kid without a partner to lean on; yet to hear Sandra and Britney tell it, raising a kid on their "own" (read: with round-the-clock help) is a piece of cake.
It"s hard to imagine that many people are dumb enough to want children just because Reese and Angelina make it look so glamorous, most adults understand that a baby is not a haircut. But it"s interesting to wonder if the images we see every week of stress-free, happiness-enhancing parenthood aren"t in some small, subconscious way contributing to our own dissatisfactions with the actual experience, in the same way that a small part of us hoped getting "the Rachel" might make us look just a little bit like Jennifer Aniston.
单选题Chronic Diseases: The World"s Leading Killer
Chronic diseases are the leading cause of death in the world. Yet health experts say these conditions are often the most preventable. Chronic diseases include heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes (糖尿病) and lung disorders.
The World Health Organization says chronic diseases lead to about seventeen million early deaths each year. This United Nations agency expects more than three hundred eighty million people to die of chronic diseases by two thousand fifteen. It says about eighty percent of the deaths will happen in developing nations.
The WHO says chronic diseases now cause two-thirds of all deaths in the Asia-Pacific area. In ten years it could be almost three-fourths. People are getting sick in their most economically productive years. In fact, experts say chronic diseases are killing more middle-aged people in poorer countries than in wealthier ones.
The WHO estimates that chronic diseases will cost China alone more than five hundred thousand million dollars in the next ten years. That estimate represents the costs of medical treatment and lost productivity. Russia and India are also expected to face huge economic losses.
Kim Hak-Su is the head of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. Last week in Bangkok he presented a WHO report on the problem. It says deaths from chronic diseases have increased largely as the result of economic gains in many countries.
The report details the latest findings from nine countries. They include Brazil, Britain, Canada, China, India and Nigeria. The others are Pakistan, Russia and Tanzania.
Mister Kim says infectious and parasitic (寄生的) diseases have until recently been the main killers in Asia and the Pacific. But he says they are no longer the major cause of death in most countries.
Health officials say as many as eighty percent of deaths from chronic diseases could be prevented. They say an important tool for governments is to restrict the marketing of alcohol and tobacco to young people. Also, more programs are needed to urge healthy eating and more physical activity.
UN officials aim through international action to reduce chronic-disease deaths by two percent each year through two thousand fifteen. They say meeting that target could save thirty-six million lives. That includes twenty-five million in Asia and the Pacific.
单选题The price of vegetables fluctuates according to the weather. A. jumps B. rises C. falls D. changes
单选题How Deafness Makes It Easier to Hear
Most people think of Beethoven"s hearing loss as an obstacle to composing music. However, he produced his most powerful works in the last decade of his life when he was completely
1
.
This is one of the most glorious cases of the triumph of will over adversity, but his biographer, Maynard Solomon, takes a different
2
. Solomon argues that Beethoven"s deafness "heightened" his achievement as a composer. In his deaf world Beethoven could experiment, free from the sounds of the outside world, free to
3
new forms and harmonies.
Hearing loss does not seem to affect the musical ability of musicians
4
become deaf. They continue to "hear" music with as much, or greater, accuracy than if they were actually hearing it being
5
.
Michael Eagar, who died in 2003, became deaf
6
the age of 21. He described a fascinating phenomenon that happened within three months: "My former musical experiences began to play
7
to me. I couldn"t differentiate between what I heard and real hearing. After many years, it is still rewarding to listen to these playbacks, to "hear" music which is new to me and to find many quiet accompaniments for all of my moods."
How is it that the world we see, touch, hear, and
8
is both "out there" and at the same time within us? There is no better example of this connection between external stimulus and internal perception than the cochlear implant. No man-made
9
could replace the ability to hear. However, it might be possible to use the brain"s remarkable power to make sense of the electrical signals the implant produces.
When Michael Eagar first "switched on" his cochlear implant, the sounds he heard were not at all
10
. Gradually, with much hard work, he began to identify everyday
11
. For example, "The insistent ringing of the telephone became clear almost at once."
The primary purpose of the implant is to allow communication with
12
. When people spoke to Eagar, he heard their voices "coming through like a long-distance telephone call on a poor connection". But when it
13
to his beloved music, the implant was of no help. When he wanted to appreciate music, Eagar played the piano. He said, "I play the piano as I used to and hear it in my head at the same time. The movement of my fingers and the feel of the keys give added "clarity" to
14
in my head."
Cochlear implants allow the deaf to hear again in a way that is not perfect, but which can change their lives. Still, as Michael Eagar discovered, when it comes to musical harmonies, hearing is irrelevant. Even the most amazing cochlear implants
15
have been useless to Beethoven as he composed his Ninth Symphony at the end of his life.