Want a glance of the future of health care? Take a look at the way the various networks of people about patient care are being connected to one another, and how this new connectivity is being exploited to deliver medicine to the patient —no matter where he or she may be.
Online doctors offering advice based on normal symptoms(症状) are the most obvious example. Increasingly, however, remote diagnosis(远程诊断) will be based on real physiological data(生理数据) from the actual patient. A group from the University of Kentucky has shown that by using personal data assistance plus a mobile phone, it is perfectly practical to send a patient’s important signs over the telephone. With this kind of equipment, the cry asking whether there was a doctor in the house could well be a thing of the past.
Other medical technology groups are working on applying telemedicine to rural(countryside) care. And at least one team wants to use telemedicine as a tool for disaster need—especially after earthquakes. On the whole, the trend is towards providing global access to medical data and experts’ opinions.
But there is one problem. Bandwidth(宽带) is the limiting factor for sending complex(复杂的) medical pictures around the world — CT photos being one of the biggest bandwidth users. Communication satellites may be able to deal with the short-term needs during disasters such as earthquakes or wars. But medicine is looking towards both the second-generation Internet and third-generation mobile phones for the future of remote medical service.
Doctors have met to discuss computer-based tools for medical diagnosis, training and telemedicine. With the falling price of broadband communications, the new technologies should start a new time when telemedicine and the sharing of medical information, experts’ opinions and diagnosis are common. The writer chiefly talks about _______.
| A．the use of telemedicine | B．the on-lined doctors |
| C．medical care and treatment | D．communication improvement |
The basis of remote diagnosis will be _______.
| A．personal data assistance | B．some words of a patient |
| C．real physiological information | D．medical pictures from the Internet |
Which of the following statements is true according to the text？
| A．Patients don’t need doctors in hospitals any more. |
| B．It is impossible to send a patient’s signs over the telephone. |
| C．Many teams use telemedicine dealing with disasters now. |
| D．Broadband communications will become cheaper in the future. |
The “problem” in the fourth paragraph refers to the fact that _______.
| A．bandwidth isn’t big enough to send complex medical pictures |
| B．the second-generation of Internet has not become popular yet |
| C．communication satellites can only deal with short-term needs |
| D．there is not enough equipment for spreading the medical care |
Are you an optimist? Do you look at your glass and see it as half full? Do you believe that every cloud has a silver lining and that generally things turn out for the best? Do you believe that if something is meant to be, it will be? If you reply “yes” to all of these questions, then you are an optimist. You probably are enthusiastic, cheerful and outgoing. You may well be successful atwork and in love.
But you may be misguided because things don’t turn out for the best. You may believe that when one door closes another one opens (for example，you may fail to obtain a new job，another chance will come around soon), Wrong. When one door closes, another door slams in your face. That's bitter reality.
Now a book has been published which confirms what we pessimists(悲观者）have suspected all along. It's called The Positive Power of Defensive Pessimism. Its author argues that defensive pessimism can lead to positive results. Defensive pessimism is a strategy used to manage fear, anxiety and worry. Defensive pessimists prepare for things by setting low outcomes for themselves. They carefully consider everything that may go wrong and plan for ways to handle these problems. And this gives them a sense of control. Lawrence Sanno, a psychology professor, says, “What’s interesting about defensive pessimists is that they tend to be very successful people, so their low opinion of the situation’s outcomes is not realistic. They use it to motivate themselves to perform better. ”
So far, so good. This is not rocket science. Defensive pessimists prepare carefully and consider what might go wrong, whether at work, on a date or even in a sports game. It makes sense to have a back-up plan. There are many sayings in English urging caution. For example, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket,” and “ Don’t count your chickens until they hatch. “ To have a confident and optimistic approach to life’s problems is good. But listen to what Woody Alien，the American comedian says, ”Confidence is what you have before you understand the problem.”
There are pros and cons to being an optimist and a pessimist. Don’t feel bad if you see the glass half empty. You are a realist. But lighten up and hook up with someone who sees the same glass half full.What is the passage mainly about?
| A．A book that has recently been published. |
| B．The dangers of being too optimistic. |
| C．How to become successful in life. |
| D．The benefits of defensive pessimism. |
The underlined sentence “This is not rocket science” in paragraph 4 means.
| A．it is quite simple to understand | B．there is no real proof |
| C．it’s not a dangerous thing to do | D．the cost is not so high |
The writer would probably describe himself as.
| A．an optimist | B．a defeatist | C．a realist | D．a scientist |
Which of the following English expressions would a defensive pessimist believe?
| A．“Every cloud has a silver lining.” | B．“Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” |
| C．“Whatever will be, will be.” | D．“The glass is half full not half empty.” |
Inventors are always looking for ways to make our lives easier, greener and a whole lot more fun. Take a look at the following breakthroughs in science and technology. What in the world will inventors dream up next?
Superhero Suit
Have you ever dreamed of becoming a superhero? Dream no more. There’s a real Iron Man suit, XOS 2, which instantly transforms the person wearing it. The suit provides the power to lift 200 pounds with ease and break slabs（厚片）of wood with a single karate chop. It was designed to help the military with heavy lifting. One person in the suit could do the work of three soldiers.
Up, Up and Away!
It took him 30 years to develop it, and now Glen Martin’s invention is ready to take off. The Martin Jetpack allows its operator to fly 8,000 feet into the air. Unfortunately, you can’t soar through the skies too long. The jetpack holds only 30 minutes’ worth of fuel. The aircraft will sell for $100,000.
Hardworking Robot
The EMIEW2 robot is the perfect office helper. Need a document delivered? No problem! It can also guide visitors to their destinations. The three-foot-tall robot can identify different human voices and respond to commands. One day, it may serve as a receptionist or a security guard.
Green Machine
Say goodbye to gasoline! The AirPod car runs on air power. That means this car won’t pollute the environment. A high-pressure air tank can fill the car in minutes. The three-wheeler can travel about 130 miles between fill-ups.
Beef Power
All aboard the beef train! Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer runs partly on fuel that is made from cow fat. The goal is to reduce carbon emissions by 10%. The train travels between Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Fort Worth, Texas.
Robo-Guard
EMILY is a robotic, four-foot-long buoy (救生圈). She can swim through riptides (激流) at up to 24 miles per hour. Her inventor, Tony Mulligan, says that’s 15 times as fast as human lifeguards! EMILY is powered by a tiny electric pump and operated by remote control.What is the disadvantage of Glen Martin’s invention?
| A．It uses large amounts of fuel. | B．It only flies at low altitudes. |
| C．It needs a big landing field. | D．It has a small gas tank. |
Which of the following inventions may be popular with modern companies?
| A．The EMIEW2 robot. | B．EMILY. |
| C．XOS 2. | D．The Martin Jetpack. |
How many environment-friendly inventions are mentioned in the passage?
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
From the passage we learn that __________.
| A．the Superhero Suit is designed for fun |
| B．the EMIEW2 robot can tell different human voices |
| C．Robo-Guard may serve as a security guard |
| D．the AirPod car travels far with a little gas |
Robert Spring, a 19th century forger (伪造签字者), was as good at his profession that he was able to make his living for 15 years by selling false signatures of famous Americans. Spring was born in England in 1813 and arrived in Philadelphia in 1858 to open a bookstore. At first he make some money by selling his small but genuine of early U.S. autographs (亲笔签字). Discovering his ability at copying handwriting, he began imitating signatures of George Washington and Ban Franklin and writing them on the title pages of old books. To make less the chance of detection (发觉), he sent his forgeries (伪造物) to England and Canada for sale and circulation (销售).
Forgers have a hard time selling their products. A forger can't approach a respectable buyer but must deal with people who don't have much knowledge in the field. Forgers have many ways to make their work look real. For example, they buy old books to use the aged paper of the title page, and they can treat paper and ink with chemicals.
In Spring's time, right after the Civil War, Britain was still fond of the Southern states, so Spring invented a respectable maiden lady known as Miss Fanny Jackson, the only daughter of General "Stonewall" Jackson. For several years Miss Fanny's economic problems forced her to sell a great number of letters and manuscripts belonging to her famous father. Spring had to work very hard to satisfy the demand. All this activity did not prevent Spring from dying in poverty, leaving sharp-eye experts the difficult task of separating this forgeries from the originals.Why did Spring sell his autographs in England and Canada?
| A．There was a greater demand there than in America. |
| B．There was less chance of being detected there. |
| C．Britain was Spring's birthplace. |
| D．The price were higher in England and Canada. |
After the Civil War, there was a great demand in Britain for _______.
| A．Southern money |
| B．signatures of George Washington and Ben Franklin |
| C．Southern manuscripts and letters |
| D．Civil War battle plans |
Robert Spring spent 15 years _______.
| A．running a bookstore in Philadelphia |
| B．corresponding with Miss Fanny Jackson |
| C．as a forger |
| D．as a respectable dealer |
According to the passage, forgeries are usually sold to _______.
| A．sharp-eyed experts | B．persons who aren't experts |
| C．book dealers | D．owner of the old books |
Who was Miss Fanny Jackson?
| A．The only daughter of General "Stonewall" Jackson. |
| B．A little-known girl who sold her father's papers to Robert Spring. |
| C．Robert Spring's daughter. |
| D．An imaginary person created by Spring. |
If you exhibit positive characteristics such as honesty and helpfulness, the chances are that you will be thought as a good-looking person, for a new study has found that the perception （认知） of physical attractiveness is influenced by a person's personality．
The study, which was led by Gary W．Lewandowski, has found that people who exhibit negative characteristics, such as unfairness and rudeness, appear to be less physically attractive to observers．In the study, the participants viewed photographs of opposite-sex individuals and rated them for attractiveness before and after being provided with information about their personalities．
After personality information was received, participants also rated the probability of each individual' s becoming a friend and a dating partner．Information on personality was found to significantly change the probability, showing that cognitive （认知的） processes modify （修改） judgments of attractiveness．
"Thinking a person as having a desirable personality makes the person more suitable in general as a close relationship partner of any kind," said Lewandowski．
The findings show that a positive personality leads to greater expectation of becoming friends, which leads to greater expectation of becoming romantic partners and, finally, to being viewed as more physically attractive．The findings remained consistent regardless of how "attractive" the individual was formerly thought to be or of the participants' current relationship status．
"This research provides a positive outcome by reminding people that personality goes a long way toward determining your attractiveness; it can even change people's impressions of how good-looking you are," said Lewandowski．In the study the participants were required to _____．
| A．try to make friends with each other |
| B．try to prove positive characters make people more attractive |
| C．exhibit negative characters such as unfairness and rudeness |
| D．rate one's attractiveness by photos before and after knowing her or his personality |
Which of the following is WRONG according to the passage?
| A．The research reminds people to pay more attention to the personality． |
| B．Personality can change people's impressions of one's appearance． |
| C．The judgment of one's attractiveness always stays unchanged． |
| D．Positive personality may lead to more friends． |
The passage is written in a（n） _____ tone．
| A．subjective | B．objective | C．skeptical | D．negative |
Who are the intended readers of this passage?
| A．People with positive characteristics． |
| B．Good-looking people． |
| C．People with negative characteristics． |
| D．General people． |
Kataria is the founder of the worldwide laughter movement. The celebration of World Laughter Day is a positive activity for world peace and is intended to build up a global sense of brotherhood and friendship through laughter. The first “World Laughter Day” gathering took place in Mumbai, India, on 11th January, 1998. 12,000 members from India and international Laughter Clubs attended it. Now there are over 5,000 Laughter Clubs worldwide on all 5 continents.
“HAPPY—DEMIC” was the first World Laughter Day gathering outside India. It took place on 9th January, two years after the Mumbai gathering. In Copenhagen, Denmark, more than 10,000 people gathered at Town Hall Square. The event went into Guinness Book of World Records. “World Laughter Day” is now organized on the first Sunday of May every year. Hundreds of people gather worldwide on that day to laugh together.
Today, many people fear widespread international terrorism. The world has never faced so much unrest before. People are at war within themselves. Laughter is a universal language, which has the ability to unite humanity without religion. Laughter can build a common connection between various religions and create a new world order. The idea may sound over -ambitious(野心太大的), and maybe it is. But maybe it is not. It is our deep belief that laughter and only laughter can unite the world, building up a global sense of brotherhood and friendship.
Studies also say that laughter helps your body do the following: lower blood pressure; lighten depression; reduce stress; work out the heart, especially for those who are unable to perform physical exercise. So in life, when you can laugh, you should laugh loudly and with your entire body-because it’s good for you.The purpose of celebrating World Laughter Day is ________.
| A．to build up a global sense of brotherhood and friendship through laughter |
| B．to build a common connection between various religions |
| C．to reduce stress and lighten depression |
| D．to lower blood pressure |
The first World Laughter Day gathering outside India took place________.
| A．on 11th January, 1998 | B．on the first Sunday of May |
| C．on 9th January, 1996 | D．on 9th January, 2000 |
The author’s attitude towards laughter movement is ________.
| A．positive | B．negative | C．uninterested | D．objective |
The passage is mainly about ________.
| A．World Laughter Day and its significance |
| B．the worldwide laughter movement |
| C．a universal language |
| D．laughter. |