It came with devastating force,a natural disaster of strange intensity that shocked the world and killed tens of thousands.The waters have now receded,but disease and food and water shortages trouble a number of countries around the Indian Ocean.Millions of survivors face serious problems.
The number of survivors in need of food aid after the Indian Ocean disaster has climbed to 5 million people.They stretch from Somalia to Thailand,and the figure could rise further,the United Nations has said.
Relief teams hope to reach all of the estimated 700 000 hungry in Sri Lanka within three more days.It could take longer before enough food aid gets to the nearly 1 million people in need in hard-to-reach parts of Indonesia.Another serious problem is the need for purified water.
Although aid had poured in from all over the world to the disaster areas,“Logistics is the big problem here—just getting the stuff out to people who need it,”said Ron Libby,emergency management specialist at the USA agency for International Development.
Relief efforts are hindered by the difficulty of delivering aid to the more than 1000 islands scattered across hundreds of kilometers of ocean.
For those who survived the tsunami's force,disease is now the No.1 problem.Five million people are short of water,food and basic sanitation across the region.World Health Organization(WHO) crisis chief David Navarro said 50 000 more people could die from disease and other causes,as has been the case in previous humanitarian emergencies.
WHO said it had already received a handful of reports of malaria(疟疾) and dengue fever(登革热) and hundreds of reports of diarrhea(腹泻) and infected wounds.It said millions of water purification tablets had been sent to Asia,along with sanitation engineers to rebuild water sanitation infrastructure.
Psychologists are warning that mental health problems caused by the tsunami could prove harder to resolve than the physical damage.
Some survivors say they are plagued by recurring nightmares about walls of water.Many locals are afraid to return to beachside homes.Officials also warn that suicide rates could rise dramatically as parents struggle with guilt at losing children.
Psychologists estimate that 20 to 30 per cent of people who face traumatic events eventually develop symptoms,such as alcohol abuse,lack of concentration at work and an inability to develop close relationships.
Although the Thai Government has offered to build temporary beachside housing,many refugee families are refusing to come down from the hills.Others are afraid to go back to jobs on the sea.
Over 150 000 people were killed by the tsunami,but hundreds and thousands more have been left with no means to earn a living.
In the village of Akirapettai in India,all that is left is the twisted wreckage of the fishing fleet.Dakshina Murti,a fisherman,not only lost three family members,but also lost his boats,his nets,everything.
“Everything's gone,”he says.With no government aid so far,all he has is a wreck.There are several million people who suffered the same experience.Homes have been destroyed,as well as wharves,docks,and sheds.
For now,rebuilding the economy remains a distant concept.This passage is mainly about _________that happened around the Indian Oceans.
A.the causes of the tsunami | B.the result after the tsunami |
C.the sign of the tsunami | D.the warning of the tsunami |
According to what the United Nations has said,the number of survivors in need of food aid after the disaster _________.
A.is not more than 5 million | B.is less than 5 million |
C.has reached 5 million | D.won't reach 5 million |
From the passage we learn that _________ is the most serious problem for the time being.
A.disease | B.food | C.water | D.house |
The passage tells us that such a disaster,as tsunami will cause diseases and _________ as well.
A.Dengue fever | B.diarrhea | C.Malaria | D.mental health problem |
With high pace of modern society, more and more people get stressed and feel lonely sometimes, but it usually only lasts between a few minutes and a few hours. This kind of loneliness is not serious. In fact it is quite normal. For some people, though, loneliness can last for years. Now researchers say there are different types of loneliness.
The first kind of loneliness is temporary. This is the most common type. It usually disappears quickly and doesn’t require any specially attention. The second kind, situational loneliness, is a natural result of a particular situation ―for example, when a family problem appears, the time a loved one dies, or when they move to a new place. Although this kind of loneliness can cause physical problems, such as headaches and sleeplessness, it usually does not last for more than a year. The third kind of loneliness is the most severe. Unlike the second type, it usually lasts for more than two years and has no specific cause. People in this case have problems socializing and can not become close to others. Unfortunately, many such people think there is little or nothing they can do to improve their condition.
Psychologists are trying to find ways to help habitually lonely people for two reasons: They are unhappy and unable to socialize and there is a connection between habitual loneliness and serious illness such as heart disease. While temporary and situational loneliness can be normal, healthy part of life, habitual loneliness can be a very sad, and sometimes dangerous condition.
Title: _____________________
Types |
Causes |
Existing Time |
||
Temporary |
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
Very Short |
Normal and healthy |
Situational |
● a family problem, ● ● moving to a new place |
● headaches ● sleeplessness |
Not more than a year |
|
No specific cause |
Difficulties ● socializing ● others ● keeping fit |
We can make mistakes at any age. Some mistakes we make are about money. But most mistakes are about people. “Did Jerry really care when I broke up with Helen?” “When I got that great job, did Jim really feel good about it, as a friend? Or did he envy my luck?” “And Paul-why didn’t pick up that he was friendly just because I had a car?” When we look back, doubts like these can make us feel bad. But when we look back, It’s too late.
Why do we go wrong about our friends – or our enemies? Sometimes what people say hides their real meaning. And if we don’t really listen we miss the feeling behind the words. Suppose someone tells you, “You’re a lucky dog .” that’s being friendly. But “lucky dog”? There’s a bit of envy in those words. Maybe he doesn’t see it himself. But bringing in the “dog” bit puts you down a little. What he may be saying is that he doesn’t think you deserve your luck.
“Just think of all the things you have to be thankful for ” is another noise that says one thing and means another. It could mean that the speaker is trying to get you to see your problem as part of your life as a whole. But is he? Wrapped up in this phrase is the thought that your problem isn’t important. It’s telling you to think of all the starving people in the world when you haven’t got a date for Saturday night.
How can you tell the real meaning behind someone’s words? One way is to take a good look at the person talking. Do his words fit the way he looks? Does what he says agree with the tone of voice? His posture? The look in his eyes? Stop and think. The minute you spend thinking about the real meaning of what people say to you may save another mistake.This passage is mainly about .
A.how to interpret what people say |
B.what to do when you listen to others talking |
C.how to avoid mistakes when you communicate with people |
D.Why we go wrong with people sometimes |
According to the author,the reason why we go wrong about our friends is that .
A.We fail to listen carefully when they talk |
B.People tend to be annoyed when we check what they say |
C.People usually state one thing but means another |
D.We tend to doubt what our friends say |
In the sentence “Maybe he doesn’t see it himself” in the second paragraph,the pronoun “it “refers to .
A.being friendly | B.a bit of envy | C.lucky dog | D.your luck |
When we listen to a person talking, the most important thing for us to do is .
A.notice the way the person is talking |
B.take a good look at the person talking |
C.mind his tone,his posture and the look in his eyes |
D.examine the real meaning of what he says based on his manner, his tone and his posture |
The author most probably is a .
A.teacher | B.philosopher | C.psychologist | D.doctor |
Surprisingly, no one knows how many children receive education in English hospitals, still less the content or quality of that education. Proper records are just not kept. We know that more than 850,000 children go through hospital each year, and that every child of school age has a legal right to continue to receive education while in hospital. We also know there is only one hospital teacher to every 1,000 children in hospital.
Little wonder the latest survey concludes that the extent and type of hospital teaching available differ a great deal across the country. It is found that half the hospitals in England which admit children have no teacher. A further quarter have only a part-time teacher. The special children’s hospitals in major cities do best; general hospitals in the country and holiday areas are worst off. From this survey, one can estimate that fewer than one in five children have some contact with a hospital teacher—and that contact may be as little as two hours a day. Most children interviewed were surprised to find a teacher in hospital at all. They had not been prepared for it by parents or their own school. If there was a teacher they were much more likely to read books and do math or number work; without a teacher they would only play games.
Reasons for hospital teaching range from preventing a child falling behind and maintaining the habit of school to keeping a child occupied, and the latter is often all the teacher can do. The position and influence of many teachers was summed up when parents referred to them as “the library lady” or just “the helper”. Children tend to rely on concerned school friends to keep in touch with school work. Several parents spoke of requests for work being ignored or refused by the school. Once back at school children rarely get extra teaching, and are told to catch up as best they can.
Many short-stay child-patients catch up quickly. But schools do very little to ease the anxiety about falling behind expressed by many of the children interviewed.Which of the following statements is true?
A.Every child in hospital receives some teaching. |
B.Not enough is known about hospital teaching. |
C.Hospital teaching is of poor quality. |
D.The special children's hospitals are worst off. |
It can be inferred from the latest survey that________.
A.hospital teaching across the country is similar |
B.each hospital has at least one part-time teacher |
C.all hospitals surveyed offer education to children |
D.only one-fourth of the hospital have full-time teacher |
The hospital teachers are found________.
A.not welcomed by the children and their parents | B.unnecessary |
C.not quite helpful | D.capable |
In order to catch up with their school work, children in hospital usually turn to________.
A.hospital teachers | B.schoolmates | C.parents | D.school teachers |
We can conclude from the passage that the author is________.
A.unfavorable towards children receiving education in hospitals |
B.in favor of the present state of teaching in hospitals |
C.unsatisfied with the present state of hospital teaching |
D.satisfied with the results of the latest survey |
Following some of the tips for green living helps save our planet. All of these involve just a few changes to our daily habits.
Just walk and limit the use of your car. One of the poster images of pollution is our vehicles. It burns fuel. It is not as efficient as we hope it could be, and we use it every single day. To lessen the effects of the air pollution caused by our vehicles, we should limit their use. If we can walk to our destination then just let us go. Not only do we lessen our carbon dioxide emissions, but we also get a good exercise out of it.
Use a laptop instead of a computer desktop. Laptops are more energy efficient compared to their bigger counterparts. A laptop is generally 50 percent more efficient in using electricity. Aside from that there are other benefits of a laptop. It is portable so you can work anywhere you like and that you get powerful features without the large size of desktop units.
Turn off the faucet while you are brushing your teeth. It is always a better idea to use a glass when we are brushing our teeth and not to just let the faucet keep on running. Therefore,there is less water to waste while we are cleaning our pearly whites. Simply turn off the faucet when you are not using it.
Make good use of natural light. We have a great and natural lamp --- the sun, and we should learn how to take full advantage of it during daytime. So instead of turning on our lights or lamps even if it is still not evening, we should pull up the drapes and let the natural light come in from the windows.
These are just some of the best tips for green living, but of course there are still many of these tips if you just search for them. But you can do your own variation any time just always prioritize how you can use less energy and produce even lesser trash and pollution.What’s the best title for the passage?
A.How to Save Our Planet |
B.How to Change Our Daily Habits |
C.Tips for Green Living Today |
D.Green Living and Serious Pollution |
Compared with a computer desktop, a laptop __________.
A.less energy efficient | B.faster at work | C.easy to repair | D.easy to carry |
How many tips does the passage mention for green living today?
A.Three | B.Four | C.Five | D.Six |
The underlined word ‘‘prioritize’’ in the last paragraph can be replaced by the word ________.
A.decrease | B.consider | C.imagine | D.guess |
Which of the following is NOT true?
A.A few changes to daily habits can help a lot. |
B.While washing teeth we should turn off the faucet. |
C.Vehicles bring pollution and we should try to avoid. |
D.In the daytime we should not pull up the drapes. |
In the second half of each year, many powerful storms are born in the tropical(热带的)Atlantic and Caribbean seas. Of these, only about half a dozen becomes the strong, circling winds of 75 miles per hour or more that are called hurricanes, and several usually make their way to the coast. There they cause millions of dollars of damage, and bring death to large numbers of people.
The great storms that hit the coast start as soft circling wind hundreds — even thousands — of miles out to sea. As they travel aimlessly over water warmed by the summer sun, they are carried westward by the southeast winds. When conditions are just right, warm, moist(潮湿) air flows in at the bottom of such a wind, moves upward through it and comes out at the top. In the process(过程), the moisture in this warm air produces rain, and with it the heat is changed to energy in the form of strong winds. As the heat increases, the young hurricane begins to move in a counter-clockwise motion(逆时针运动).
The life of a hurricane is only about nine days, but it contains almost more power than we can imagine. The energy in the heat released(释放) by a hurricane’s rainfall in a single day would satisfy the entire electrical needs of the United States for more than six months. Water, not wind, is the main source of death and destruction(毁灭) in a hurricane. A typical hurricane brings 6 to 12 inch downpours, causing sudden floods. Worst of all is the powerful movement of the sea — the mountains of water moving toward the hurricane center. The water level rises as much as 15 feet above normal as it moves toward shore. When is an ordinary tropical storm called a hurricane?
A.When it begins in the Atlantic and Caribbean seas. |
B.When it hits the coastline. |
C.When it is more than 75 miles wide. |
D.When its winds reach 75 miles per hour. |
What is the worst thing about hurricanes?
A.The terrible effects of water. | B.The heat they give off. |
C.That they last about nine days. | D.Their strong winds. |
Here the word “downpour” means ______.
A.heavy rainfall |
B.dangerous waves |
C.the progress of water to the hurricane center |
D.the increasing heat |
Which statement about a hurricane is wrong?
A.It travels more than 75 miles per hour. |
B.It usually stays about 9 days. |
C.It usually causes 6 to 12 inch downpours. |
D.It sometimes brings the sea water level to the height of 15 feet. |