It’s an image that might make Saddam Hussein proud.A frightened prisoner,head covered and dressed in rags,electrodes attached to the fingers of his out-strectched hands.He’s been forced to stand on a box and,if he falls off,his captors have told him that he’ll be electrocuted(触电致死).
The prisoner was an Iraqi and his torturers were American soldiers who were sent to the country to liberate the Iraqi people.This unpleasant image was one of a series of photographs leaked by a US soldier.He was working at a US Prisoner of War(POW) camp,which used to be Saddam’s punishment centre.Since the pictures were shown on the American news programmer “60 Minutes Ⅱ” on April 28,they have caused shock and anger in the US and abroad.Despite US President George W. Bush’s promise to punish the responsible soldiers,the country’s image in the Middle East could be damaged forever.
“The liberators are worse than the dictators,”said Abdel-Bari Atwan,editor of the Arab newspaper Al Quds Al Arabi.“They have not just lost the hearts and minds of Iraqis but of people in all developing countries.”
UN secretary-General Kofi Annan said he was “deeply disturbed” by the pictures and hoped it was a single incident.However,similar photographs have appeared in British newspapers of British soldiers torturing Iraqis.
Any kind of torture, or mistreatment of prisoners is forbidden under the Geneva Conventions.
The first agreement was signed by 16 European countries in 1864 in Geneva,Switzerland.It was intended to protect wounded soldiers on land and limit human suffering in times of armed conflict.Further rules were added to cover the treatment of soldiers at sea,and prisoners of war.The entire set was accepted in 1949 and has since been accepted by nearly 200 countries.
57.The passage is about________.
A.how American soliders treated POWs
B.America’s global image
C.photos of POW mistreatment
D.international reactions to the photos being released
58.Why might such photos make Saddam Hussein proud?
A.He could be crueler than the torturers in the photo.
B.It showed the so-called liberators were worse than him.
C.They were taken in his punishment centre.
D.They could damage the image of the US in the Middle East forever.
59.According to the article,who had a hand in the mistreatments of Iraqi soldiers?
A.Saddam Hussein. B.British soldiers.
C.American soldiers. D.Both B and C.
60.Which of the following is wrong about the Geneva Conventions?
A.Over 200 countries have accepted the Conventions so far.
B.They make sure wounded soldiers get proper treatment.
C.They were named after the place where the first agreement was signed.
D.The Conventions show that the US soldiers acted wrongly.
Britons Learn to Forgive
LEEDS, England—A Leeds University psychology(心理学) professor is teaching a course to help dozens of Britons forgive their enemies.
“The hatred (仇恨) we hold within us is a cancer,” Professor Ken Hart said, adding that holding in anger can lead to problems such as high blood pressure and heart disease.
More than 70 people have become members in Hart’s first 20-week workshop in London—a course he says is the first of its kind in the world.
These are people who are sick and tired of living with a memory. They realize their bitterness is a poison they think they can pour out, but they end up drinking it themselves, said Canadian-born Hart.
The students meet in groups of eight to ten for a two-hour workshop with an adviser every fortnight.
The course ending in July, is expected to get rid of the cancer of hate in these people. “People have lots of negative attitudes towards forgiveness,” he said. “People confuse（混淆） forgiveness with forgetting. Forgiveness means changing from a negative attitude to a positive one.” Hart and his team have created instructions to provide the training needed.
“The main idea is to give you guidelines on how to look at various kinds of angers and how they affect you, and how to change your attitudes towards the person you are angry with, ”said Norman Claringbull, a senior expert on the forgiveness project.
Hart said he believes forgiveness is a skill that can be taught, as these people “want to get free of the past”.From this passage we know that .
| A．high blood pressure and heart disease are caused by hatred |
| B．high blood pressure can only be cured by psychology professors |
| C．without hatred, people will have less trouble connected with blood and heart |
| D．people who suffer from blood pressure and heart disease must have many enemies |
In Hart’s first 20-week workshop, people there can .
| A．meet their enemies |
| B．change their minds |
| C．enjoy the professor’s speech |
| D．learn how to quarrel with others |
If you are a member in Hart’s workshop, you’ll .
| A．pay much money to Hart |
| B．go to the workshop every night |
| C．attend a gathering every fortnight |
| D．pour out everything stored in your mind |
The author wrote this passage in order to .
| A．persuade us to go to Hart’s workshop |
| B．tell us the news about Hart’s workshop |
| C．tell us how to run a workshop like Hart’s |
| D．help us to look at various kinds of angers |
If you do not use your arm or your legs for some time, they become weak; when you start using them again, they slowly become strong again. Everybody knows that. Yet many people do not seem to know that memory works in the same way. When someone says that he has a good memory, he really means that he keeps his memory in practice by using it. When someone else says that his memory is poor, he really means that he does not give it enough chance to become strong. If a friend says that his arms and legs are weak, we know that it is his own fault(过错). But if he tells us that he has a poor memory, many of us think that his parents are to blame(受责备), and few of us know that it is just his own fault. Have you ever found that some people can’t read or write but usually they have better memories? This is because they cannot read or write and they have to remember things; they cannot write down in a little notebook. They have to remember days, names, songs and stories; so their memory is the whole time being exercised. So if you want to have a good memory, learn from the people: Practice remembering.The main reason for one’s poor memory is that _______.
| A．his memory is not often used |
| B．he does not use his name or legs for some time |
| C．his father or mother may have a poor memory |
| D．he can’t read or write |
If you do not use your arms or legs for some time _______.
| A．you can’t use them any more |
| B．they will become stronger |
| C．they will become neither stronger nor weaker |
| D．they become weak and won’t become strong until you use them again |
Some people can’t read or write, but they usually have better memories, because _______.
| A．they have saved much trouble |
| B．they have saved much time to remember things |
| C．they have to use their memories all the time |
| D．they can’t write everything in a little notebook |
Which is the best title for this passage?
| A．Don’t Stop Using Your Arms or Legs |
| B．How to Have a Good Memory |
| C．Strong Arms and Good Memories |
| D．Learn From the People |
Living in a modern society has its advantages and disadvantages. One disadvantage is that you often have to live closer to other people than you would like to. Sometimes, your neighbors make a noise that you are not comfortable with.
The best way to solve this problem is to talk with your neighbor first. You should be very polite and ask your neighbor if he knows how thin the walls of your homes are. This way doesn’t criticize (批评) his behavior（行为）; it simply points out that he may not realize how far his sound travels. Tell him that you know that sometimes you make noise as well, but that you do your best to keep it down. Often this will solve the problem right away, but sometimes the neighbor may become angry.
If your neighbor becomes angry with you, there are some more steps you can take. You might write a letter to the neighborhood committee. Make sure you write down the source of the noise and the time in the letter. They will review the situation and decide whether your neighbor is out of line. Some noise is considered to be reasonable, even if it bothers you. So you may prepare a good pair of earplugs (耳塞).
Even if your neighbor makes too much noise, you don’t have to live your life in discomfort. It’s always a good idea to be friendly with your neighbors. You may clean the rubbish in front of his door. He’s sure to appreciate behavior like this and be more open to your suggestions about noise level.What is the first step to deal with the noisy neighbor?
| A．To buy a good pair of earplugs |
| B．To offer suggestions to the neighbor |
| C．To ask the neighborhood committee for help |
| D．To tell the neighbor how bad his behavior is |
The underlined word “reasonable” in the third paragraph probably means “____”.
| A．terrible | B．loud | C．proper | D．unpleasant |
What does the last paragraph mainly talk about?
| A．You should control your noise as well |
| B．You can live comfortably even if there is noise |
| C．Your neighbor may be more friendly than you think |
| D．You should build good relationship with your neighbor |
The author wrote this passage to tell us ____ .
| A．why we should get on well with neighbors |
| B．how to relax ourselves in a modern society |
| C．how to become known among neighbors |
| D．what we should do with our noisy neighbor |
Nick Petrels is a doctor in Montreal. He works 60 hours a week. He takes care of 159 patients a week in the hospital and at his office. He’s been a doctor for ten years.
Dr. Petrels gives his patients good medical advice. But he doesn’t just tell his patients what to do. He also sings to them on television! Dr. Petrels has his own TV show. The show is in Italian, English and French. The doctor starts the show with a song and then gives medical advice. He explains a medical problem or disease in simple language. After that, he sings another song.
Dr. Petrels produces and performs in his own show every week. The program is very popular with his patients and with people who enjoy his singing. His dream is to perform in Las Vegas. His favorite songs are love songs, and he has a compact disk of love songs that he wrote. Dr. Petrels says, “I always loved to sing. All my problems are gone when I sing.” But when Dr. Petrels was young, his father didn’t want him to be a singer, so he went to medical school.
Some people tell Dr. Petrels he can help people more as a doctor. But Dr. Petrels says he helps people when he sings, too. “I like to make people smile. Sometimes it’s difficult to make a sick person smile. Medicine and pleasure both try to do the same thing. They try to make people feel good.” Dr. Petrels works 60 hours a week, because he _______.
| A．gives his patients medical advice |
| B．takes care of 159 patients a week |
| C．sings on television |
| D．has his own TV show |
Dr. Petrels _______, so he is called a singing doctor.
| A．also sings to his patients on TV |
| B．always loves to sing |
| C．is popular with his patients |
| D．has been a doctor for ten years |
In his TV show, Dr. Petrel _______.
| A．sings and gives medical advice |
| B．sings about different diseases |
| C．starts to explain diseases with a song |
| D．sings love songs he wrote |
Dr. Petrels says he likes to _______.
| A．help people sing | B．make people feel better |
| C．do the same thing | D．make difficult people smile |
When Joan gave birth to the first boy in her family in three generations, she and her husband were overjoyed. So were her parents. Joan expected her elder sister, Sally, to be just as delighted as them. Joan had always admired Sally--the beauty and the star of the family--and felt happy about her achievements.
But since the baby's arrival, the sisters have become distant. Joan feels hurt for Sally seems completely uninterested in her baby. Sally, who has no children, claims that her younger sister "acts as if no one ever had a baby before."
Neither Sally nor Joan understands that the real cause of the current coldness is that their family roles have suddenly changed to the opposite. Finally Joan seems to be better than her elder sister--and Sally doesn't like it! Their distance may be temporary, but it shows that childhood competition don't fade easily as ages grow. It can remain powerful in relationships throughout life.
In a study of the University of Cincinnati, 65 men and women between ages 25 and 93 were asked how they felt about their brothers and sisters. Nearly 75 percent admitted having hidden competitive feelings. In a few cases, these emotions were so strong as to have affected their entire lives.
Many adult brothers and sisters are close, supportive--yet still tend to compete. Two brothers I know turn into killers when on opposite sides of a tennis net. Off the court, they are the best of friends. My own younger sister can't wait to tell me when I've put on weight. However, she's a terrible cook and that pleases me; I tease her when she comes to dinner. Happily, despite these small failings, we have been an important resource for each other.
In between the very competitive and the generally supportive children lie those who say that no friendship should survive. Some brothers and sisters stay at arm's length, but never give up competition completely. Why do these puzzling, unproductive, often painful relationships continue to exist?When Joan's son was born, Sally.
| A．felt very happy | B．felt not delighted | C．moved away | D．admired her a lot |
What happens to children's desire to compete with their brothers and sisters?
| A．It sometimes will disappear when they grow up. |
| B．It will never disappear throughout life. |
| C．It will improve their relationships when they grow up. |
| D．It will never harm their relationships when they grow up. |
Why does the author's sister often tell her when she's put on weight?
| A．Because she wants the author to go on a diet. |
| B．Because she wants the author to stop calling her a bad cook. |
| C．Because she wants to make fun of the author's weight. |
| D．Because she wants to be honest with the author. |
The underlined sentence means that although some brothers and sisters.
| A．live near each other, they still have competitions |
| B．live away from each other, they stop their competitions |
| C．live together, they often think of ending their competitions |
| D．live within a big family, they often try to end their competitions |