For Americans, a mosquito bite is an itchy bother. But for many in Africa, a tiny bite can be deadly. One million people die each year of malaria, a disease spread by infected mosquitoes. Most of these people live in Africa, and are under age 5.
Malaria can be prevented and treated. However, many African nations don’t have the funds to fight it. Nothing but Nets (NBN) hopes to change that. The United Nations Foundation created the campaign in 2006. The aim is to prevent malaria by covering sleeping areas with nets. Hanging bed nets treated with insecticide(杀虫剂) is the simplest way to stop mosquitoes from biting at night. The chemicals last four to five years. For $10, anyone can send a net to Africa and help save a life.
So far, NBN has raised $19 million and delivered 700,000 nets to seven countries. Families are taught how to use the nets. Kids also get vaccines (疫苗)and vitamins. "Women line up for miles to get the medicine for their kids," says NBN director Elizabeth McKee Gore. "They understand the importance."
So do kids in this country. "They get so excited thinking of ways to raise money," says NBN spokesperson and basketball star Ruth Riley.
NBN’s biggest fund-raiser is Katherine Commale, 7. She’s been spreading the information about bed nets for the past two years. To show how they work, she and her brother made a video. "We teach that bed nets can save lives," she said.
Katherine has raised $42,000 for NBN. "She just wants those who need a net to have one," says her mom, Lynda. "It’s pretty simple to her." To find out how you can help, visit nothingbutnets.net.We know from the passage that NBN is in fact _________.
A.a deadly disease | B.an organization |
C.a piece of equipment | D.a game |
The purpose of the passage is most probably ___________.
A.to list the sufferings of the African people |
B.to introduce new ways to avoid mosquito bites |
C.to call on people to offer their help to Africans |
D.to tell people how to buy nets in Africa |
By saying “So do kids in this country” in Paragraph 4,the author means that kids in this country also ___________.
A.know the importance of the bed nets |
B.know how to protect themselves |
C.lack nets to protect themselves |
D.suffer from malaria |
What do we know about Katherine from the passage?
A.She set up the website nothingbutnets.net. |
B.She is the youngest money-raiser for NBN. |
C.She raised money by making and selling videos. |
D.She started working for NBN at the age of 5. |
Plagiarism(剽窃)is the act of taking another person’s writing, conversation, song, or even idea and passing it off as your own. This includes information from web pages, books, songs, television shows. email messages, interviews, articles. artworks or any other medium. Whenever you paraphrase, summarize, or take words, phrases, or sentences from another person’s work, it is necessary to indicate the source of the information within your Paper using ail internal citation(引用). It is not enough to just list t11e source in a bibliography at the end of your paper. Failing to properly cite(引述)or acknowledge someone else’s words or ideas with an internal citation is plagiarism.
Each of the 10 most common types of plagiarism is defined below. The types are ranked in the order of the seriousness of intention. In terms of seriousness, which of the following is the worst?
A.REMIX. | B.MASHUP. | C.CLONE. | D.RECYCLE. |
If an essay contains copied passages, but without citation, it could still be regarded as _______.
A.HYBRID | B.FIND-REPLACE | C.CTRL-C | D.RE-WEET |
The Code “404 ERROR” probably means “________”.
A.No Citation | B.Not Found | C.Some Changes | D.Many Errors |
FFather was a hardworking man who delivered bread as a living to support his wife and three children. He spent all his evenings after work attending classes,hoping to improve himself so that he could one day find a better. paid job. Except. for Sundays, Father hardly ate a meal together with his family. He worked and studied very hard because he wanted to provide his family with the best that money could buy.
Whenever the family complained that he was not spending enough time with them, he reasoned that he was doing all this for them. Though he often longed to spend more time with his family, he weighed his contribution to his family above everything else.
The day came when the examination results were announced. To his joy, Father passed, and with distinctions too! Soon after, he was offered a good job as a senior supervisor which paid handsomely.
Like a dream come true, Father could now afford to provide his family with life’s little luxuries like nice clothing,fine food and vacation abroad.
However, the family still did not get to see Father for most of the week. He continued to work very hard, hoping to be promoted to the position of manager. In fact, to make himself a worthily candidate for the promotion, he took another course in an open university.
Again, whenever the family complained that he was not spending enough time with them, he reasoned that he was doing all this for them. Though he often longed to spend more time with his family, he weighed his contribution to his family above everything else.
Father’s hard work paid off and he was promoted. Happily, he decided to hire a maid to relieve his wife from her domestic tasks. He also felt that their three-room flat was no longer big enough. It would be nice for his family to be able to enjoy the facilities and comfort of a condominium. Having experienced the rewards of his hard work many times before, Father resolved to further his studies and work at being promoted again. The family still did not get to see much of him. In fact, sometimes Father had to work on Sundays entertaining clients.
Over again, whenever the family complained that he was not spending enough time with them, he reasoned that he was doing all this for them. Though he often longed to spend more time with his family, he weighed his contribution to his family above everything else.
As expected, Father's hard work paid off again and he bought a beautiful condominium overlooking the coast of Singapore. On the first Sunday evening at their new home, Father declared to his family that he decided not to take any more courses or pursue any more promotions. From then on he was going to devote more time to
his family, and it was a promise.
Father did not wake up the next day.Father worked and studied very hard because ________.
A.he had to support his family |
B.he was enthusiastic in attending classes |
C.he wanted to bring his family a better lire |
D.he had to so as to reduce his family’s complaint |
What CAN’T Father get through his hard work?
A.Family time. | B.Higher education. | C.Better housing. | D.Vacation abroad. |
How would the family feel when “Father did not wake up the next day”?
A.To their joy, Father can have a good rest in the end. |
B.They should have stopped Father from working so hard. |
C.Thank God, Father can stay home with them. |
D.There is no point working hard for a better life. |
What is the function of the italicized(斜体)paragraphs in this passage?
A.To make readers show sympathy for Father. |
B.To show how stubborn Father was. |
C.To make readers fee l how hard Father worked. |
D.To imply a sad ending to the story. |
(The Guardian): More UK universities should be profiting from ideas
A repeated criticism of the UK's university sector is its noticeable weakness in translating new knowledge into new products and services.
Recently, the UK National Stem Cell Network warned the UK could lose its place among the world leaders in stem cell research unless adequate funding and legislation could be assured, despite an annual £40m spent by the Department of Health on all kinds of research.
However, we do have to challenge the unthinking complaint that the sector does not do enough in taking ideas to market. The most recent comparative data on the performance of universities and research institutions in Australia, Canada, USA and UK shows that, from a relatively weak starting position, the UK now leads on many indicators of commercialization activity.
When viewed at the national level, the policy interventions (interference) of the past decade have helped transformed the performances of UK universities. Evidence suggests the UK's position is much stronger than in the recent past and is still showing improvement. But national data masks the very large variation in the performance of individual universities. The evidence shows that a large number of universities have fallen off the back of the pack, a few perform strongly and the rest chase the leaders.
This type of uneven distribution is not strange to the UK and is mirrored across other economies. In the UK, research is concentrated: less than 25% of universities are receiving 75% of the research funding. These same universities are also the institutions producing the greatest share of PhD graduates, science citations, patents and license income. The effect of policies generating long-term resource concentration has also created a distinctive set of universities which are research-led and commercially active. It seems clear that the concentration of research and commercialization work creates differences between universities.
The core objective for universities which are research-led must be to maximize the impact of their research efforts. Their purpose is not to generate funds to add to the bottom line of the university or to substitute other income streams. Rather, these universities should be generating the widest range of social, economic and environmental benefits. In return for the scale of investment, they should share their expertise (expert knowledge or skill) in order to build greater confidence in the sector.
Part of the economic recovery of the UK will be driven by the next generation of research commercialization spilling out of our universities. On the evidence presented in my report, there are three dozen universities in the UK which are actively engaged in advanced research training and commercialization work.
If there was a greater coordination(协调)of technology transfer offices within regions and a simultaneous (happening at the same time) investment in the scale and functions of our graduate schools, universities could, and should, play a key role in positioning the UK for the next growth cycle.What does the author think of UK universities in terms of commercialization?
A.They have lost their leading position in many ways. |
B.They still have a place among the world leaders. |
C.They do not regard it as their responsibility. |
D.They fail to change knowledge into money. |
What does the author say about the national data on UK universities’ performance in commercialization?
A.It masks the fatal weaknesses of government policy. |
B.It indicates their ineffective use of government resources. |
C.It does not rank UK universities in a scientific way. |
D.It does not reflect the differences among universities. |
We can infer from Paragraph 5 that “policy interventions (in Paragraph 4)” refers to _____.
A.concentration of resources in a limited number of universities |
B.compulsory cooperation between universities and industries |
C.government aid to non-research-oriented universities |
D.fair distribution of funding for universities and research institutions |
What dose the author suggest research-led universities do?
A.Fully use their research to benefit all sectors of society. |
B.Generously share their facilities with those short of funds. |
C.Advertise their research to win international recognition. |
D.Spread their influence among top research institutions. |
Rae and Bruce Hostetler not only work very hard,they also relax just as well. Numerous vacations help the couple to maintain their health and emotional well-being一and it’s no surprise to health care professionals.
“Rest, relaxation, and stress reduction are very important for people’s well-being and health. This can be accomplished through daily activities, such as exercise and meditation, but vacation is an important part of this as well,” said primary care physician Natasha Withers from One Medical Group in New York. Withers lists a decreased risk of heart disease and improved reaction time as some of the benefits from taking some time off. “We also know that the mind is very powerful and can help with healing, so a rested, relaxed mind is able to help the body heal better,” said Withers.
Psychologists confirm the value of vacations for the mind. “The impact that taking a vacation has on one’s mental health is great,” said Francine Lederer, a clinical psychologist in Los Angeles who specializes in stress and relationship management. “Most people have better life perspective and are more motivated to achieve their goals after a vacation, even if it is a 24- hour time-out.” The trips could be good for their health, good for their family and good for their businesses.
The online travel agency Expedia conducted a survey about vacation time in 2010, and according to their data the average American earned 18 vacation days一but only used 14 of them. France topped the list, with the average worker earning 37 vacation days and using all but two of them. Americans, responses may not be surprising in a culture where long hours on the job often are valued, but that’s not always good for the individual, the family or the employer.
Psychologists have also found that people who don’t take enough time to relax may find it harder to relax in the future. “Without time and opportunity to do this, the nerve connections that produce feelings of calm and peacefulness become weaker, making it actually more difficult to shift into less-stressed states,” Mulhem said.How did the author introduce the topic of the text?
A.By making comparisons. | B.By giving an example. |
C.By raising questions. | D.By providing data. |
Expedia’s survey shows that Americans _____.
A.dislike family gatherings |
B.have the shortest vacation |
C.enjoy as many vacations as the French |
D.think much of spending long hours on the job |
What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A.One should never wait to relax. | B.Work and rest go against each other. |
C.Time and opportunity wait for no man. | D.A relaxed mind determines everything. |
Aggressive pedestrians are in fact as dangerous as careless drivers. They cause traffic accidents, injury and death.
These dangerous walkers can be seen in any big city all over the world. About 69% of last year’s pedestrian deaths in the US occurred in urban areas. They cross streets ignoring “DON’T WALK” signals, suddenly appear without warning from behind parked vehicles, walk slowly at crossroads with cell phones attached to heads, blocking traffic.
These pedestrians and drivers share a common disregard for the rules of the road, both for selfish reasons. The drivers believe in the power of their machines. If their machines can go faster, they believe they have the right to go faster. If their machines are bigger, they believe they have the right to push smaller vehicles aside. Aggressive pedestrians, on the other hand, believe in the primacy(首位) of the individual, the idea that they are first in any environment, under any circumstances, even when they are on foot in a roaring tide of steel and rubber.
Last year, an estimated 5,220 pedestrians died in traffic accidents. Some 69,000 pedestrians were injured. On average, that worked out to one pedestrian killed in a traffic crash every 101 minutes, and one injured every eight minutes.
The good news is that the accident rate is dropping. For example, the number of pedestrians killed last year was 24 percent less than the number killed in traffic accidents a decade earlier. The bad news is that the basic causes of pedestrian deaths remain pretty much the same----disregard for traffic signals, inattention and crossing roads under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Alcohol, in fact, was involved in 46 percent of the traffic accidents that resulted in pedestrian deaths. Of those, 31 percent of the pedestrians were found to be drunk.
The bottom line is that the pedestrians must do more to protect their lives as well as the lives of other road users. They can start by obeying traffic signals, using marked cross-walks and calling a cab when they’ve had too much to drink.The passage is mainly about _____.
A.how aggressive pedestrians cause traffic accidents |
B.why so many Americans were killed on roads last year |
C.what the traffic rules of the road about pedestrians were |
D.who are to blame for pedestrian deaths, drunk drivers or the aggressive pedestrians |
What is the pedestrians’ selfish reason for traffic jams?
A.They know all drivers are skilled and with great care. |
B.They believe individuals are always first. |
C.They think traffic rules have nothing to do with them. |
D.They guess all vehicles will slow down at crossroads. |
What was NOT the basic cause of pedestrian deaths in the US a decade ago?
A.Disregard for traffic signals | B.Paying no attention to surroundings. |
C.Crossing roads drunk. | D.Overspeeding driving. |
What word can best describe the author’s attitude to the traffic accidents caused by pedestrians?
A.Excited. | B.Cold. | C.Concerned | D.Unconnected. |