Traditional surgical procedures require surgeons to make large incisions(切口)in a patient’s body in order to gain access to the organs inside . It was once common for heart surgeons , who perform highly specialized and complex procedures , to make long incisions in a patient’s chest and then split the breastbone to reach the heart . Patients who undergo surgery are often at the risk of infection , as bacteria can infect the cut in the skin . In addition , there is often a lengthy recovery period .
A surgical technique known as “ keyhole surgery ” has become common in recent years . In general , the surgeon will make a couple of small incisions around the area where the operation is going to be performed . Tubes are pushed into the holes , and a tiny camera is put into the body . The camera is attached to a large monitor screen and the doctor can see it while performing the operation . In addition to the camera , doctors also push their tiny surgical instruments through the tubes . The awkward part of keyhole surgery is that it is counterintuitive ; that is to say , if a surgeon wants to move the tool to the left , he or she must push it to the right .
Another new machine called the “ Da Vinci Surgical System ” has been tested in hospitals in the US. Unlike keyhole surgery , this robot’s moving parts are designed to copy man’s hand and wrist movement , thus providing better control and sensitivity . Sitting at a console(控制台)a few feet from the patient , the surgeon can control the instruments by moving highly sensitive pads . The area of the body is enlarged on a screen , which gives surgeons a view similar to that of a traditional surgical procedure .
The Da Vinci Surgical System has been welcomed as revolutionary by many surgeons . Patients with serious illness must undergo major surgery , but the smaller incisions typically mean a shorter recovery time . On the downside , some operations have taken up to fifty minutes longer because surgeons are inexperienced at using the new technology . As surgeons become more familiar with the machines , the time needed for surgical procedures is likely to decrease .. What can be learned about the traditional surgery according to the passage ?
| A.Long incisions are made in a patient’s chest |
| B.It often takes a longer time to do an operation |
| C.The cost of the traditional surgery is very high |
| D.The incision is likely to be infected after the operation . |
. Which of the following is one disadvantage of keyhole surgery ?
| A.It requires the use of long , thin tools and a tiny camera |
| B.The doctors can not view the inside of the patients body clearly |
| C.The direction in which a doctor moves the surgical tools is opposite |
| D.A tiny camera has to be inserted into the patient’s body in advance |
. The Da Vinci Surgical System differs from keyhole surgery in that it __________ .
| A.requires that a surgeon make more small incisions on a patient |
| B.reduces the amount of time it takes to perform a surgical procedure |
| C.allows the surgeon to use the surgical instruments more sensitively |
| D.get rid of the need for surgeons to make Large incisions on patients |
. The passage mainly tells readers about __________ .
| A.the challenges brought about by new technology |
| B.the application of new technologies in modern surgery |
| C.the reflections on the development in medical science |
| D.the benefits and drawbacks of the Da Vinci Surgical System |
A study involving 8,500 teenagers from all social backgrounds found that most of them are ignorant when it comes to money. The findings, the first in a series of reports from NatWesl that has started a five-year research project into teenagers and money, are particularly worrying as this generation of young people is likely to be burdened with greater debts than any before.
University tuition fees (学费)are currently capped at £3,000 annually, but this will be reviewed next year and the Government is under enormous pressure to raise the ceiling.
In the research, the teenagers were presented with die terms of four different loans but 76 per cent failed to identify the cheapest. The young people also predicted that they would be earning on average £ 31.000 by the age of 25, although the average salary for those aged 22 to 29 is just £ 17,815. The teenagers expected to be in debt when they finished university or training, although half said that they assumed the debts would be less than £ 10.000. Average debts for graduates are £ 12,363.
Stephen Moir, head of community investment at the Royal Bank of Scotland Group which owns NatWest, said. "The more exposed young people are to financial issues, and the younger they become aware of them, the more likely they are to become responsible, forward-planning adults who manage their finances confidently and effectively."
Ministers are deeply concerned about the financial pressures on teenagers and young people because of student loans and rising housing costs. They have just introduced new lessons in how to manage debts. Nikki Fairweather aged 15 from St Helens, said that she had benefited from lessons on personal finance, but admitted that she still had a lot to learn about money. Which of the following can be found from the five-year research project?
| A.Students understand personal finances differently. |
| B.University tuition fees in England have been rising. |
| C.Teenagers tend to overestimate their future earnings. |
| D.The students' payback ability has become a major issue. |
The phrase "to raise the ceiling" in paragraph 2 probably means "______".
| A.to raise the student loans | B.to improve the school facilities |
| C.to increase the upper limit of the tuition | D.to lift the school building roofs |
According to Stephen Moir, students_______.
| A.are too young to be exposed to financial issues |
| B.should learn to manage their finances well |
| C.should maintain a positive attitude when facing loans |
| D.benefit a lot from lessons on personal finance |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A.Many British teenagers do not know money matters well |
| B.Teenagers in Britain are heavily burdened with debts. |
| C.Financial planning is a required course at college. |
| D.Young people should become responsible adults. |
Zoe Chambers was a successful PR (Public Relations) consultant and life was going well — she had a great job, a beautiful flat and a busy social life in London. Then one evening in June last year, she received a text message telling her she was out of work. The first two weeks were the most difficult to live through." she said. "After everything I'd done for the company, they dismissed me by text! I was so angry and I just didn't feel like looking for another job. I hated everything about the city and my life."
Then, Zoe received an invitation from an old school friend, Kathy, to come and stay. Kathy and her husband, Huw, had just bought a farm in north-west Wales. Zoe jumped at the chance to spend a weekend away from London, and now, ten months later, she is still on the farm.
"The moment I arrived at Kathy's farm, I loved it and I knew I wanted to stay." said Zoe. "Everything about my past life suddenly seemed meaningless."
Zoe has been working on the farm since October of last year and says she has no regrets. "It's a hard life, physically very tiring." she says. "In London I was stressed and often mentally exhausted. But this is a good, healthy tiredness. Here, all I need to put me in a good mood is a hot bath and one of Kathy's wonderful dinners."
Zoe says she has never felt bored on the farm. Every day brings a new experience. Kathy has been teaching her how to ride a horse and she has learnt to drive a tractor. Since Christmas, she has been helping with the lambing — watching a lamb being born is unbelievable, she says, "It's one of the most moving experiences I've ever had. I could never go back to city life now." When working as a PR consultant in London, Zoe thought she lived a______life.
| A.satisfying | B.tough | C.meaningless | D.boring |
The most important reason why Zoe went to visit Kathy's farm is that______.
| A.Zoe lost her job as a PR consultant | B.Kathy persuaded her to do so |
| C.Zoe got tired of the city life | D.Zoe loved Wales more than London |
How does Zoe feel about the country life according to the passage?
| A.Tiresome and troublesome. | B.Romantic and peaceful |
| C.Mentally exhausting but healthy | D.Physically tiring but rewarding. |
Which of the following is closest to the main idea of the passage?
| A.A friend in need is a friend indeed. | B.Where there is a will, there is a way. |
| C.A misfortune may turn out a blessing. | D.Kill two birds with one stone. |





ASK LASKAS
YOU’VE GOT QUESTIONS. SHE'S GOT ANSWERS
My children go to a primary school where they are not allowed to play football in the playground for fear that a child might be hurt. Besides, now the school says there must be no homework because the local secondary school can't keep up with the amount of homework given in the primary school. Can the school do this?Puzzled Dad
It can't if enough parents do something about it. It is not just schools. We live in a society which wishes to get rid of risk. However, schools should have a little common sense and courage. Children need risk if they arc to grow up self-sufficient and confident. They need homework, too, if they are to fulfill their academic potential. Complain, loudly.
I have a beautiful teenage daughter who spends an hour making up her face in front of the mirror every day. I tell her to go easy. She just gets mad or bursts into tears. How can I make her understand she's beautiful the way she is.Plain Mom
You can't. Your daughter is at the age when she's trying to look beautiful, trying on new masks. And if her friends all dress up as she does, you're in for an extra hard time. Support her and tell her she's beautiful — even if she looks ridiculous for now. Then invite her to join you for a day at a spa. Let her try various looks until she's comfortable in her own skin.Why are the children not allowed to play football in the playground?
| A.The school is afraid that children might be injured. |
| B.The school is not sensible and confident. |
| C.The children don't have enough time to do homework. |
| D.The children may fail to fulfill their academic potential. |
What disturbs Plain Mom is that her daughter______.
| A.becomes mad | B.cries a lot |
| C.spends much time before the mirror | D.is not beautiful enough |
The solution to Plain Mom's problem is to______.
| A.make her daughter look less ridiculous | B.let her daughter dress up like her friends |
| C.make her daughter go to a spa every week | D.let her daughter feel herself what beauty is |
What does the underlined word spa mean?
| A.a place where water with minerals in it | B.a place where people can relax |
| C.a beauty salon | D.a swimming pool |
Lillian Hanson, a college student, expects to graduate in about two years.What makes Mrs.Hanson different from her classmates is her age-----73 years.She has been studying at college, a few courses at a time, for 27 years.
When Lillian Hanson graduated from high school, she went to the bank to borrow money for further education.The banker gave her no encouragement.He didn’t think that a country girl should borrow money to go to college.He thought she should be at home doing work in the house or around the farm.So Lillian Hanson went home and raised a family of nine children instead of going to college.Mrs.Hanson never forgot her dream of getting a higher education.When her children were grown, she tried again.
She finds that it is the hardest part of going back to school at her age to sit in class for long periods of time.Because she is not as quick as she used to be, Mrs.Hanson often gets up and walks around classes to keep from getting stiff(不灵活).At the beginning of a course in using the computer, the other students all stood up to give her a warm welcome when she introduced herself and explained why she was there and what her aims were.Mrs.Hanson couldn’t go to college immediately after she graduated from high school because ____
| A.she hadn’t got enough money |
| B.she was a country girl |
| C.the banker ordered her not to borrow any money |
| D.the banker thought she should raise a family of nine children |
The computer students welcomed Mrs.Hanson warmly because ______.
| A.she had got an excellent result in the exam |
| B.she was good at telling funny stories |
| C.they wanted to get her help in their studies |
| D.they were deeply moved by her spirit |
Mrs.Hanson is the sort of person who ________.
| A.cares for study very much |
| B.likes to borrow money from the bank |
| C.never misses a chance to talk |
| D.tries to save any money for her family |
In which order did Mrs.Hanson do the following things?
a.she began her studies at college.
b.She finished high school.
c.She got married and gave birth of nine children.
d.She had her 73 rd birthday.
e.She went to the bank to borrow money.
| A.a c b e d | B.b e c a d | C.b c e d a | D.e d a c b |
Many people will remember the flight of the space shuttle (航天飞机)Challenger , in June, 1993.The achievement of Sally Ride, America’s first woman astronaut to fly into space, made this flight especially memorable.Students from two high schools in Camden, New Jersey, however, are likely to remember Norma rather than Sally whenever they think about the flight.
Norma didn’t travel alone.She brought about 100 companions along with her.Norma was an ant, a queen ant who, with her subjects, made up the first ant colony (群体) to travel into space.The ants were part of a science experiment designed by the students to test the effects of weightlessness on insects.
The equipment designed by the students for their colony functioned perfectly throughout the long space trip.The young scientists and their teachers were very sad to find that their insect astronauts had all died at some point before the container was returned to the school and opened.The problem did not occur in space, but on the ground after Challenger had landed.The container remained in the desert for nearly a week before the ant colony was removed.The hot, dry desert air dried out the colony’s container and the ants died from lack of moisture (水分).
The project was termed a success because it did provide useful information.Students will continue their efforts to find out exactly what went wrong.They will try to prevent the same difficulties from recurring (再发生) on future missions .They don’t want to be discouraged either by the death of the ants or by the $10,000 shuttle fare they will have to pay to send the next colony of ants into space.The story is mainly about.
| A.Sally Ride’s first ride |
| B.space equipment for insects |
| C.a space experiment with ants |
| D.going to school in New Jersey |
The project wasn’t a failure because.
| A.some important things were learned |
| B.dead ants are better |
| C.everything went as expected |
| D.students wrote about it |
The ants died because.
| A.weightlessness harmed them |
| B.space caused too much pain |
| C.no one fed them in space |
| D.they dried out in the desert |
On the next space trip , ants.
| A.will be sent without people |
| B.should not be left in the desert too long |
| C.will have to pay double fare |
| D.will escape the trip completely |