Last year, Jack Bleed cut through the bone of his ring finger while working. The 31-year-old resident of North Little Rock, Arkansas, waited for about six hours at a nearby medical center while the medical staff there called all over town — even as far away as Dallas and Memphis — to find a hand surgeon to reattach his finger. Finally, a willing doctor was located in Louisville, Kentucky. But even though Bleed had insurance(保险), he would have to hire a private plane to get himself there, at a cost of $4,300. In the end, he charged the cost to two credit cards, and his finger was saved. His insurance company eventually covered the cost of the plane, but his experience makes people aware of the fact that trauma(外伤) care in the United States is not only geographically limited, but in many places, non-existent.
Only eight states — New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Illinois, New Mexico, California, Oregon, and Washington — have local, fully functional trauma systems. The remaining states have partial systems, and 12 — including Arkansas — have no trauma system at all.
Although the President has signed a bill of $12 million for the purpose of supporting trauma care systems nationwide, many in Congress(国会) are unwilling to spend government money for a service they think should be paid for by states, says Wayne Meredith, medical director for trauma programs at the American College of Surgeons. Meanwhile, many states have also failed to find the dollars to support trauma systems.
To make matters worse, many people without insurance depend heavily on the emergency care services, placing a huge financial burden on the medical centers that serve them.
For the same reason, doctors, too, often go unpaid. They are unwilling to perform emergency care, worsening critical shortages of neurosurgeons, orthopedists, and hand surgeons — the very types of specialists Bleed needed at short notice.
Supporting a trauma care system doesn’t take much. A half-penny sales tax in Miami-Dade County makes its outstanding system work. In Arkansas alone, says Wayne Meredith, a well-funded trauma system would possibly prevent 200 to 600 deaths each year. If trauma care systems were to work well across the nation, experts say, many thousands of lives each year could be saved. “You don’t get much better return on your investment than that,” Meredith says.
In Paragraph 1, the writer uses Bleed’s case to ______.
| A.make a comparison | B.describe a person |
| C.introduce a topic | D.tell a story |
Many people in Congress argue that trauma care systems should be supported by ______.
| A.the President | B.each state |
| C.insurance companies | D.the US government |
The example of Miami-Dade County shows that ______.
| A.its tax policy is admirable |
| B.running a trauma system is profitable |
| C.a trauma system is not expensive |
| D.sales tax is not heavy in small counties |
Why are the present trauma care systems in some states not satisfactory?
| A.They are shared by all the states. |
| B.They are short of financial support. |
| C.The doctors are not well trained. |
| D.The hospitals can’t provide low-cost services. |
Every day Yang Hongwei takes the bus home from work, staring silently at the European-style villas(别墅), luxury cars and twinkling lights from the shopping center that he sees through the window.
Yang works for a software company in Zhongguancun. He dreams of such a life, away from poverty, and that hope has kept him in Beijing for three years since he graduated from university.
Soon Yang squeezes his way off the bus to the reality of his life: his home—a 10-square-metre room that costs 550 yuan(81 US dollars) or about one-fifth of his salary in rent every month. It’s very cold inside the house as it has no central heating system. He has to stand the long and cold winter. Determined to achieve his dream, Yang says he has changed jobs “numerous” times in the past three years and is considering quitting his present job.
Yang’s frustration over his life as a migrant(移民) is shared by many other graduates that have moved into big cities. Together they have come to be called the “ant tribe”, a term created by Chinese sociologists to describe the struggles of young migrants, who, armed with their diplomas, flood to big cities in hopes of a better life only to put up with low-paying jobs and poor living conditions. They share every similarity with ants. They live in colonies in crowded areas. They’re intelligent and hardworking, yet unknown and underpaid. The term, sociologists have said, also reflects their helplessness in a world governed by the law of the concrete jungle—only the strongest survive.
A survey in Ant TribeⅡ found nearly 30 percent of the “ants” are graduates of famous key universities—almost three times the percentage of 2009. Most have degrees in popular majors, such as medicine, engineering, economics and management. In addition, 7.2 percent of the “ants” have at least a master’s degree compared to 1.6 percent in 2009. Most said the economic recovery did not really improve their financial situations, and 66 percent said their incomes fell short of their expectations, the survey also found.
For two years, Lian Si, a post-doctoral fellow at the Center for Chinese and Global Affairs of Peking University, who has studied the phenomenon, led a team of more than 100 graduate students to follow the groups in university towns like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Wuhan and Xi’an. Lian evaluates the total population of the “ant community” in major cities at one million across China, with about 100,000 found in Beijing alone. Lian predicts that an increasingly challenging job market will see the ant tribe growing further in number. Another 6.3 million graduates are expected to join migrant workers and other job hunters in what promises to be a fierce labour competition.
The ant tribe’s embarrassing living situations have become a serious social issue, and the government should develop “second-and-third-tier cities” to attract more graduates from big cities. However, “ants” expect more study and training opportunities in big cities, which keeps them in positive mindsets despite their situations. As in the case of Yang, he is optimistic about getting a new job soon, having received eight interview offers in a week after sending out his resume. The prospect of landing a higher-paying job keeps him hopeful of moving out of the slum district(贫民区) soon. The sooner the better. . Yang has worked in Beijing since graduation from university ______.
| A.to live in a beautiful villa of European style |
| B.to have more opportunities to be promoted |
| C.to struggle for a better-off life in a big city |
| D.to enjoy a busy life in a software company |
. Which of the following best describes “ant tribe”?
| A.It refers to the group of low-income graduates living in embarrassing conditions. |
| B.It refers to the people who work hard like ants but are paid little. |
| C.It refers to the sociologists and scholars researching into some social phenomena. |
| D.It refers to some well-educated people who can’t survive in society. |
. What does the writer think of the phenomenon of “ant tribe”?
| A.“Ant tribe” has become too serious a social problem to solve. |
| B.It is the government’s duty to solve the problem of “ant tribe”. |
| C.Both the government and the graduates have the responsibility. |
| D.The existence of “ant tribe” has little influence on job markets. |
. The passage is mainly about ______.
| A.a new urban life style—“ant tribe” | B.a recent survey about the “ant tribe” |
| C.the “ant tribe’s” living conditions | D.the “ant tribe’s” dream and reality |
Learners report two main difficulties in reading, which may be linked. There are too many unknown words and as a result reading is simply not a pleasure. For some students, even reading in their own language is a chore.
Having a wide vocabulary is essential to making sense of written language. Of course, this is a circular argument, because the more you read the more vocabulary you learn and the more words you know the more easily you can read. Don’t make the mistake of reading with your dictionary beside you, looking up every single new or doubtful word. This is laborious and prevents you from practicing the skill of prediction.
Sometimes in reading you find a word you know but the sense doesn’t seem to fit in. This is not surprising because words have so many meanings and degrees of meaning. What is more, part of their meaning is shaped by the words around them. Keep looking at the surrounding words and asking yourself “what sort of meaning would make sense here?”
The more that people study the reading process, the better they can pass on to language learners a range of advice to choose from. People have learned to read in all kinds of ways. Here is some information that could help you plan to be a better reader in the foreign language you are studying.
1)Work out the general meaning first
When people read in a new language they often feel they must take a detailed approach, focusing on every word, particularly those they don’t know. They read as if they were using a microscope, looking carefully at each of the small pieces(the individual words), but not necessarily seeing the whole picture at first. This is called the “bottom-up” approach. Other readers try to look first at the big picture(the “top-down” approach), attending to individual bricks only as necessary, a process that involves some intelligent guesswork. Generally this second approach is recommended by successful learners.
2)Interactive reading
Another way of thinking about reading is to describe it as an interactive process, where the text brings something to you and you bring something to the text. Readers bring together all their knowledge of the world with what they see on the page in front of them. That is why, when reading in our own language, we don’t need to read every word. We add meaning which is not actually stated.
3)From supported reading to independent reading
Language learners start by needing considerable support as they read. Textbooks supply this support in the form of introductions that summaries the contents, glossaries, pictures, explanations of new grammar points. In your reading you need to move gradually from this support to reading more the text itself.. According to the author, ______.
| A.looking up the dictionary is of great help for the understanding |
| B.reading more promotes the gaining of vocabulary |
| C.the more you read, the less useful the dictionary will be |
| D.the amount of vocabulary is the key to reading |
. Successful learners recommend ______.
| A.trying to look first at the big picture |
| B.looking carefully at each of the small pieces |
| C.focusing on every word |
| D.“bottom-up” approach |
. The word “chore” in the first paragraph maybe means ______.
| A.an important aspect | B.a difficult and tiring thing |
| C.an easy question | D.something special |
. You come across a new or doubtful word when you are reading, you can ______.
| A.just miss it and let it be |
| B.keep looking at the surrounding words |
| C.look it up in the dictionary each time |
| D.make sense of it with the help of dictionary |
I'm fat. I'm too skinny. I'd be happy if I were taller, shorter, had curly hair, straight hair, a smaller nose, bigger muscles, longer legs. Do any of these statements sound familiar? Do you often put yourself down? If so, you're not alone. As a teen, you're going through a ton of changes in your body. And as your body changes, so does your image (形象) of yourself. Lots of people have trouble getting used to it and this can affect their confidence.
Some people think they need to change how they look or act to feel good about themselves. But actually all you need to do is change the way you see your body and how you think about yourself.
The first thing to do is recognize that your body is your own, no matter what shape, size, or color it comes in. If you're very worried about your weight or size, go to your doctor to check that things are OK. But it's no one's business but your own what your body is like-finally, you have to be happy with yourself.Next, find which aspects of your appearance you can change and which you can't change and need to accept-like their height, for example, or their shoe size.
If there are things about yourself that you want to change and can do this by making goals for yourself. For example, if you want to get fit, make a pan to exercise every day and eat nutritious foods.
When you hear negative comments coming from within yourself, tell yourself to stop. Try building your confidence by listing three things in your day that really gave you pleasure. It can be anything like the way the sun felt on your face, the sound of your favorite band, or the way someone laughed at your jokes.. From the first paragraph, we can infer that _________.
| A.most teens like to have a special body image |
| B.many teens can't accept their body change easily |
| C.teens prefer to change their body image quickly |
| D.teens usually change their opinions on their body image |
. Which of the following does the author probably agree with?
| A.Realize you can't change everything about yourself. |
| B.Change the way other people look at you. |
| C.Go to your doctor for advice on how to change your body. |
| D.Learn from some celebrities on how to change your body. |
. The underlined phrase "put yourself down" in the first paragraph probably means_____.
| A.make yourself fall down | B.say negative things about yourself |
| C.force yourself to do something | D.write down your name somewhere |
. The passage is mainly about_______.
| A.how to adjust to the changes of your body |
| B.how to build confidence by changing your body |
| C.how to keep an attractive body image |
| D.how to find pleasure in your day |
Italian Lakes and Greek Islands(12days)
Prices starting from$1999
Your tour begins in Milan, Italy, and moves on to the pretty Italian Lake District and the attractive resort(胜地) of Stresa, your home for two nights. Collette Vacations has carefully chosen the Costa Victoria as your home away from home for your 7-night journey along the waterways of the Mediterranean. The cruise ship is filled with the warmth and culture of Italy and is richly designed with entertainment(娱乐) areas and very good living conditions. It will take you to the places of your dreams.
You’ll spend 4 days touring Greek cities you’ve always heard about. In Katakolon, you will have the only unguided tour to nearby Olympia on the whole journey. Then with a local guide you will visit the Greek islands of Santorini, which is often related to the story of the lost city Atlantis, and Mykonos, a wonderful island with beautiful beaches.
Your journey ends in Verona, home of the love story Romeo and Juliet, with a fun-filled farewell dinner--- a perfect ending to a pleasant journey.
12Days, 25 Meals, 10 Breakfasts, 6 Lunches, 9Dinners
Day 1 Overnight fight to Italy
Day 2-3 Regina Palace, Stresa, Italy
Day4—10 Costa Victoria (Costa cruises)
Day11 Hotel Leopardi, Verona, Italy
Day12 Leave for home
Please Note
| Leaving date |
Price for one person |
| April 7 |
$ 2 099 |
| June 2 |
$ 2 199 |
| October 6 |
$ 2 099 |
| November 3 |
$ 1 999 |
How is the journey planned?
| A.It starts and ends in Italy. |
| B.It starts and ends in Greece. |
| C.It starts in Italy and ends in Greece. |
| D.It starts in Greece and ends in Italy. |
What can be inferred from the travel plan?
| A.The price may get lower than those in the plan. |
| B.The price include three meals a day. |
| C.The price is the highest in summer. |
| D.The prices include entertainment service. |
What does the underlined part “the Costa Victoria” most probably refer to?
| A.A famous hotel. | B.A beautiful resort. |
| C.A comfortable ship. | D.A long-distant bus. |
Tourists will travel on their own in _____.
| A.Stresa | B.Olympia | C.Mykonos | D.Verona |
English is the native or official language of one-fifth of the land area of the world. It is spoken in North America, Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand. In South Africa and India it is one of the official languages.
More people study English than any other language. In many countries, the textbooks in universities are in English. Many university classes are taught in English even though the native language is not English.
English is the language of international communication. It is the language of international business, research, and science. More than three-fourths of the world’s mail is written in English. More than half of the scientific research journals are in English. Most other languages have borrowed many English words.
Why did English become the international language? In the middle of the nineteenth century, French was the international language. The Britain became very powerful in the world. England started colonies in North America and India in the seventeenth century. By 1900 England also had colonies in other parts of Asia, Africa and the South Pacific. The people in the colonies had to use English. Slowly it became more important than French internationally. After the Second World War, the United States became very powerful, and even more people began to learn English.
Is English a good international language? It has more words than any other language. The grammar is simpler than in other major languages. However, English spelling is difficult. Foreigners all have trouble spelling English. So do native speakers!
Since 1880, people have invented over fifty artificial (not natural) languages. No one speaks them as a native language. However, none of them has ever become popular. Some people don’t want to study English, but it is the international language. There is no way to change that now.English is the native language of ______.
| A.South Africa | B.Australia | C.All of Canada | D.Malaysia |
England started a colony in India in the ______.
| A.1600s | B.1800s | C.1700s | D.1900s |
Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the text?
| A.The English grammar is simple in general. |
| B.It has a good vocabulary. |
| C.Its pronunciation sounds pleasant. |
| D.It is difficult to spell correctly. |
The author concludes that____.
| A.it is necessary to invent a new language. |
| B.English is the international language whether you like it or not |
| C.English is much better than other languages |
| D.English should be spoken all over the world |