Depression(抑郁症)is a serious problem today.Depression causes workers to be unproductive,causing companies and countries to lose billions of dollars.One expert says that depression is like cancer because it is “widespread,costly and deadly”.Depression hits one person in five around the world.
Although people have believed depression to be a problem among the rich and educated,studies show that depression is a problem among everyone。Over any six-month period,between five to seven percent of the world's population will be suffering from a serious depression.
uicide(自杀)rates among people suffering from the disease in its extreme,or clinical form were 80 percent higher than in the population at large,and sufferers were four times more likely to have heart attacks. People who suffer from depression often have problems sleeping,getting up on time,and doing work productively.
Depression,which researchers agree has its origin in the genes(基因),brings loss of confidence and ability to concentrate-making it impossible for employees and managers to work efficiently.
Depression is made more serious in China by Chinese's inability to face it.Many people believe that depressed people are either weak or lazy. Besides,there is no good treatment,with few specialists available.
“Most patients in China just don't get help,”a Chinese doctor says.“In my hospital.I have to see 30 or 40 patients in a morning,just have time to say “Hello how do you feel?”
In Western countries,people are not afraid to admit that they have depression,but most do not tell it to their boss,because they fear that their boss would fire them.
“In my experience,aging bosses are the most willing to admit they have it. Because they feel the most secure about themselves,”an American doctor says.
Hopefully,in the near future,people around the world will be able to admit that they have depression so that they can get the right treatment.Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A.It is widely believed that everyone may suffer from depression. |
| B.Depression brings great problems to its sufferers in their life and work |
| C.Depression is a commonly-existing problem only in rich countries. |
| D.The poorer and the less educated a person is,the less he will suffer from depression. |
Compared to normal people,the depressed people are likely to be▁▁▁.
| A.very unconfident and often absent-minded |
| B.easy to avoid being hit by heart attacks |
| C.working efficiently and productively |
| D.either weak or lazy |
Depression becomes more serious in China because of.
| A.the understanding of the problem |
| B.the lack of treatment and doctors |
| C.their unwillingness to tell it to their boss |
| D.the doctors' careless work |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A.People are suffering from depression because of the shortage of specialists. |
| B.The aging bosses around the world dare to say they are depressed. |
| C.More and more patients will turn to specialists for help. |
| D.Western people are braver than Chinese people. |
“It’s our tradition to help each other”, added Tenpa, a medical official in neighbouring Madoi County, who said Yushu has always been quick to help other areas in times of trouble. “We have suffered many dangers and each time people in Yushu have sent food and clothes. We are always thankful to them and hopefully we proved it by being the first rescue team to arrive in Yushu after the earthquake.”
The Madoi medical team arrived just hours after the violent 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit Yushu. In two weeks, they have treated at least 1,800 people, while the county has donated 400,000 yuan.
The biggest fear in the earthquake area is the outbreak of diseases. Tenpa said, “Keeping things clean in the shelter is very hard. Even hand washing is almost impossible because of lack of water. Our team is spraying disinfectant (喷洒消毒剂) and we hope that will work.”
After driving for 13 hours with his medical team, Tian Jiancan said he immediately found a 40-year-old who was seriously injured after being trapped in a toppled house. Tian had to operate on the man in his emergency medical van. “If we had been one hour later, he would probably be dead. It’s good to see him out of danger now.” Tian’s medical team has treated over 3,200 people, including a 15-day-old baby and a 105-year-old man. They also helped to put up tents against winds, where patients are protected well.
One local man said although most doctors cannot speak Tibetan, they have shown their care and love through their actions.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A.This is the first time that Tibetans have faced great dangers. |
| B.People in Yushu have always been ready to help each other. |
| C.Madoi was also hit by the 7.1-magnitude earthquake. |
| D.Tian’s team is the second rescue team to arrive Yushu. |
What is the closest meaning to the underlined words in paragraph 7?
| A.a house on the top floor | B.a house which had no roofs |
| C.a house which fell down | D.a house which was poorly built |
How many people have been rescued by the medical teams according to the passage?
| A.About 1,800. | B.3,200. | C.At least 5,000. | D.4000,000. |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A.People in Yushu are encouraged by the medical team workers. |
| B.The doctors went along quite well in spite of the language trouble. |
| C.The Madoi medical team was the first to arrive at the earthquake-hit area. |
| D.The medical workers made great efforts to help the people suffering from the earthquake. |
Few people realize that there is a big difference between formal English and informal English. Formal English is used for most writing, and often in public speaking and formal meetings. It pays close attention to grammar rules, because if we use proper grammar, our meaning is often more precise. Also, on important occasions, we do not want to appear uneducated or to offend (冒犯) others, so we are very careful about how we speak. Informal English is used in speaking or writing to our friends and family. It often does not pay such close attention to grammar rules, because when we speak or write to them, we want our words to flow quickly. Also, with our friends and family, we are usually not so worried about appearing uneducated or about offending them by how we write or speak.
A big difference between formal and informal English is the use of contractions. A contraction is where we make a word shorter or where we put two words together and take away some of the letters. For example, instead of saying “do not”, many people say “don’t”. Using contractions in our speech is fine because it sounds natural, especially when we speak to our friends. In formal writing, however, contractions are usually avoided because people might think that you have made a mistake, or that you do not know proper grammar.
In the same way we might make words shorter, in informal English we often make sentences shorter as well. For example, if someone asks you your name, you will likely answer with one word: your first name. However, in formal English we usually use complete sentences. For example, we might write “My name is John”. In most speaking, we may not need to use every word in a sentence because the person we are speaking to will probably still understand us. In most writing, however, every word in a sentence must be written out in order to make sure that we can be understood. When we use formal English, _______.
| A.we will offend others |
| B.we will appear educated on important occasions |
| C.we needn’t pay more attention to grammar rules |
| D.we can express ourselves more directly and more quickly |
What’s the meaning of the underlined word “precise”?
| A.simple | B.direct | C.puzzling | D.clear |
Contractions are best used when we are _______.
| A.speaking at a formal meeting | B.speaking to our friends |
| C.speaking in public | D.writing an application (申请) letter |
In speaking, we do not always use complete sentences because ______.
| A.we do not care about grammar | B.we do not want to sound stupid |
| C.we can still be understood | D.we don’t want to waste time |
It was a Sunday morning, and I was in a terrible mood. Two of my friends had gone to the movies the night before and hadn’t invited me. I was in my room thinking of ways to make them sorry when my father came in. “Want to go for a ride, today, Beck? It’s a beautiful day.”
“No! Leave me alone!” Those were the last words I said to him that morning.
My friends called and invited me to go to the mall with them a few hours later. I forgot to be mad at them and went. I came home to find a note on the table. My mother put it where I would be sure to see it. “Dad has had an accident. Please meet us at Highland Park Hospital”.
When I reached the hospital, my mother came out and told me my father’s injuries were extensive. “Your father told the driver to leave him alone and just call 911, thank God! If he had moved Daddy, there’s no telling what might have happened. A broken rib (肋骨) might have pierced (穿透) a lung....”
My mother may have said more, but I didn’t hear. I didn’t hear anything except those terrible words: Leave me alone. My dad said them to save himself from being hurt more. How much had I hurt him when I hurled (愤慨地说出) those words at him earlier in the day?
It was several days later that he was finally able to have a conversation. I held his hand gently, afraid of hurting him.
“Daddy... I am so sorry....”
“It’s okay, sweetheart. I’ll be okay.”
“No,” I said, “I mean about what I said to you that day. You know, that morning?”
My father could no more tell a lie than he could fly. He looked at me and said, “Sweetheart, I don’t remember anything about that day, not before, during or after the accident. I remember kissing you goodnight the night before, though.” He managed a weak smile.
My English teacher once told me that words have immeasurable power. They can hurt or they can heal. And we all have the power to choose our words. I intend to do that very carefully from now on.The author was in bad mood that morning because ________.
| A.his father had a terrible accident |
| B.he couldn’t drive to the mall with his friends |
| C.his friends hadn’t invited him to the cinema |
| D.his father didn’t allow him to go out with his friends |
Why did the author say sorry to his father in the hospital?
| A.Because he didn’t go along with his father. |
| B.Because he was rude to his father that morning. |
| C.Because he failed to come earlier after the accident. |
| D.Because he couldn’t look after his father in the hospital. |
The reason why the author’s father said he forgot everything about that day is that ________.
| A.he had a poor memory |
| B.he didn’t want to forgive his son |
| C.he just wanted to comfort his son |
| D.he lost his memory after the accident |
What lesson did Beck learn from the matter?
| A.Don’t treat your parents badly. |
| B.Don’t hurt others with rude words. |
| C.Don’t move the injured in an accident. |
| D.Don’t be angry with friends at small things. |
Books for Children
Fleabag and the Ring's End Beth WebbMore stories of Fleabag, the talking cat—star of this wonderful set of 3 books. Ages 8—13, 208 pages, paper-back 07459 44116, £3.99 |
The little White House Elizabeth Goudge A fairy tale and winner of the Carnegie Medal. Ages 8—12, 240 pages, paper-back 07459 45783, £4.99 |
My Very First Christmas Book Lois Rock and Alec Ayliffe A big, bright book, which presents the story simply, and delightfully for very young children. Ages 0—3, 12 pages, 200mmx200mm, board 07459 40560, £4.99 |
First Festival: Christmas Lois Rock An all-in-one book to help grown-ups and children prepare their Christmas celebration together. Presents, activities and customs. Ages 5—8, 48 pages, 290mmx250mm, hardback 07459 39074, £8.99 |
Star of Wonder Pat Alexander A wonderful collection of Christmas stories and poems. Full of lively pages to read and enjoy. Ages 7—12, 224 pages, paperback 07459 39323, £4.99 |
The Not-So-Wise Man Alan MacDonald and Andrew Rowland We all know about the 3 Wise Men who traveled to Bethlehem(伯利恒)and discovered the baby Jesus Christ. This is the tale of another one, who always missed the point. Ages 5—9, 32 pages, 270mm×210mm, hardback. 07459 38922, £8.99 |
If you want to make a Christmas plan together with your children, which book do you prefer?

| A.Star of Wonder | B.The Not-So-Wise Man |
| C.First Festival: Christmas | D.My Very First Christmas Book |
Which number would you dial if you want to order a book for your 2-year-old child?
| A.07459 40560. | B.07459 38922.![]() |
C.07459 45783. | D.07459 44116. |
If your child wants to read stories of animals, whose book will be your choice?
| A.Pat Alexander. | B.Beth Webb. |
| C.Lois Rock. | D.Elizabeth Goudge. |
In Britain today, is it possible to tell a person’s class just by looking at him? Physical details alone tell us about health, diet and the type of work a person does. A hundred years ago the working class often looked unhealthy, small and they were either too thin or too fat. The upper classes were often tall, sporting types who were used to a good diet and looked healthy. Today living and working conditions have improved, and such descriptions are no longer true. People are taller now than a hundred years ago. Everyone in Britain today is able to have free medicine, a good diet, acceptable working conditions and enough rest and leisure. WWW.K**S*858$$U.COM
The clothes people choose to wear, however, do provide information about their backgrounds. Expensive clothes look expensive and show their wearer is rich. Clothes can provide other clues as well. The upper classes appear to be less interested in fashion and wear good quality clothes in non-bright colours, made of natural material like wool, leather and cotton. Lower working-class people often choose clothes in bright colours, made of man-made materials. A sociological explanation for this would be that colour and interest are missing from their lives, and therefore any opportunity to produce this is taken.
Clothes are available at a price within most people’s reach. New clothes make the wearer feel good and show some degree of wealth to the outside world. Today it is the younger people who spend most money on clothes. Fashion is no longer for the upper classes and the rich. Young people from all social classes spend a lot of money on clothes. Some new fashions are started by working-class people who want to look different and feel important. They want people WWW.K**S*858$$U.COMto look at them.In the past, a person’s appearance could not tell other people about his ________.
| A.health | B.diet | C.occupation (职业) | D.habits |
The clothes people choose to wear tell us about their ________.
| A.education | B.richness | C.backgrounds | D.hobby |
A working-class person may start a new fashion because ________.
| A.she wants to draw the attention of other people |
| B.she wants to look different and healthy |
| C.she wants to show their wealth |
| D.she wants to show their taste |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A.Expensive clothes look expensive and show the wearer is rich. |
| B.Working-class people prefer clothes in bright colours because they lack colour in their lives. |
| C.Today, it is still the upper class people who spend most money on clothes. |
| D.Today, fashion is no longer for the upper classes and the rich. |