A Charlotte N.C. man was charged with first-degree murder of a 79-year-old woman whom police said he scared to death. Can the guy be held responsible for the woman’s death? Prosecutors (公诉人) said that he can under the state’s murder rule, which allows someone to be charged with murder if he or she causes another person’s death while committing or fleeing from a severe crime—even if he or she doesn’t kill someone on purpose.
But, medically speaking, can someone actually be frightened to death? We asked Martin Samuels, chairman of the neurology department at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
Absolutely, no question about it.
The body has a natural protective method called the fight-or-flight response, which was originally described by Walter Cannon，chairman of Harvard University’s physiology department from 1906 to 1942. If, in the wild, an animal is faced with a life-threatening situation, the automatic nervous system responds by increasing heart rate, increasing blood flow to the muscles, and slowing digestion, among other things. All of this increases the chances of succeeding in a fight or running away from an aggressive beast. This process certainly would be of help to early humans. However, in the modern world there is obvious decline of the fight-or-flight response.
The autonomic nervous system uses the chemical messenger to send signals to various parts of the body to activate the fight-or-flight response. This chemical is poisonous in large amounts; it damages the organs such as the heart, lungs, liver and kidneys. It is believed that almost all sudden deaths are caused by damage to the heart. There is almost no other organ that would fail so fast as to cause sudden death.
By the way, any strong positive or negative emotions such as happiness or sadness can cause the same result. There are people who have died in excitement or in religious passion. There was a case of a golfer who hit a hole in one, turned to his partner and said, “I can die now”, and then he dropped dead. What is Martin Samuels’ attitude to the possibility of being frightened to death?
| A．Approval. | B．Disapproval. | C．Doubtful. | D．Indifferent. |
What can we learn about the fight-or-flight response according to the passage?
| A．The fight-or-flight response was raised and proved by Martin Samuels. |
| B．It is a natural protective method that can’t be found in all creatures but humans. |
| C．The ancient humans had a better fight-or-flight response than modern ones. |
| D．The fight-or-flight response is beneficial to both our actions and organs. |
What activity can we infer is less likely to damage the organs?
| A．Winning an unexpected fortune. |
| B．Missing a dead family member. |
| C．Watching a horror movie. |
| D．Listening to a sweet song. |
The purpose of the passage is ______.
| A．to explain why people will die of a heart attack |
| B．to offer some advice on protecting us from heart failure |
| C．to compare different kinds of feelings to cause a death |
| D．to show strong emotions can cause a sudden death |
Millions of people die of hunger in southern Africa every year, but when Zambia was offered thousands of tons of free maize by the US, the government politely paid no.
“We don’t know whether the food is safe,” said Zambia’s commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Dipak Patel.
His worries are shared by countries around the world that are in two minds about America’s genetically modified（GM，转基因的）crops. Just last week, EU（欧盟）member nations were discussing whether or not to import GM sweet corn from the US.
Ever since people started farming, they have tried to crossbreed（杂交） plants to make them stronger or better tasting. At one time, only related plants could be crossed with each other.
But when GM techniques were developed in the 1970s, scientists were able to put a single gene from a living creature into an unrelated creature.
This means they can make crops more productive and resistant to disease by adding genes from other species. They can also create food with special characteristics, such as “golden rice”, which is enriched with vitamin A. But many people believe GM foods are a health risk.
“If left to me, I would certainly not eat GM foods,” said Scottish scientist Arpad Pusztai. “We are putting new things into food which haven’t been eaten before. The effects on the immune system（免疫系统） are not easy to predict.”
At the moment, the official argument is that GM foods “are not likely to present risks for human health”. But there are still many questions to be answered as the foods are produced in different ways.
Some experts believe the genetic material added to plants can transfer to humans and give damage to our bodies. Further harm could be caused by the genes from GM plants crossbreeding with naturally produced crops. We learn from the passage.
| A．people have discovered that GM foods will do harm to human health |
| B．millions of Zambia people die of eating too much GM foods |
| C．people are still not sure if GM foods will do harm to human health |
| D．genetic material added to plants will damage our bodies sooner or later |
What does “in two minds” in the third paragraph mean?
| A．Unsure |
| B．Worried |
| C．Likely |
| D．Careless |
The following statements is NOT true about GM foods?
| A．It is produced from plants added genes from other species. |
| B．GM foods can have special characteristics. |
| C．GM foods will affect people’s immune system. |
| D．GM foods have been produced since 1970s. |
Adult Basic Education (ABE) and GED Preparation
Task
The Adult Basic Education Department serves a huge population of learners. Our task is to teach basic skills and help learners to get more knowledge to function effectively as a family member, citizen, worker, and lifelong learner in a changing world.
Description
ABE is a non-credit program of self-improvement designed to improve basic skills for students who are of different educational levels. Development of reading, writing, and math skills are paid special attention to, as well as life skills, employability, and technology. Students without a high school diploma（文凭）also have the opportunity to prepare for the GED exams in the five subject areas: writing, social studies, science, literature, and math.
Prerequisites（条件）
ABE classes are open to anyone 18or over who desires to improve basic reading, writing, and math skills at the pre-college level. Students who are 16 or 17 must first obtain an official release（释放）from high school before attending class.
To be accepted, students must attend an Educational Planning Session. During the Educational Planning Session students will be given an overview of the ABE programs as well as PCC policies, fees, etc, Students will also have their reading, writing, and math abilities assessed（评估）during the Educational Planning Session. The results of their assessments will help the teachers develop individual programs of study for students to guide them toward their personal goals. Students needing special help must get in touch with the Office for Students with Disabilities (503-977-4341) at least two weeks before the session is held.
Courses
ABE 0741: Beginning Literacy
ABE 0742: Beginning
ABE 0743: Intermediate I
ABE 0744: Intermediate II
ABE 0745: Secondary I
ABE0746: Secondary II (Includes preparation for the GED Test.) The ABE Department serves an aim to .
| A．provide learners with basic knowledge and skills to fit in with society |
| B．help learners successfully get a job in a changing world |
| C．offer diplomas to those who fail to finish secondary education |
| D．provide students with opportunities to prepare for the GED exams |
A 17-year-old is not accepted to ABE classes only because he .
| A．is below 18 |
| B．can’t offer a high school diploma |
| C．has left school without official permission |
| D．is assessed as poor in learning performances |
What is the Education Planning Session intended for?
| A．An assessment of students’ basic skill levels. |
| B．Helping students be better at the four basic skills. |
| C．Finding out whether they can be accepted to ABE classes. |
| D．Providing special help to disabled students. |
Different courses are offered to different students according to .
| A．their own choices |
| B．the assessments during the Education Planning Session |
| C．their performances in school |
| D．how much they pay for the courses |
Technically the domain name system consists of three parts. First is the addressing system of Internet Protocol(IP)numbers, the 32-bit numbers that are the true addresses of computers connected to the Internet. Next is the naming system, the by-now familiar names that include .com .org .edu .etc., which are collectively known as top level domains, or TLDs. The naming system was devised to find a computer or send email. Finally, there is the routing system, which “maps” domain names to IP numbers. Computers called “root servers” contain a kind of giant directory that links specific names to specific addresses on the Internet.
There are several political headaches about domain names that have no clear solutions. Because domain names have to be unique, they are inevitably linked to trademark disputes when two or more businesses, or people, want the same name.
Domain names also raise issues of privacy. Using a search tool such as the Whonami Global Internet Name Search site, anyone can look up the name and address of whoever is registered as the owner of a domain name.
In 1998, the U.S. government handed over management of the entire domain name system to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN, based in Marina Del Rey. ICANN’s board of directors held one of its periodic general meetings recently in Stockholm, an event that featured an outpouring of frustration and controversy about how the group is managing its new responsibilities.If you want to send email, you must own the following except.
| A．a computer |
| B．the addressing system |
| C．a domain address |
| D．a telephone line or cable |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．The domain name system was once under the control of the U.S. government. |
| B．The general meeting of ICANN is held on a regular basis. |
| C．Two businesses can have the same domain names. |
| D．Search sites help people to get information about domain name owners. |
The purpose of naming system was to.
| A．link specific names to specific addresses on the Internet |
| B．find people on computers. |
| C．distinguish computers or send email |
| D．solve problems for businesses and people |
Domain names which have no clear solutions.
| A．cause people’s headache |
| B．cause difficult situations for the government |
| C．get businesses to change their trademarks |
| D．force businesses to put trademarks on their goods. |
Advertising is as old as story-telling itself. For as long as people have wanted to persuade others to buy their goods, give them their vote or lay down their lives, they have used the methods of advertising. Of course, methods have changed over the years. At first, word of mouth was the only means of communicating, but after the invention of the first printing press and the arrival of the first newspaper, the camera, the television, and the home video recorder, the persuasive methods of the advertising industry have become much more sophisticated.
Advertising appeals more to our emotions than to our minds and therefore uses persuasive techniques which, though not misleading, are certainly biased towards its products. Advertisements have some basic features.
·They are fast and short. They deliver their message in minimum time and space.
·They are concentrated. Their language and images are extremely dense.
·They appeal to consumers’ emotions rather than to their logic.
·They entertain. That entertainment may be in the form of a jazzy melody or a photograph or a clever joke, but it always draws attention to itself because advertisements have to compete against every other competitor for consumers’ attention.In the past, people used methods of advertising when they wanted others to.
| A．buy their products and lay down |
| B．vote for them and give up their lives |
| C．support them and lie down |
| D．buy their products and give them tickets |
How can advertisements attract people?
| A．By showing reasonable prices of the products. |
| B．By showing fabulous pictures of the products. |
| C．By reminding people to think before deciding to buy the products. |
| D．By persuading people in the form of music, pictures and so on. |
The writer implied in the passage that.
| A．advertisers only present good points of their products |
| B．advertisers try to cheat consumers |
| C．advertisers are not sure about their products |
| D．advertisers are competing with each other. |
“Itself” in the last sentence of the passage refers to.
| A．photograph |
| B．entertainment |
| C．joke |
| D．jazzy melody |
Students and Technology in the Classroom
I love my blackberry—it’s my little connection to the larger world that can go anywhere with me . I also love my laptop computer ，as it holds all of my writing and thoughts .Despite this love of technology ,I know that there are times when I need to move away from these devices（设备） and truly communicate with others.
On occasion, I teach a course called History Matters for a group of higher education managers. My goals for the class include a full discussion of historical themes and ideas .Because I want students to thoroughly study the material and exchange their ideas with each other in the classroom ,I have a rule —no laptop ,iPads ,phones ,etc .When students were told my rule in advance of the class, some of them were not happy .
Most students think that my reasons for this rule include unpleasant experiences in the past with students misusing technology . There’s a bit of truth to that. Some students think that I am anti-technology . There’s no truth in that at all . I love technology and try to keep up with it so I can relate to my students.
The real reason why I ask students to leave technology at the door is that I think there are very few places in which we can have deep conversions and truly engage complex ideas. Interruptions by technology often break concentration and allow for too much dependence on outside information for ideas . I want students to dig deep within themselves for inspiration and ideas. I want them to push each other to think differently and make connections between the course the material and the class discussion .
I’ve been teaching my history class in this way for many years and the evaluations reflect student satisfaction with the environment that I create .Students realize that with deep conversation and challenge , they learn at a level that helps them keep the course material beyond the classroom .
I’m not saying that I won’t ever change my mind about technology use in my history class, but until I hear a really good reason for the change ,I’m sticking to my plan. A few hours of technology-free （没有科技）dialogue is just too sweet to give up. Some of the students in the history class were unhappy with____
| A．the course material |
| B．others’ misuse of technology |
| C．discussion topics |
| D．the author’s class regulations |
According to the author ,the use of technology in the classroom may ____
| A．keep students from doing independent thinking |
| B．encourage students to have in-depth conversations |
| C．help students to better understand complex themes |
| D．affect students’ concentration on course evaluation |
It can be inferred from the last paragraph that the author ____
| A．is quite stubborn |
| B．will give up teaching history |
| C．will change his teaching plan soon |
| D．values technology-free dialogues in his class |