What do former American president Bill Clinton and rock musician Pete Townshend have in common.'? Both men have hearing damage from exposure(暴露，接触) to loud music, and both now wear hearing aids（助听器） as a result. As a teenager, Clinton played saxophone in a band. Townshend, who has the more severe hearing loss, was a guitarist for a band called the Who. He is one of the first rock musicians to call the public's attention to the problem of hearing loss from exposure to loud music.
Temporary（暂时） hearing loss can happen after only 15 minutes of listening to loud music. One early warning sign is when your ears begin to feel warm while you listen to music at a rock concert or through headphones. One later is that an unusual sound or a ringing is sometimes produced in your head after the concert.
"What happens is that the hair cells in the inner ear are damaged, but they're not dead," says physician and ear specialist Dr. Sam Levine. According to Dr. Levine, if you avoid further exposure to loud noise, it's possible to recondition the cells（细胞） somewhat. However, he adds, "Eventually, over a long period of time, hair cells are permanently damaged." And this is no small problem.
What sound level is dangerous? According to Dr. Levine, regular exposure to noise above 85 decibels (分贝) is considered dangerous. The chart below offers a comparison of decibel levels to certain sounds. Here's another measurement you can use. If you're at a rock concert and the music is so loud that you have to shout to make yourself heard, you' re at risk for hearing loss. That's when wearing protective devices such as earplugs becomes critical.
The facts are pretty frightening. But are rock bands turning down the volume.'? Most aren't. "Rock music is supposed to be loud," says drummer Andrew Sather."I wouldn't have it any other way. And neither would the real fans of rock. "
Continued exposure to loud music and the failure to wear earplugs can lead to deafness, according to Dr. Levine. He states, "There's no cure for hearing loss. Your ears are trying to tell you something. That ringing is the scream of your hair cells dying. Each time that happens, more and more damage is done. "
| Levels of Common Noises Normal conversation 50 — 65 dB Food blender 88 dB Jet plane flying above a person standing outside 103 dB Rock band during a concert 110 — 140 dB |
From Paragraph 1, we can learn that ___________ .
| A．loud music is a major cause of hearing loss |
| B．famous people may have hearing problems |
| C．teenagers should stay away from school bands |
| D．the problem of hearing damage is widely known |
In Paragraph 3, the underlined word "recondition" means__________ .
| A．not to be seen | B．to fill with sound |
| C．to become larger in size | D．to make good again |
The purpose of the chart at the end of the article is to show__________ .
| A．a list of harmful sounds |
| B．the effect of rock concerts |
| C．the noise levels of sounds |
| D．relationship between daily activities and hearing loss |
Which of the following statements will Dr. Sam Levine probably agree?
| A．When your ears feel warm, your hair cells are dead. |
| B．Drummer Andrew Sather gives good advice. |
| C．Many are at the risk of losing hearing. |
| D．Doctors know how to deal with hearing loss. |
It was in 1865 that two Frenchmen were looking into the future. Edouard de Laboulaye, who studied history, admired the United States greatly. Frederic Auguste Bartholdi was a famous artist. De Laboulaye was thinking about 1876, when the country he respected so much would celebrate its 100th birthday. What gift would be good enough for the people of France to give? Right away, Bartholdi thought of a giant statue.
Bartholdi kept thinking about a statue for several years. Then, in 1871, he visited the United States and saw the perfect place for a huge statue. It was Bedloe’s Island in New York.
The project — the Statue of Liberty — got started almost immediately, and Bartholdi went home to France to begin work. However, the statue was not finished in time for the 100th birthday. The United States Congress approved (批准) the use of Bedloe’s Island on February 22, 1877. During the 100th celebration in 1876, the arm of the statue that would hold the torch was shown in Philadelphia. In 1879 the huge head was put on display in France. For the face of the statue, Bartholdi used his mother as a model.
The statue was finally completed in 1884. The work had been difficult enough, but then some really hard work began. The statue had to be taken apart and packed into boxes. It was not until May 1885 that the statue — in pieces — left France for its new home.
The statue arrived in June. However, the Americans fell behind on their part of the project. They hadn’t raised enough money for building the base of the statue. People wondered if the country really needed or wanted such a gift. Finally, though, the money was raised and the base was completed. The last piece of the statue was put in place on October 28, 1886.What’s the right order of the following events?
a. The arm of the statue that would hold the torch was shown in Philadelphia.
b. The United States Congress approved the use of Bedloe’s Island.
c. The huge head of the statue was put on display in France.
d. Bartholdi visited the United States.
| A．d a b c | B．d b a c |
| C．b a c d | D．b d a c |
When did the work on the statue begin?
| A．As soon as Bartholdi thought of it. |
| B．After the United States Congress agreed to it. |
| C．After Bartholdi saw Bedloe’s Island. |
| D．Not until the US had raised enough money. |
What happened after the Statue of Liberty was completed?
| A．It was put together for shipping. |
| B．It was taken apart and packed for shipping. |
| C．It was cleaned up for shipping. |
| D．It was put in place on its base in France. |
How many years did it take for the Statue of Liberty to be put in place on its base after it was completed?
| A．nineteen. | B．fifteen. |
| C．one. | D．two. |
My son was a second-grader. He went to school by bus every day. He was the first student on in the morning, as we were farthest from school, and the last student off in the evening. I was a teacher myself and it was a comfort to realize the school staff (职员) were all working as hard as I was to provide a safe learning environment.
One day I came home from work and waited for my son to get home for a long time. Then I called the school. “Perhaps he’s just a bit late,” said the secretary. “I will call the driver to see if those children are home.” A few minutes later, I answered the phone to hear that the other students were home. Then I called his friends’ parents, to see if perhaps he had gotten off at their stop to play. The answers were all “No.”
By that time, it was dark and I was scared. My home was in the mountain areas, and it was said that a wolf had come up somewhere. My husband wasn’t at home, so I forced myself to calm down and decided to go out to look for him. I was about to go out when the telephone rang; it was from the driver. “He’s okay,” I heard. “He was asleep on the seats in the back, under a couple of jackets. Since it’s dark, can he spend the night with my family?”
I was relieved and agreed. Since my son had a great adventure, the school started giving a copy of the list to the driver, so he could check off the children’s names when they got off the bus. I think highly of the school for taking the cautionary (警戒的) step ahead; it is a sign of their concern for students, parents, and staff.From Paragraph 1 we learn that ________.
| A．the author’s son went home by bus every after-noon |
| B．the author’s son came to school earlier than other students |
| C．the author’s home was farther than that of any other student |
| D．the author was a teacher in her son’s primary school |
At first the secretary thought ________.
| A．the author’s son was still at school |
| B．the school bus would arrive in a while |
| C．the author’s son was at his friend’s home |
| D．there might be something wrong with the school bus |
The author’s son probably spent the night _________.
| A．in the bus | B．at his own home |
| C．at the driver’s home | D．in the secretary’s office |
The author wrote the text to ________.
| A．praise the school for its quick action |
| B．thank the bus driver for his kindness |
| C．complain about the secretary of the school |
| D．show her concern for kids safety |
In recent years, there has been a steady attack on salt from the doctors: salt is bad for you—regardless of your health. Politicians also got aboard. “There is a direct relationship,” US Congressman Neal Smith said, “between the amount of sodium(钠) a person consumes and heart disease, circulatory(循环的) disorders, stroke and even early death.”
Frightening, if true! But many doctors and medical researchers are now beginning to feel the salt scare has gone too far. “All these remarks and cry about salt is unnecessary,” Dr. Dustan insists. “For most of us it probably does not make much difference how much salt we eat.” Dustan’s most recent short-term study of 150 people showed that those with normal blood pressure experienced no change at all when placed on an extremely low-salt diet, or later when salt was reintroduced. Of the hypertensive(高血压的) patients, however, half of those on the low-salt diet did experience a drop in blood pressure, which returned to previous level when salt was reintroduced.
“An adequate to somewhat excessive(过度的) salt intake has probably saved many more lives than it has cost in the general population,” said Dr. John H Laragh. “So an opinion that the whole population should avoid salt makes no sense.”
Medical experts agree that everyone should practice reasonable “moderation”(节制) in salt consumption. For the average person, a moderate amount might run from four to ten grams a day, or roughly 1/2 to 1/3 teaspoons. One to two grams of salt would come from the natural sodium in food. The rest would be added in processing, preparation or at the table.
“Na is not your enemy,” says Comek’s Dr. Laragh. “Salt is the No.1 natural component of all human tissue, and the idea that you do not need it is wrong. Unless your doctor has proven that you have a salt-related health problem, there is no reason to give it up.”Why is salt attacked by doctors and politicians?
| A．It’s unnecessary. |
| B．It does no good to human health. |
| C．It is hated by most people. |
| D．It will always lead to heart disease and circulatory disorders. |
From Dr. Dustan’s study in Paragraph 2 we can infer that _____.
| A．a low-salt diet may be good to some patients |
| B．the amount of salt intake has nothing to do with one’s blood pressure |
| C．the reduction of salt intake can completely cure a hypertensive patient |
| D．an extremely low-salt diet makes no difference to anyone |
In the 3rd paragraph, Dr. Laragh implied that _____.
| A．people should not be afraid of taking much excessive salt |
| B．doctors should not advise people to avoid salt |
| C．an adequate to somewhat excessive salt intake is suggested to ill people |
| D．excessive salt intake has killed some patients in the general population |
What is the experts’ advice for average people on salt consumption?
| A．They should increase salt intake through sodium pills. |
| B．They should avoid salt as often as possible. |
| C．They should consume 1/2 to 1/3 teaspoons of salt a day. |
| D．They needn’t care about how much salt they consume. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．The salt scare is not reasonable. |
| B．The cause of hypertension is disclosed. |
| C．The moderate use of salt is recommended. |
| D．Salt consumption is to be avoided. |
I am a good mother to three children. I have tried never to let my profession stand in the way of being a good parent.
I no longer consider myself the center of the universe. I show up. I listen. I try to laugh. I am a good friend to my husband. I have tried to make marriage vows（誓约）mean what they say. I am a good friend to my friends, and they to me. Without them, there would be nothing to say to you today.
So here’s what I wanted to tell you today: Get a life. A real life, not a desire of the next promotion（提升）, the bigger paycheck, the larger house.
Get a life in which you are not alone. Find people you love, and who love you. And remember that love is not leisure（空闲）, it is work. Pick up the phone. Send an e-mail. Write a letter. And realize that life is the best thing and that you have no business taking it for granted.
It is so easy to waste our lives, our days, our hours, our minutes. It is so easy to exist instead of to live. I learned to live many years ago. Something really, really bad happened to me, something that changed my life in ways that, if I had my choice, it would never have been changed at all. And what I learned from it is what, today, seems to be the hardest lesson of all.
I learned to love the journey, not the destination. I learned to look at all the good in the world and try to give some of it back because I believed in it, completely and totally. And I tried to do that, in part, by telling others what I had learned.
By telling them this: Read in the backyard with the sun on your face. Learn to be happy. And think of life as a deadly illness, because if you do, you will live it with joy and passion as it ought to be lived.The best title of this passage probably is _______.
| A．Love your friends | B．Live a real life |
| C．Don’t waste time | D．Be a good mother and wife |
How did the author form her view of life?
| A．By working and social experience. |
| B．Learning from her friends. |
| C．Through an unfortunate experience. |
| D．Because of her children and husband. |
The underlined sentence “It is so easy to exist instead of to live” in the fifth paragraph probably has the same meaning as ______.
| A．it is so easy to keep alive but not to live a real life. |
| B．it is very hard to live a real life |
| C．it is so easy to make a living. |
| D．it is more difficult to exist than to live a happy life. |
What’s the author’s attitude towards work?
| A．Try our best to serve others. |
| B．To earn enough money to make life better. |
| C．Try our best to get higher position and pay. |
| D．Don’t let it affect your real life. |
It can be inferred from the passage that _______.
| A．the author is a success in personal life. |
| B．the author didn’t try her best to work well. |
| C．the author spent all her time caring for her children. |
| D．the author doesn’t travel much |
Florence Nightingale（南丁格尔） was born in a rich family. When she was young she took lessons in music and drawing, and read great books. She also traveled a great deal with her mother and father.
As a child she felt that visiting sick people was both a duty and a pleasure. She enjoyed helping them.
At last mind was made up. “I’m going to be a nurse,” she decided.
“Nursing isn’t the right work for a lady,” her father told her.
“Then I will make it so ”, she smiled. And she went to learn nursing in Germany and France.
When she returned to England, Florence started a nursing home . During the Crimean War in 1854 she went with a group of thirty eight nurses to the front hospitals. What they saw there was terrible. Dirt and death were everywhere to be seen — and smelled. The officer there did not want any woman to tell him how to run a hospital, either. But the brave nurse went to work.
Florence used her own money and some from friends to buy clothes, beds, medicine and food for the men. Her only pay was in smiles from the lips of dying soldiers. But they were more than enough for this kind woman.
After she returned to England, she was honored for her services by Queen Victoria. But Florence said that her work had just begun. She raised money to build the Nightingale Home for Nurses in London. She also wrote a book on public health, which was printed in several countries.
Florence Nightingale died at the age of ninety, still trying to serve others through her work as a nurse. Indeed, it is because of her that we honor nurses today.When she was a child, Florence ________.
| A．loved to travel very much |
| B．knew what her duty in life was |
| C．loved to help the sick people |
| D．want to learn music and drawing in the future |
What made Florence make up her mind to become a nurse？
| A．Her father’s support. |
| B．Her desire to help the sick. |
| C．Her education in Germany and France. |
| D．Her knowledge from reading great books. |
During the Crimean War in 1854, Florence served in the front hospital where ____.
| A．she earned a little money |
| B．work was very difficult |
| C．few soldiers died because of her work |
| D．she didn’t have enough food or clothes |
Why was Florence honored by Queen Victoria？
| A．She built the Nightingale Home for Nurses. |
| B．She wrote a book on public health. |
| C．She worked as a nurse all her life. |
| D．She did a great deal of work during the Crimean War. |
The passage can best be described as ____.
| A．the life story of a famous woman |
| B．a description of the nursing work |
| C．an example of successful education |
| D．the history of nursing in England |