Dr. Sylvia Earle wants you to stop eating fish. It's not because fish are endangered, though wild fish stocks in many oceans are very low. It's not because they're bad for you, though fish in many areas are exposed to poisonous substances in the water. It’s because they're smart.
"Fish are sensitive, they have personalities," says the marine biologist. For Earle, eating a fish would be like eating a dog or a cat. "I would never eat anyone I know personally."
There's a lot more to fish than meets the eye: they talk to each other, they like to be touched, and they engage in behavior that can seem very human. They can remember things and learn from experience. Earle and a growing number of animal rights activists see these as strong arguments against eating fish altogether.
The activists also point out that fish feel pain and fish suffer horribly on their way from the sea to the supermarket. "While it may seem conspicuous that fish are able to feel pain, like every other animal, some people think of fish as swimming vegetables," says Dr. Lynne Sneddon. "Really, it's kind of a moral question. Is the enjoyment you get from fishing (or eating fish) more important than the pain of the fish?"
Fishermen and (fried) fish lovers are skeptical. "I've never seen a smart fish," says Marie Swaringen as she finishes off a plate of fish at a Seattle seafood restaurant. "If they were very smart, they wouldn't get caught."
"For years, everyone's been telling us to eat fish because it's so good for us," says another diner. "Now I've got to feel guilty while I'm eating my fish? What are they going to think of next? Don't eat salad because cucumbers have feelings?"According to Dr. Sylvia Earle, he would stop eating fish as a result of the following reasons EXCEPT ___________ .
A.Fish are sensitive and have personalities |
B.He knows fish very well |
C.Fish are dangerous to eat because the water is polluted |
D.Fish are clever |
Dr. Lynne Sneddon describes the behavior of eating fish in a(n) _______ tone.
A.opposed | B.optimistic | C.indifferent | D.supportive |
Which word below can take the place of the underlined word “conspicuous” in Paragraph 4?
A.obvious | B.easy | C.impossible | D.necessary |
It can be inferred from the last paragraph that _____________ .
A.Human beings should stop eating fish |
B.We would feel guilty if we continued eating fish |
C.People eat fish because fish are delicious |
D.Cucumber is a kind of vegetable or fruit |
What was the author’s purpose when writing this passage?
A.To advise people to stop eating fish. |
B.To introduce a topic of whether people should eat fish. |
C.To advise people not to stop eating fish. |
D.To tell us that fish will feel pain when caught and transported. |
For several years, scientists have been testing a substance called interferon(干扰素), a possible wonder drug that is proving to be effective in treating a variety of diseases, including virus infections, bacterial infections, and cancers. To date, the new drug has no side effect of great influence to discourage its use. But in spite of its success, last year only one gram was produced in the entire world.
The reason for the shortage lies in the structure of interferon. A special protein, the interferon produced from one animal species cannot be used in treating another animal species. In other words, to treat human beings, only interferon produced by human beings may be used. The drug is produced by infecting white blood cells with a virus. Fortunately, it is so effective that the amount given to each patient each time is very small.
Unlike antibiotics (抗生素), interferon does not attack germs directly. Instead, it protects healthy cells from being infected, and prevents the reproduction of viruses within cells.
As you might conclude, one of the most special uses of interferon has been in the treatment of cancer. Dr. Hans Strander, a research physician at Sweden’s famous Karolinska Institute, has treated more than one hundred cancer patients with the new drug. Among a group of selected patients who had received operations for advanced cancer, half were given traditional treatments and the other half were given interferon. Among those treated with interferon 70 percent of them remained alive over three years, as compared with only 10 to 30 percent among those who had received the traditional treatments.
In the United States, a large-scale project supported by the American Cancer Society is now under way. If the experiment were successful, interferon could become one of the greatest medical discoveries of our time.What is the difference between antibiotics and interferon?
A.Interferon has serious side effects, while antibiotics do not. |
B.Antibiotics kill germs by attacking them directly, while interferon does not. |
C.Antibiotics are very effective, while the effect of interferon is limited. |
D.They are different in structure, although they are both proteins. |
According to the passage, if 170 cancer patients received interferon treatment, how many of them would remain alive over three years?
A.About 30. |
B.About 50. |
C.About 120. |
D.About 70. |
The passage tells us that ________.
A.it is difficult to produce interferon in large quantities because of its special structure. |
B.interferon is produced widely in lots of countries. |
C.few of the patients who had received traditional treatments remained alive. |
D.most of the patients who received interferon also needed traditional treatments. |
While in Banff, make time for a walk around town. A special treat is to go up the mountainside on the Banff Gondola for a surprising view of the valley below. Here is The pines, whose cook has developed a special way of mixing foreign food such as caribou, wild boar, and reindeer with surprising sauces.
Best time to visit is during the off-season, from early May to mid-June, or in October. This way you can avoid sharing the high way with mobile homes which can be pulled by cars. But whatever the season, take some lunch with you from Banff, because there are only a few food stops on the road.
Forty minutes north of Banff, side by side with the Banff National Park, sits world-famous Lake Louise. This surprisingly small body of water is attractive with towering mountains around it. Glaciers, huge masses of ice, moving very slowly against rocks, produce what is called glacier rock flour, making its water dark to see. It is worth taking a walk around the grounds of the Chateau Lake Louise, another beauty, proud of its early 20th century history.
Back on the road, and it’s time to continue north past the astonishing Columbia Icefield, then turn off the highway and take the short road to the base of the Athabaska Glacier. You can rent ice cleats (夹板) and do some climbing or do a more pleasant snowmobile tour. Either way, you can enjoy endless beautiful sights.
Finally you’ll reach Jasper, the usual turning around the place for the Banff-Jasper loop (回路). It’s worth riding the Jasper Skytram, and be sure to visit the wonderful Jasper Park Lodge, also dating back to the 1920s. If you can have lunch there, do it. The restaurant has an adventurous menu and their wine list would put a smile on any visitor’s face.According to the passage, The Pines is a ________.
A.place in which you can see many mobile homes |
B.mountain where you can get a good view of the valley |
C.town which happens to be near the Banff National park |
D.restaurant where you can ask for some special kinds of food |
What will probably happen when visitors come at the end of June?
A.They may have trouble finding a restaurant. |
B.They may come across traffic jams. |
C.They may travel more easily with cars. |
D.They may do much more sightseeing. |
Similar to the Chateau Lake Louise, ________.
A.the Banff National Park is to the west of Banff |
B.the Columbia Icefield lies between Lake Louise and the Banff National Park |
C.the Jasper Skytram has a history of more than 80 years |
D.the Jasper Park Lodge was built in the 1920s |
Besides the beautiful sights in Jasper Park Lodge, visitors to Jasper can enjoy themselves by ________.
A. taking the Jasper Skytram and eating in the restaurant
B. taking the Banff-Jasper loop and Jasper Skytram
Chinese netizens who like to create and use cyber words such as "geilivable" might find a new regulation very "ungeilivable". The new regulation by the General Administration of Press and Publication last week banned the use of Chinglish words created by netizens for publishing in the Chinese language.
"Geilivable", combining the pinyin geili (giving strength) with the English suffix (后缀) for adjectives, literally means "giving power" or "cool". Different suffixes and prefixes were then added to the word. "Hengeilivable" means "very cool", and "ungeilivable" means "dull, not cool at all".
Cyber language is popular among Chinese netizens, who create Chinglish words to reflect phenomenon in society. One example is "antizen", which refers to college graduates who earn a meager salary and live in small rented apartments, like tiny and laborious ants.
David Tool, a professor with the Beijing International Studies University, said it's very interesting to combine Chinese with English to create new words. "English is no longer mysterious to the Chinese people. They can use the language in a flexible way according to their own experiences," Tool said.
At the announcement of the regulation by the General Administration of Press and Publication, netizens expressed their concern.
"The administration is totally 'ungeilivable'," said a netizen named laoda1713. "I know other netizens will shed tears with me... it is a good chance to enrich our language".
"Language is always developing," said a columnist, Wang Pei. "It needs to be updated to absorb foreign culture and folk wisdom."
But an unnamed official with the administration said that, in fact, many senior staff from news media who supported the regulation were worried that years later, the younger generation would forget how to use formal Chinese expressions. The official also pointed out that the regulation was only for formal publications in Chinese language, and it only banned Chinglish words in the publication. The new regulation by the General Administration of Press and Publication may be aimed at .
A.simplifying the Chinese language | B.limiting the development of language |
C.banning the use of Chinglish | D.making the netizens more serious |
The underlined word meager in the third paragraph probably means.
A.poor | B.flexible | C.high | D.plentiful |
From this passage we can infer that .
A.the Chinese people like their own language only |
B.the English words are considered informal in China |
C.nobody in China will support the new regulation |
D."geilivable" will be popular among Chinese netizens |
Which may be the title of this passage?
A.New regulation is announced |
B.Cyber words make language lively |
C.Different views about cyber language |
D.New phenomenon in China |
On which column of China Daily can you find this passage?
A.Entertainment | B.Business | C.Travel | D.Opinion |
Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day. "I was a clothes addict, "he jokes." I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled." Today David wears casual clothes – khaki pants and sports shirt – to the office. He hardly ever wears a necktie. "I'm working harder than ever," David says, "and I need to feel comfortable."
More and more companies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work. In the United States, the change from formal to casual office wear has been gradual. In the early 1990s, many companies allowed their employees to wear casual clothes on Friday, but only on Friday. This became known as "dress-down Friday" or "casual Friday." "What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for employees has really become an everyday thing." said business consultant Maisly Jones.
Why have so many companies started allowing their employees to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it's easier for a company to attract new employees if it has a casual dress code. "A lot of young people don't want to dress up for work," says the owner of a software company, "so it's hard to hire people if you have a conservative dress code." Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing comfortable clothes. In a study conducted by Levi Strauss and Company, 85 percent of employers said that they believe that casual dress improves employee morale (士气). Only 4 percent of employers said that casual dress has a negative effect on productivity. Supporters of casual office wear also argue that a casual dress code helps them save money. "Suits are expensive, if you have to wear one every day," one person said. "For the same amount of money, you can buy a lot more casual clothes."David Smith refers to himself as having been "a clothes addict," because.
A.he often wore khaki pants and a sports shirt |
B.he couldn't stand a clean appearance |
C.he wanted his clothes to look neat all the time |
D.he didn't want to spend much money on clothes |
David Smith wears casual clothes now, because.
A.they make him feel at ease when working |
B.he cannot afford to buy expensive clothes |
C.he looks handsome in casual clothes |
D.he no longer works for any company |
According to this passage, which of the following statements is FALSE?
A.Many employees don't like a conservative dress code. |
B.Comfortable clothes make employees more productive. |
C.A casual clothes code is welcomed by young employees. |
D.All the employers in the U.S. are for casual office wear. |
According to this passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A.Company workers started to dress down about twenty years ago. |
B.Dress-down has become an everyday phenomenon since the early 1990s. |
C."Dress-down Friday" was first given as a favor from employers. |
D.Many workers want to wear casual clothes to impress people. |
In this passage, the following advantages of casual office wear are mentioned except .
A.saving employees' money | B.making employees more attractive |
C.improving employees' motivation | D.making employees happier |
When an emergency situation occurs, observers are more likely to take action if there are few or no other witnesses. This phenomenon is referred to as the bystander effect.
The bystander effect is also called the Genovese effect, which is named after Catherine “Kitty" Genovese, a young woman who was cruelly murdered on March 13, 1964. Early in the morning, 28-year-old Genovese was returning home from work. As she approached her apartment entrance, she was attacked and stabbed (刺) by a man later identified as Winston Moseley. Despite Genovese's repeated cries for help, none of the dozen or so people in the nearby apartment building who heard her cries called police for help. The attack first began at 3:20, but it was not until 3:50 that someone first contacted police.
Many psychologists were set thinking by the incident, as well as most Americans. As the conclusion, the bystander effect came out and later proved by a series of studies and experiments.
There are two major factors that contribute to the bystander effect. First, the presence of other people creates a division of responsibility. Because there are other observers, individuals do not feel as much pressure to take action, since the responsibility to take action is thought to be shared among all of those present. The second reason is the need to behave in correct and socially acceptable ways. When other observers fail to react, individuals often take this as a signal that a response is not needed or not appropriate.
Other researchers have found that onlookers are less likely to take action if the situation is ambiguous. In the case of Kitty Genovese, many of the 38 witnesses reported that they believed that they were witnessing a "lovers' quarrel", and did not realize that the young woman was actually being murdered.The bystander effect is also called the Genovese effect because a woman surnamed Genovese.
A.it somehow caused the murder of |
B.its discovery resulted from the murder of |
C.it was actually discovered by |
D.it always makes people think of |
Genovese was murdered .
A.while she was going out | B.in her apartment |
C.halfway home | D.near her apartment |
Which can NOT have been a possible reason for the neighbors NOT offering Genovese help?
A.They believed in the bystander effect. |
B.They thought someone else might help her. |
C.They didn't think they should help. |
D.They didn't think she needed help. |
Before deciding to offer help, observers may , according to the psychologists.
A.wait for sort of a signal |
B.hesitate and estimate the risk of getting hurt |
C.want to be sure it's appropriate to react |
D.wonder if the victim is worth helping |
The article seems to suggest that, if there had been observers, Genovese might not have been murdered.
A.no | B.fewer | C.more | D.braver |