David Nabarro, the UN special envoy (特使), told the reporter the number of Ebola cases was currently increasing rapidly, but greater community awareness would help contain the virus.
People were becoming aware that isolating those infected was the best way to prevent transmission, he added. So far, there have been more than 8,300 confirmed and suspected cases of Ebola, and at least 4,033 deaths. Most deaths - 4,024 - have occurred in the west African countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Cases have also been reported in Nigeria, Senegal, Spain and the US.
Mr Nabarro said that the number of new cases was “quite frightening”, as the spread of the disease was currently accelerating. At the beginning, many west African communities did not understand that the outbreak was an infectious disease, he said.
“I think we’ve got much better community involvement which leads me to believe that getting it under control within the next three months is a reasonable target,” he continued.
“By under control I mean... the numbers of new cases each week diminishes compared with the previous week to the point where there is no new transmission.”
The Ebola virus is spread by direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person or animal.
Meanwhile, New York’s JFK airport began screening passengers from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea for the Ebola virus on Saturday, in an attempt to stop the outbreak. Passengers from those countries will have their temperatures taken and have to answer a series of questions.
Checks at O’Hare in Chicago, Newark, Washington’s Dulles and Atlanta’s airport will begin in the coming days. The screening system is being introduced after the first person to be diagnosed with Ebola in the US died in Texas on Wednesday.The number of the countries which have been reported on death cases of Ebola so far mainly is ______.
| A．3. | B．4. | C．7. | D．8. |
According to the UN special envoy, how long will it take to bring Ebola under control?
| A．a few days from now. | B．six weeks. |
| C．about three months. | D．the coming week. |
What does the underlined word “diminishes” mean in the fifth paragraph?
| A．increases | B．decreases |
| C．varies | D．disappears |
Which of the following statements is not true according to the passage?
| A．Ebola is spread by direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person or animal. |
| B．Most death cases of Ebola have occurred in the west African countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. |
| C．Checks at airports in Chicago, Washington, and Atlanta will begin in the coming days. |
| D．The screening system is being introduced by the first person to be diagnosed. |
Do you like shopping? Or does the thought of wandering round the shops fill you with terror? For some of us，shopping is an enjoyable way of spending our spare time and our money. For me．it's something I would rather avoid．Thank goodness for the Internet! It's more convenient to buy CDs，electrical items，even food，from the comfort of your sofa．But that’s not the only reason：price is an important factor．We can buy goods and services cheaper online. But sometimes the problem is knowing what to buy．This has led to a type of shopping called “showrooming”．
Showrooming is something I've done．I will go to a shop to see，touch and try out products but then go home and buy them online at a knock—down price．I'm not alone in doing this．Research by a company called Foolproof，found 24％of people showroomed while Christmas shopping in 2013．
Amy Cashman，Head of Technology at TNS UK，says the reasons for this new shopping habit are that“people are lacking time，lacking money and they want security about the products they are buying．”She explains that consumers are not only shopping online at home but they are using the Internet in store or on their smartphones to shop around．
But does this mean technology will kill shops? Certainly shops will change．They will have to offer more competitive prices or encourage people to buy more by giving in—store discounts or free girls．
We mustn’t forget that buying in a shop means you can get expert advice from the sales assistant and you can get good aftercare．It’s good to speak to a real human rather than look at a faceless computer screen but at least by showrooming，you get the best of both worlds!The two questions in Paragraph l are raised to
| A．introduce the topic | B．give two examples |
| C．compare different opinions | D．get answers from readers |
What does showrooming mean in the text?
| A．Trying in shops and buying online． |
| B．Showing products in a room． |
| C．Buying something in a store． |
| D．Shopping on the Internet． |
According to Amy Cashman，which is not the reason for showrooming?
| A．The lack of time． | B．The comfort of the sofa． |
| C．The shortness of money． | D．The security of the product． |
What can be inferred from Paragraph 4 ?
| A．Online shops will disappear． |
| B．Free gifts will surely promote sales． |
| C．Shops need necessary changes． |
| D．Shops will be replaced by online shops． |
The author's attitude towards showrooming is
| A．critical | B．neutral | C．supportive | D．casual |
Starting in l972，the National Park Service established a policy for forest fires calle Natural Burn．It was acknowledged that some forest fires，such as those caused by lightning were necessary for forests to maintain balanced ecosystems，so the fire should be allowed to burn．However, a big fire in Yellowstone National Park in l988 caused this policy to be abandoned since the fire was initially allowed to burn yet soon out of control．As a result，the fire of l988 destroyed much of Yellowstone，which is America’s oldest and most beloved national park．Massive areas of plants were destroyed，and large empty spaces and acres of burned and blackened trees greeted visitors．The rivers and streams were choked with ash，and the ecosystem of the park was changed beyond repair.
In addition，great numbers of animals were killed by the fires that bumed out of control. The fires were driven by high winds，moving as many as ten miles a day．Many small animals died in the flames．The fires’ rapid advances gave the wildlife little chance to escape. Even today，few of these small forest animals have returned to live in the park. In the years immediately following the fires，the numbers of visitors declined rapidly．No one was interested in seeing a blackened and treeless park on vacation．Yellowstone had previously been famous for its amazing views and unique geological formations such as the geyser Old Faithful. But now its reputation as America's wonder is damaged permanently.Natural Burn was adopted because some forest fires were
| A．hard to put out |
| B．started by lightning |
| C．good for the balance of nature |
| D．approved by National Park Service |
The big fire in Yellowstone in 1988．
| A．became out of control at first |
| B．destroyed the park completely |
| C．was allowed to burn continuously |
| D．brought the natural burn policy to an end |
Why were so many animals killed in the big fire?
| A．Because winds were blown from high places． |
| B．Because the animals moved only ten miles a day． |
| C．Because the animals lived in lower places． |
| D．Because strong winds contributed to the fire a lot． |
Yellowstone was famous for its．
| A．rare animals | B．unique plants | C．beautiful scenery | D．little streams |
The text probably comes from．
| A．a science fiction | B．a news report |
| C．a commercial ad | D．a geography magazine |
Shirley Temple(1928—2014)，an American actress，was considered among the most successful child stars in the history of film．Born by an ambitious mother，Temple first appeared in a film at the age of three，and at six she starred in Stand Up and Cheer (1934)．Known and recognized for her ability to sing and tapdance in several films，Temple became a famous figure in 1934．At the end of that year she was given a special Academy Award “in grateful recognition of her outstanding contribution．’’
During the Great Depression of the l930s，Temple was celebrated by an adoring public．At the height of her popularity，from l935 to 1938，Temple was the biggest box-office attraction in Hollywood．Temple made a number of films as a teenager，but her appeal had faded，and the films were not successful．In l949, Temple depaaed elegantly from Hollywood．
Two decades later，she reappeared into the spotlight by announcing her qualification as a candidate for Congress．She lost the election，but Temple displayed her determination and went on to enjoy a long and successful：career with the United Nations and the State Department．
After retirement，she reposed that she was at peace with her life and proud of her accomplishments in two of the nation’s most influential areas．“If I had to do it all over again．’’Shirley Temple once declared，‘‘I wouldn’t change anything．’’
Temple became famous at the age of
| A．3 | B．6 | C．10 | D．2l |
What do we learn from Paragraph 2 ?
| A．Temple was still popular in l949． |
| B．Temple was a failure as a child star． |
| C．Hollywood made a big fortune because of Temple. |
| D．People became tired of Temple in the Great Depression. |
Temple attracted people’s attention again when
| A．she entered Congress |
| B．she worked for the UN |
| C．she went on with the pohtical life |
| D．she announced to participate in the election |
We know-from the last paragraph that Temple
| A．wanted to lead a different life |
| B．regreued having left Hollywood |
| C．was content with her experiences |
| D．was sorry about her election failure |
Which of the following best describes Temple?
| A．3pecial and generous． | B．Patient and sensitive． |
| C．Attractive and humorous． | D．Talented and determined． |
In a society such as the United States or Canada, which has many national, religious and cultural differences, people highly value individualism--the differences among people. Teachers place a lot of importance on the qualities that make each student special. The educational systems in these countries show these values. Students do not memorize all possible basic knowledge. Instead, they work individually and find answers by themselves.There is often discussion in the classroom. At an early age, students learn to form their own ideas and opinions.
In most Asia societies, by contrast, the people have the same language, history and culture. Perhaps for this reason, the educational system in much of the orient reflects society’s belief in group goals and purposes rather than individualism. Children in China, Japan and Korea often work together and help one another on assignments.
There are advantages and disadvantages of both systems of education. For example, one advantage of the system in Japan is that students there learn much more about math, physics, biology and chemistry than American students by the end of high school. They also study more hours each day and more days each year than North Americans do. The system is difficult, but it prepares students for a society that values discipline and self-control. There is, however, a disadvantage. Memorization is an important learning method in Japanese schools, yet many students say that after an exam, they forget much of the information that they have memorized.
The advantage of the educational system in North America, on the other hand, is that students learn to think for themselves. The system prepares them for a society that values creative ideas. There is, however, a disadvantage. When students graduate from school, they haven’t memorized as many basic rules and facts as students in other countries have.The writer’s purpose of writing this passage is.
| A．to share his idea with others in a new way |
| B．to introduce two different systems of education through contrast |
| C．to criticize the society that values memorization |
| D．to prepare students for society |
Which is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．The system of education in the West is more creative than that in the East |
| B．Japanese students learn much more about science than American students. |
| C．Canadian students are more individual than Korean students. |
| D．Students in North America are not so friendly as those in Asia. |
From the facts, we can infer that .
| A．Asian students are more likely to do better in teamwork than American students |
| B．Chinese students are more hard-working in their studies than Mexican students |
| C．the Western educational system is much better than the Eastern educational system. |
| D．the Eastern educational system is as difficult as the Western educational system. |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Advantages and Disadvantages of Educational System. |
| B．The Value of Individualism. |
| C．Educational System-an Obvious Difference between the East and the West. |
| D．Memorization-an Important Learning Method. |
Market analysts in the United States have recently been quoted as saying that the biggest threat to the luxury (奢侈品) industry in the US is the tech industry. This is according to an article by fellow journalist Ashley Lutz. Her suggestion is sound. The main idea of her article is that products from Tiffany & Co. find their biggest competition not from other luxury brands but from companies like Apple. Lutz points out that luxury products are often only for “show,” while the attraction behind tech products is functionality.
You find few people in the United States today willing to purchase luxury goods at full price. It didn’t use to be that way. Luxury goods used to be actually exclusive. That meant you needed to travel to the right store to purchase them, and you didn’t even have the option of getting a deal.
Today, no one wants to pay full price for luxury goods. People have the unfortunate belief that fakes (赝品) somehow are equal to originals, and if you can’t get a deal on eBay, Amazon, or in an outlet store, purchasing a luxury product probably isn’t worth it. Luxury brands struggle to remain high-end (高档的) images despite the reality that the American consumer is motivated much more by discounts than they are by brand names or image.
Yet people stand in line to pay full price for a new product from Apple and crowds gather to hear about a new smart phone. While electronics are updating every day, people are purchasing technology at full prices much more than they are purchasing luxury goods. What are high-tech makers doing right that luxury makers are pitifully failing at?
Carefully looking at the situation, it would appear as if the Internet didn’t hurt the luxury industry, expectation from the consumers did. What people want these days more than anything is stuff that does something. They want cars that drive, shoes that are comfortable, games that are fun to play, screens that are beautiful to look at, tools that are useful, and entertainment that is entertaining. Little of that fits into what the luxury industry has typically offered with its status, image, and fine materials. The sad reality is that luxury products aren’t that luxury any more.What does this passage mainly talk about?
| A．Nobody likes luxury goods any more. |
| B．Luxury goods are of poor quality nowadays. |
| C．Tech products become the new “luxury goods”. |
| D．Iphones have taken the place of luxury products. |
The underlined word “exclusive” in paragraph 2 means _______.
| A．unique and with no bargain | B．low in price |
| C．hard to find | D．easy to sell |
From paragraph 3 we can know that _______.
| A．people have found that some luxury goods are fakes |
| B．people can buy luxury goods at a low price on eBay |
| C．luxury brands will give up high-end images |
| D．consumers prefer brand names to discounts |