ThewriterMargaretMitchellisbes-优题课

Want a glance of the future of health care? Take a look at the way the various networks of people about patient care are being connected to one another, and how this new connectivity is being exploited to deliver medicine to the patient —no matter where he or she may be.
Online doctors offering advice based on normal symptoms(症状) are the most obvious example. Increasingly, however, remote diagnosis(远程诊断) will be based on real physiological data(生理数据) from the actual patient. A group from the University of Kentucky has shown that by using personal data assistance plus a mobile phone, it is perfectly practical to send a patient’s important signs over the telephone. With this kind of equipment, the cry asking whether there was a doctor in the house could well be a thing of the past.
Other medical technology groups are working on applying telemedicine to rural(countryside) care. And at least one team wants to use telemedicine as a tool for disaster need—especially after earthquakes. On the whole, the trend is towards providing global access to medical data and experts’ opinions.
But there is one problem. Bandwidth(宽带) is the limiting factor for sending complex(复杂的) medical pictures around the world — CT photos being one of the biggest bandwidth users. Communication satellites may be able to deal with the short-term needs during disasters such as earthquakes or wars. But medicine is looking towards both the second-generation Internet and third-generation mobile phones for the future of remote medical service.
Doctors have met to discuss computer-based tools for medical diagnosis, training and telemedicine. With the falling price of broadband communications, the new technologies should start a new time when telemedicine and the sharing of medical information, experts’ opinions and diagnosis are common.
1. The writer chiefly talks about _______.
A. the use of telemedicine B. the on-lined doctors
C. medical care and treatment D. communication improvement
2. The basis of remote diagnosis will be _______.
A. personal data assistance
B. some words of a patient
C. real physiological information
D. medical pictures from the Internet
3. Which of the following statements is true according to the text？
A. Patients don’t need doctors in hospitals any more.
B. It is impossible to send a patient’s signs over the telephone.
C. Many teams use telemedicine dealing with disasters now.
D. Broadband communications willbecome cheaper in the future.
4. The “problem” in the fourth paragraph refers to the fact that _______.
A. bandwidth isn’t big enough to send complex medical pictures
B. the second-generation of Internet has not become popular yet
C. communication satellites can only deal with short-term needs
D. there is not enough equipment for spreading the medical care

With only about 1, 000 pandas left in the world, China is desperately trying to clone(克隆) the animal and save the endangered species(物种). That’s a move similar to what a Texas A & M University researchers have been undertaking for the past five years in a project called “Noah’s Ark”.
Noah’s Ark is aimed at collecting eggs, embryos(胚胎), semen and DNA of endangered animals and storing them in liquid nitrogen. If certain species should become extinct, Dr. Duane Kraemer, a professor in Texas A & M’s College of Veterinary Medicine, says there would be enough of the basic building blocks to reintroduce the species in the future.
It is estimated that as many as 2, 000 species of mammals, birds reptiles will become extinct in over 100 years. The panda, native only to China, is in danger of becoming extinct in the next 25 years.
This week, Chinese scientists said they grew an embryo by introducing cells from a dead female panda into the egg cells of a Japanese white rabbit. They are now trying to implant the embryo into a host animal.
The entire procedure could take from three to five years to complete.
“The nuclear transfer(核子移植) of one species to another is not easy, and the lack of available(capable of being used) panda eggs could be a major problem,” Kraemer believes. “They will probably have to do several hundred transfers to result in one pregnancy (having a baby). It takes a long time and it’s difficult, but this could be groundbreaking science if it works. They are certainly not putting any live pandas at risk, so it is worth the effort,” adds Kraemer, who is one of the leaders of the Project at Texas A& M, the first-ever attempt at cloning a dog.
“They are trying to do something that’s never been done, and this is very similar to our work in Noah’s Ark. We’re both trying to save animals that face extinction. I certainly appreciate their effort and there’s a lot we can learn from what they are attempting to do. It’s a research that is very much needed.”
1. The aim of “Noah’s Ark” project is to _______.
A. make efforts to clone the endangered pandas
B. save endangered animals from dying out
C. collect DNA of endangered animals to study
D. transfer the nuclear of one animal to another
2. According to Professor Kraemer, the major problem in cloning pandas would be the lack of _______.
A. available panda eggs B. host animals
C. qualified researchers D. enough money
3. The best title for the passage may be _______.
A. China’s Success in Pandas Cloning
B. The First Cloned Panda in the World
C. Exploring the Possibility to Clone Pandas
D. China —the Native Place of Pandas Forever
4. From the passage we know that _______.
A. Kraemer and his team have succeeded in cloning a dog
B. scientists try to implant a panda’s egg into a rabbit
C. Kraemer will work with Chinese scientists in clone researches
D. about two thousand of species will probably die out in a century

Although man has known asbestos for many hundreds of years, it was not until 160 years ago that it was mined for the first time on the North American continent. H. W. Johns, owner of a New York City Supply Shop for roofers, was responsible for(对…负责) the opening of that first mine.
Mr. Johns was given a piece of asbestos which had been found in Italy. He experimented with the material and then showed its surprising powers to his customers. After putting on a pair of asbestos gloves, which looked much like ordinary work gloves, he took red-hot coals from the fireplace and played with them in his hands. How astonished the customers were to discover that he was not burned at all. You can well imagine that he had increasing business in asbestos roofing materials. However, because it was very expensive to transport (carry) them from Italy to the United States, Mr. Johns sent out a young scientist to seek a source nearer home. This young man found great vein(岩脉), in the province of Quebec in Canada.
Ever since 1881 Quebec has led the world in the production of this unusual mineral, which is made up of magnesium, silicon, iron, and oxygen. When it is mined, the asbestos is heavy, just as you would expect a mineral to be. When it is separated, a strange thing happens; the rock breaks down into fine, soft, soapy fibres(纤维).
Scientists do not know why the rock can be separated easily into threads(线), but they have found thousands of uses of this fireproof material, of the so-called “cloth of stone”.
1. Which title best expresses the main idea of this passage?
A. Asbestos mined in Canada B. Fireproof matter
C. A “wonder” mineral D. A new roofing material
2. Johns proved his ability as a salesman by_______.
A. going into roofing business B. carrying asbestos from Italy
C. sending a trained scientist D. showing the use of asbestos gloves
3. Which is the most important character of asbestos that the author wants to show us?
A. It is like thread. B. It feels soapy.
C. It burns easily. D. It is unusually heavy.
4. The author’s main purpose in writing this passage was to _______.
A. show the need for more scientists
B. compare asbestos with other minerals
C. increase the sales of asbestos
D. present facts about asbestos

TOKYO — Our kids, the Japanese government announced, have forgotten how to behave. They can’t be bothered with housework. If they see someone being wronged, they probably look the other way.
Few countries have placed more importance on being well-behaved in public than Japan. The simplest requests for directions often result in guided tours. Smiling shopkeepers are still the rule. Lost wallets usually make their way to their owners.
But according to recent surveys(调查), all that may be going the way of the ancient hair-do(发式). And Japan’s government has gone into something of a crisis mode(危机时刻).
A Japanese Education Ministry Survey formed late in 1999 and made public last month found that Japan moves behind other nations in teaching youngsters right from wrong.
It also reported that Japanese children are less helpful and do far less housework than their foreign peers(同龄人) in all classes. But they are better about taking dirty dishes to the kitchens after dinner.
In addition, Japanese kids are more likely to dry their hair and carry cell phones than American and Chinese kids, according to another survey, by a Tokyo-based tank(专家小组).
Children in about 8 per cent of public school classrooms are so disorderly that teachers cannot hold lessons, further recent reports show. children refuse to sit, to listen or to stop talking.
Older and middle-aged Japanese continue to have a solid sense of good manners and social justice(正义, 公正), says Professor Yoshina Hirano from Shinshu University, who was appointed to direct the ministry’s survey.
Despite the knowledge of good manners among adults, the breakdown in manners may be spreading, he said.
1. From the first paragraph, we can infer that _______.
A. the Japanese government had gone bad
B. kids in Japan have a bad memory
C. kids in Japan seldom help their parents with housework
D. kids in Japan are too busy to help others
2. The second paragraph seems to show us that _______.
A. the education system of Japan is better than that of any other country
B. shopkeepers in Japan are too kind to their customers
C. Japanese kids often find wallets on their way to their schools
D. Japanese adults in public places act politely to each other
3. It is implied(暗含) in this passage that Japanese kids _______.
A. spending much time doing their homework　　　　
B. lead an advanced modern life
C. have their hair cut too often　　　　　　　　　　
D. often wash dishes after dinner

Self-employed private physicians who charge a fee for each patient visit are the foundation of medical practice in the United States. Most physicians have a contract relationship with one or more hospitals in the community. They send their patients to this hospital, which usually charges patients according to the number of days they stay and the facilities(operating room, tests, medicines that they use). Some hospitals belong to a city, a state or, in the case of veteran's hospitals, a federal government agency. Others are operated by religious orders(教会) or other non-profit groups.
Some medical doctors are on salary. Salaried physicians may work as hospital staff members, or residents, who are often still in training. They may teach in medical schools, be hired by corporations to care for their workers or work for the federal government's Public Health Service.
Physicians are among the best paid professionals in the United States. In the 1980s, it was not uncommon for medical doctors to earn incomes of more than $ 100 000 a year. Specialists, particularly surgeons, might earn several times that amount. Physicians list many reasons why they deserve to be so well rewarded for their work. One reason is the long and expensive preparation required to become a physician in the United States. Most would be physicians first attend college for four years, which can cost nearly $ 20 000 a year at one of the best private institutions. Prospective physicians then attend medical school for four years. Tuition alone can exceed $ 10 000 a year. By the time they have obtained their medical degrees, many young physicians are deeply in debt. They still face three to five years of residency(实习阶段) in a hospital, the first year as an apprentice physician. The hours are long and the pay is relatively low.
Setting up a medical practice is expensive, too. Sometimes several physicians will decide to establish a group practice, so they can share the expense of maintaining an office and buying equipment. These physicians also take care of each other's patients in emergencies.
Physicians work long hours and must accept a great deal of responsibility. Many medical procedures, even quite routine ones, involve risk. It is understandable that physicians want to be well rewarded for making decisions which can mean the difference between life and death.
1. According to the passage, it is very unlikely that an American hospital is owned by _______.
A. a church B. a corporation C. a city D. a state
2. The expenses for becoming a doctor are spent on _______.
A. schooling and retraining B. practice in a hospital
C. facilities he or she uses D. education he or she receives
3. According to the passage, how long does it take for a would-be physician to become an independent physician in the USA?
A. About seven years. B. Eight years.
C. Ten years. D. About twelve years.
4. Sometimes several physicians set up a group medical practice mainly because _______.
A. there are so many patients that it is difficult for one physician to take care all of them
B. they can take turns to work long hours
C. facilities may be too much of a burden for one physician to shoulder
D. no one wants to assume too much responsibility
5. Which of the following statements could fully express the author's view towards physicians’ payment in the USA?
A. For their expensive education and their responsibility, they deserve a handsome pay.
B. It is reasonable for physicians to have a large income because their work is very dangerous.
C. Physicians should be better paid because they work long hours under bad conditions.
D. Physicians have great responsibility, so it is understandable that they should be well rewarded.