The deadliest Ebola(埃博拉病毒) outbreak in recorded history is happening right now. The outbreak is unprecedented(空前的) both in the number of people who have gotten sick and in the geographic scope. And so far it’s been a long battle that doesn’t appear to be slowing down.
Ebola is both rare and very deadly. Since the first outbreak in 1976, Ebola viruses have infected thousands of people and killed roughly killed 60 percent of them. Symptoms can come on quickly and kill fast.
The current outbreak started in Guinea sometime in late 2013 or early 2014. It has since spread to Sierra Leone and Liberia, including some capital cities. And one infected patient traveled on a plane to Nigeria, where he spread the disease to several others and then died. Cases have also popped up in various other countries throughout the world, including in Dallas and New York City in the United States.
The Ebola virus has now hit many countries, including Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Senegal, and the United States. The virus, which starts off with flu-like symptoms and sometimes ends with bleeding, has infected about 6,500 people and killed more than 3,000 since this winter, according to the World Health Organization on September 30, 2014.
There are some social and political factors contributing to the current disaster. Because this is the first major Ebola outbreak in West Africa, many of the region’s health workers didn’t have experience or training in how to protect themselves or care for patients with this disease.
Journalist David Quammen put it well in a recent New York Times article, “Ebola is more dangerous to humans than perhaps any known virus on Earth, except rabies(狂犬病) and HIV. And it does its damage much faster than either.”
Hopefully, researchers are working to find drugs, including a recent $50 million push at the National Institutes of Health. And scientists are working on vaccines(疫苗), including looking into ones that might be able to help wild chimpanzees, which are also susceptible to the disease. The first human Ebola vaccine trial is scheduled to start in the spring of 2015.According to the passage, which of the following about Ebola is true?
| A．The Ebola outbreak now is the biggest one in history. |
| B．Ebola breaks out quickly but it is under control now. |
| C．Ebola is deadly and common so it kills a lot of people. |
| D．Ebola killed about 60 thousand people quickly in 1976. |
The Ebola virus was brought to Nigeria by .
| A．a flying bird | B．an infected passenger |
| C．hot African weather | D．a health organization |
The symptoms of Ebola at the beginning are more like those of .
| A．flu | B．rabies |
| C．HIV/AIDS | D．internal bleeding |
The last paragraph mainly tells us that .
| A．it will be a huge waste when researchers spend lots of money finding a cure |
| B．the vaccines can be effective to wild chimpanzees but not to the humans |
| C．there will be an optimistic future in which we can defeat the disease |
| D．we can use the vaccine to cure the patients completely in 2015’s spring |
What is the best title of the passage?
| A．Ebola ---- The African Local Disaster |
| B．Ebola ---- The Newly-Found Disease |
| C．Ebola ---- A More Effective Vaccine |
| D．Ebola ---- The Deadly Virus Outbreak |
EAT YOUR VEGETABLES. Wash your hands. Always say "please" and "thank you ".We are full of advice for our children, but when it comes to money, we often have little to say. As a result, our children may grow up with clean hands and good manners, but without any idea how to manage their money.Here are some basics that will help guide them their entire lives：
Show them the future. If your 13-year-old girl were to save $1.000,invest(投资)it at 8% and add $100 every month, by the time she's 65,she would have $980,983!
Be careful of credit(信用).Credit cards can help you buy necessary things and build a credit history, but they must be used responsibly, which means paying off your debt in time. Explain to your children that when you buy something using a credit card, you can easily end up paying two or three times what you would have paid if you used cash.
Teach patience. Suppose your child wants a new bicycle that costs $150.Rather than paying the cash, give him some regular pocket money and explain that by putting aside,say,$15 each week, he will be able to buy it for himself in only ten weeks.
Provide incentive. Tell your children the importance of saving. "For every dollar he or she agrees to save and invest rather than spend, you agree to add another dollar to the pot, "says Cathy Pareto, expert in money planning.
Explain your values. Values and money are deeply intertwined(缠结在一起), says Eilleen Gallo, co-author of The Financially Intelligent Parent. When your child demands that you buy something, explain why you really don't want to buy it. "You might say, 'I'd rather save that money for your education,'" advises Gallo. Every time you spend or don't spend money, you have a chance to share your values.The writer gives some basics to help____ in a proper way.
| A．parents teach their children how to deal with money |
| B．children follow their parents 'instructions |
| C．children manage their money |
| D．parents save their money |
The underlined word "incentive" in paragraph 6 means____.
| A．honor | B．praise | C．excitement | D．encouragement |
What leads the writer to write this article?
A. Parents want to know how to educate their children.
B. He wants to share his good ideas about money matters.
C .He thinks money management the most important for children.
D. Parents care little about their children's management of money.
NOTICE
DO NOT FISH FOR FOOD, FISHERMAN!
FOR YOUR OWN HEALTH
FISH FROM THESE WATERS SHOULD NOT BE EATEN
BECAUSE OF MERCURY (水银) POLLUTION
Office of Land and ForestsWhere would people see the notice?
| A．On a fish farm | B．At a local office |
| C．In a fish market | D．On the office walls |
The notice tells people___________.
| A．not to fish from these waters |
| B．not to put mercury into these waters |
| C．not to cook the fish they catch here |
| D．not to go near these waters |
The notice is given because ___________.
| A．the land and forest are polluted by mercury |
| B．it is right to catch fish from these waters |
| C．people may be ill by eating the fish they catch |
| D．these waters are full of dirty things |
After the fisherman read the notice, they will feel____________.
| A．happy | B．excited | C．interested | D．disappointed |
Old Computers Make for Unhappy Workers --- Survey
LONDON (Reuters) ----- Dealing with the dissatisfaction of aging and unreliable office computers leads to workers' unhappiness and more sick leave, a survey showed on Wednesday.
A survey carried out by caro4free.net of over 2,700 European office workers from the UK, France and Germany found that workplace dissatisfaction increased greatly with the age of the computer equipment.
"We do know that job satisfaction is falling in Britain and most advanced nations," said Stephen White, a researcher from the Work Foundation. "The actual reasons for this are the subject of very heated discussion. It's certainly one interesting theory that technology may be the cause of this in some way," White added.
A quarter of these using outdated computers in Britain said they were "quite" or "very dissatisfied" with their everyday job compared to the percent of those who had enjoyed an advantage from up-to-date technology.
The survey also said that among workers dealing with outdated equipment, there was a 35 percent greater probability they would take six or more days of sick leave per year compared with the average worker. In France, where more workers use old computers, the probability jumped to 55 percent.
Results also showed that women in the three countries were more likely to be using outdated equipment. In the UK, where more workers have up-to-date computers than in the other countries surveyed, the number of women using old equipment doubled that of men.
White pointed out that there were two sides to this problem, saying that continuously having to deal with new technology and equipment can also be a source of worry. "Old and faulty equipment is a major cause of office dissatisfaction. There is no question about it; but you also have to say that the frequent change of equipment is also, or could be, a main cause of dissatisfaction."The underlined word "this" (paragraph 3) refers to ______.
| A．workplace dissatisfaction | B．computer use in most jobs |
| C．the aging off office computers | D．the survey by care4@ free. net |
How many office workers use old computers in Britain expressed their dissatisfaction?
| A．16% | B．25% | C． 35% | D．55% |
According to White, why were the women surveyed more likely to use old computers?
| A．Most office workers use old computers. |
| B．They do some of their work with computers. |
| C．Dealing with new equipment can cause anxiety. |
| D．They are easier to be satisfied with new technology. |
What is the subject of the news story?
| A．Poor working conditions in offices |
| B．Research work of the Work Foundation |
| C．Influence of technology in the workplace. |
| D．Different attitudes to old computers. |
My friends, Emma Daniels, spent the summer of 1974 traveling in Israel. During her monthlong stay in Jerusalem she often went to a café called Chocolate Soup. It was run by two men, one of whom – Alex – used to live in Montreal. One morning when Emma went in for coffee, while chatting with her new friend Alex, she mentioned that she had just finished the book she was reading and had nothing else to read. Alex said he had a wonderful book she might like, and that he’d be happy to lend it to her. As he lived just above the café, he quickly ran up to get it. The book he handed to Emma just minutes later was Markings, a book by a former Secrcetary-General of the United Nations (UN).
Emma had never read it, nor had she ever bought a copy. But, when she opened it up, she was floored to see her own name and address inside the cover in her own handwriting.It turned out that the summer before, at a concert back in Montreal, Emma had met a Californian who was in town visiting friends. They decided to exchange addresses, but neither of them had any paper. The man opened up a book he was carrying in his backpack and asked Emma to write her name and address inside. When he returned to California, he left the book behind in Montreal, and his friend Alex kept it. When Alex later moved to Jerusalcm, he took the book along.Alex lent Emma the book, Markings,__________.
| A．to show his friendliness to her |
| B．to show his interest in reading |
| C．to tell her about the importance of UN |
| D．to let her write her name and address inside |
How did Emma feel the moment she opened the book?
| A．Pleased. | B．Satisfied. |
| C．Worried. | D．Surprised. |
We can learn from the text the Californian________.
| A．met Emma at a concert |
| B．invited Emma to a concert |
| C．introduced Emma to his friend |
| D．left Emma his backpack |
Who was supposed to be the first owner of the book?
| A．An official of the UN. |
| B．A coffee shop owner. |
| C．A friend of the author’s. |
| D．Alex’s friend from California. |
Honesty comes in many forms. First there’s self-honesty. Is what people see the real article or do you appear through smoke and mirrors? I find that if I try to be something I’m not. I feel unsure of myself and take out a part from my PBA(personal bank account). I love how singer Judy Garland put it. “Always be a first-class version(版本) of yourself, instead of a second-class version of somebody else. ” Then there’s honesty in our actions. Are you honest at school, with your parents, and with your boss? If you’ve ever been dishonest, I think we all have, try being honest, and notice how whole it makes you feel. Remember, you can’t do wrong and feel right. This story by Jeff is a good example of that
In my second year of study, there were three kids in my math class who didn’t do well. I was really good at it. I would charge them three dollars for each test that I helped them pass. I’d write on a little piece of paper all the right answers, and hand them off. At first I felt like I was making money, kind of a nice job. I wasn’t thinking about how it could hurt all of us. After a while I realized I shouldn’t do that any more, because I wasn’t really helping them. They weren’t learning anything, and it would only get harder down the road. Cheating certainly wasn’t helping me.
It takes courage to be honest when people all around you are getting away with cheating on tests, lying to their parents, and stealing at work. But, remember, every act of honesty is a deposit(储蓄) into your PBA and will build strength.The underlined part “appear through smoke and mirrors” in the FIRST paragraph means________.
| A．to be unreal | B．to be honest |
| C．to become clear | D．to come from an imagined world |
Which of the following can best explain Judy Garland’s words?
| A．Don’t copy others or you can’t be the first class. |
| B．Be your true self rather than follow others. |
| C．Make efforts to be the first instead of the second. |
| D．Don’t learn from others unless they’re excellent. |
What does the author expect to show by Jeff’s story?
| A．Honesty can be of great help. |
| B．A bad thing can be turned into a good one. |
| C．One should realize the wrong in his bad deeds. |
| D．Helping others cheat can do good to nobody. |
In the last paragraph the author mainly wants to express________.
| A．one must be brave to be honest |
| B．it’s difficult to be honest when others are not |
| C．one should be honest when making a deposit |
| D．honesty in one’s actions can help him in the future |