The technology is great. Without it we wouldn’t have been able to put a man on the moon, explore the ocean’s depths or eat microwave sausages. Computers have revolutionized our lives and they have the power to educate and pass on knowledge. But sometimes this power can create more problems than it solves.
Every doctor has had to try their best to calm down patients who’ve come into their surgery waving an Internet print-out, convinced that they have some rare incurable disease, say, throat cancer. The truth is usually far more ordinary, though: they don’t have throat cancer, and it’s just that their throats are swollen. Being a graduate of the Internet “school” of medicine does not guarantee accurate self-health-checks.
One day Mrs. Almond came to my hospital after feeling faint at work. While I took her blood sample and tried to find out what was wrong, she said calmly, “I know what’s wrong; I’ve got throat cancer. I know there’s nothing you doctors can do about it and I’ve just got to wait until the day comes.”
As a matter of routine I ordered a chest X-ray. I looked at it and the blood results an hour later. Something wasn’t right. “Did your local doctor do an X-ray?” I asked. “Oh, I haven’t been to the doctor for years,” she replied. “I read about it on a website and the symptoms fitted, so I knew that’s what I had.”
However, some of her symptoms, like the severe cough and weight loss, didn’t fit with it—but she’d just ignored this.
I looked at the X-ray again, and more tests confirmed it wasn’t the cancer but tuberculosis (肺结核)—something that most certainly did need treating, and could be deadly. She was lucky we caught it when we did.
Mrs. Almond went pale when I explained she would have to be on treatment for the next six months to ensure that she was fully recovered. It was certainly a lesson for her. “I’m so embarrassed,” she said, shaking her head, as I explained that all the people she had come into close contact with would have to be found out and tested. She listed up to about 20, and then I went to my office to type up my notes. Unexpectedly, the computer was not working, so I had to wait until someone from the IT department came to fix it. Typical. Maybe I should have a microwave sausage while I waited?Mrs. Almond talked about her illness calmly because ______.
| A．she had purchased medicine online |
| B．she thought she knew it well |
| C．she graduated from a medical school |
| D．she had been treated by local doctors |
It was lucky for Mrs. Almond ______.
| A．to have contacted many friends |
| B．to have recovered in a short time |
| C．to have her disease identified in time |
| D．to have her assumption confirmed |
Mrs. Almond said “I’m so embarrassed” (Para. 7) because ______.
| A．she had distrusted her close friends |
| B．she had to tell the truth to the doctor |
| C．she had to refuse the doctor’s advice |
| D．she had caused unnecessary trouble |
By mentioning the breakdown of the computer, the author probably wants to prove ______.
| A．it’s a must to take a break at work |
| B．it’s vital to believe in IT experts |
| C．it’s a danger to work long hours on computers |
| D．it’s unwise to simply rely on technology |
Happy April Fool’s Day! In celebration of the day, we have put together a list of some of the greatest hoaxes (恶作剧) in history. They are the lies that have been designed for innocent people who are ready to believe them.
▲INSTANT COLOR TV
In 1962 there was only one TV channel in Sweden, and it broadcast in black and white. The station’s Kjell Stepson, appearing on the news to announce that thanks to a newly developed technology, all viewers could now quickly and easily transform their existing sets to display color reception. All they had to do was pull a nylon (尼龙) stocking over their TV screen, and they would begin to see their favorite shows in color. Reportedly, hundreds of thousands of people, were taken in. Actual color TV transmission only started to appear in Sweden on April 1, 1970.
▲SAN SERRIFFE
In 1977 the British newspaper The Guardian published a special seven –page supplement(增刊) in honor of the tenth anniversary of San Serriffe, a small republic located in the Indian Ocean. A series of articles affectionately asked for more information about the beautiful holiday spot. Few noticed that every thing about the island was made up.
▲NIXON FOR PRESIDENT
In 1992 American National Public Radio’s Talk of the Nation program announced that, Richard Nixon, in a surprise move, was running for President again. His new campaign slogan was, “ I didn’t do anything wrong, and I won’t do it again.” Accompanying this announcement were audio clips(片断) of Nixon delivering his election speech. Listeners responded immediately to the announcement, flooding the show with calls expressing shock and anger. Only during the second half of the show did the host John Huckleberry reveal that the announcement was a practical joke. Nixon’s voice was copied by comedian Rich Little.Which of the following countries in NOT mentioned in the text?
| A．India | B．The UK | C．The United States | D．Sweden |
Who worked as a host on the radio?
| A．Kjell Stepson | B．Rich Little | C．Richard Nixon | D．John Huckleberry |
When did the small republic San Serriffe come into being?
| A．In 1962 | B．In 1977 | C．In 1992 | D．Never |
Where can we probably read this article?
| A．In the ad. | B．In a magazine | C．In a novel | D．In a news report |
Florence Nightingale 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 for 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．was most interested in music and drawing |
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 |
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 |
In England a woman fell down a stair. Panic followed—178 persons lost their lives. In Michigan a woman fell ill. There was a call for water. Someone thought it meant fire---71 were killed. In Oklahoma an old man’s hair caught fire---36 died.
What should you do to be out of danger?
1. As you sit in any crowd, pick out an exit(出口) which is not the one where most persons enter and plan to use if necessary.
2. If a rush stairs, do not get into it . Stay still. Let it pass. Then go to the exit you have chosen.
3. Do not cry out. Speak quietly. Act calmly.
4.Do not stop for your hat and coat unless they are at hand.
5. If there is smoke, crouch. The best air is about three feet above the floor.
6. When you are outside the building, stay out. Many dead would be alive if they had not returned for something.
7. When you get out, move far from the door so that others can get out.The first paragraph tells us that over two hundred people lost their lives because of_________.
| A．a fire | B．a call for water |
| C． falling downstairs | D．panic |
If you are in a crowd when panic stars, you should ________.
| A．run with the others. |
| B．call for help as loudly as you can. |
| C．hurry at once to an exit. |
| D．stay still until the crowd has passed. |
What should you do once out of a place where there is panic?
| A．stay outside. |
| B．go back for your wallet. |
| C．return to ask people not to run. |
| D．stand near the exit. |
When you are safe outside a burning building , stay away from the door so that _______.
| A．the smoke can get out. |
| B．you will not get burned |
| C．others may leave. |
| D．others may enter. |
In 2006, the UK government started to allow universities in England and Wales to charge British students tuition fees. More than 80 percent of students in England and Wales now take out a student loan in order to go to university. They use the loan (贷款) to pay for tuition fees, books and living expenses. Although the interest on student loans is quite low, it begins as soon as the student receives the loan. The average student in England and Wales now graduates from university with debts of around £12,000. Students of medicine usually have debts of more than £20,000. That is a lot of money. It means graduates cannot afford to buy a house for many years. They even struggle to pay rent on a flat, because they have to start paying back the student loan after graduating. If you start to earn over £15,000 a year, the government takes repayments directly from your monthly salary. Is it any surprise, therefore, that the average British person does not leave their parents’ home until they are 30 years old?
You might think that a British person with a degree will find it easy to get a well-paid job. However, most people in white-collar jobs seem to have a degree these days, so there is a lot of competition. Also, British companies tend to value work experience over a piece of paper. Like everyone else, graduates usually have to start at the bottom and work their way up. That can be very frustrating for them, since they are often over-qualified for the work they are doing. While at university, they have dreams of getting an exciting, challenging job. Therefore, life after university ends up being quite disappointing for a lot of graduates.
All of the above is beginning to make British people question whether a university degree is really worth the money.What's the best title of this passage?
| A．What's a University Education worth in the UK? |
| B．There is a lot of competition in the UK |
| C．There won't be any University Place left for British students |
| D．It doesn't cost students more and more to attend university |
What's the following is true?
| A．University Education is really worth the money in England |
| B．University Education is worth all over the world except in England |
| C．British education is becoming more expensive for a majority of British students |
| D．British students don't like to go to university |
We can infer from the passage ____
| A．The average British person didn't leave their parents' home until they are 35 years old |
| B．Having a degree doesn't get aBritish person a good job |
| C．Students are graduating without larger and larger debts. |
| D．things are easier for students from other countries coming to study |
in the UK without moneyThe word "interest" in paragraph2 means_______
| A． money paid for a week's work |
| B． money borrowed from a band |
| C． a regular monthly salary |
| D． extra money paid on a loan or bank savings |
Disease, poverty, hate, love－Charles Dickens’ stories opened his readers eyes to the most important themes of his age. Two hundred years on, his stories still speak volumes across the world, proving that Dickens’ legacy（遗产） was far greater that just “great-literature”. February 7 marks the 200th anniversary of the writer’s birthday. To mark this date, BBC writer Alex Hudson listed six things Dickens gave the modern world. Let’s take a look at two of them.
A White Christmas
Dickens is described as “the man who invented Christmas” － not the religious festival, but the cultural aspects that we associate with the festive season today. In the early 19th century, Christmas was barely worth mentioning, according to critic and writer Leigh Hunt. The committee which ran the Conservative Party even held ordinary business meetings on Christmas Day－unthinkable in the West nowadays, when everyone but the most necessary workers takes at least three days off. Many people believe that Dickens’ popular descriptions of the festive period became a blueprint for generations to come. In his classic novel, A Christmas Carol, he not only put forward the idea of snow at Christmas, but also painted a picture of glowing warmth－“home enjoyments, affections and hopes”. In his biography of Dickens, Peter Ackroyd wrote: “Dickens can be said to have almost single-handedly created the modern idea of Christmas.”
“Dickens” poverty
Dickens was one of the first to take an honest look at the underclass and the poor of Victorian London. He helped popularize the term “red tape” to describe situations where people in power use needless amounts of bureaucracy(官僚作风) in a way that particularly hurts the weaker and poorer members of society.
“Dickensian” has now become a powerful word for describing an unacceptable level of poverty. In 2009, when the president of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers in the UK wanted to talk about poverty in some areas of Britain, she did not use words like “terrible” or “horrific”, but rather described it as “life mirroring the times of Dickens”.The article is mainly about.
| A．a brief introduction to Charles Dickens’ |
| B．the characters in Charles Dickens’ stories |
| C．Charles Dickens’ impact（影响力) on the world |
| D．Charles Dickens’ achievements in literature |
Why is Dickens’ called “the man who invented Christmas”?
| A．Because he created both religious and culture festival. |
| B．Because one of his novels helped to shape Christmas celebrations. |
| C．Because his novels have something to do with Christmas. |
| D．Because he was the first man to have proposed celebrating Christmas. |
We can learn from the passage that.
| A．Charles Dickens’ novels reflect(反映) the true life at his age |
| B．Dickensian is widely used to describe the Christmas |
| C．Every person can take three days off for Christmas |
| D．The theme of Charles Dickens’ stories is about poverty |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．Dickens gave the modern world six things. |
| B．Dickens is still popular today in Britain. |
| C．Dickens invented Christmas |
| D．Agreements made by the underclass of society |