How important can a fifteen-year-old boy's work be? Well, Louis Braille's work changed the world. Born in a small town near Paris in 1809, shortly after his third birthday Louis blinded himself in one eye while playing with a sharp pointed tool in his father's workshop. He soon lost the sight in his other eye when the infection spread. He wanted to go to school, but in his small town there was no school for him. At that time, blind people did not get any school education. Braille went to Paris to study, but there were few books for the blind. Louis knew that books were the key to learning. He struggled with ideas for three years. Finally, at fifteen, he invented an alphabet made with raised dots . Blind people could "read" by feeling the patterns of the dots. Being able to read Braille allows blind children to learn together with the sighted at school, and go on to get jobs. It allows people who lose their eyesight to continue to read, learn and get information. Which could be the best title for the passage? A) Louis Braille changed the world B) Louis Braille struggled in his life C) Louis Braille saved sighted children D) Louis Braille set up a blind school
A
World Health Day is celebrated on 7 April to mark the anniversary of the founding of WHO in 1948. Each year a theme is selected for World Health Day that highlights a priority area of public health concern in the world. The theme for 2013 is high blood pressure. High blood pressure increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes . If left uncontrolled, high blood pressure can also cause blindness, irregularities of the heartbeat and heart failure. The risk of developing these complications is higher in the presence of other risk factors such as diabetes . One in three adults worldwide has high blood pressure and this increases with age, from 1 in 10 people in their 20s and 30s to 5 in 10 people in their 50s. High blood pressure is most common in some low-income countries in Africa, with over 40% of adults in many African countries thought to be affected. However, high blood pressure is both preventable and treatable. In some developed countries, prevention and treatment of it has brought about a reduction in deaths from heart disease. The risk of developing high blood pressure can be reduced by: reducing salt intake; eating a balanced diet; avoiding harmful use of alcohol; taking regular physical activity; keeping a healthy body weight; and avoiding tobacco use. The final and most important goal of World Health Day 2013 is to reduce heart attacks and strokes, which includes as follows: 1.to raise awareness of the causes and consequences of high blood pressure; 2.to provide information on how to prevent high blood pressure 3.to encourage adults to check their blood pressure and to follow the advice of health-care professionals. Which of the following can NOT reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure? A) Less salt intake B) Putting on weight C) Regular exercise D) No smoking
B
Q: The Occupy protests in Hong Kong are approaching an end. Traffic on Mong Kok's Argyle Street _ in the late afternoon after the clearance of the barriers and tents by protesters, who remained largely calm, only resisting the clearance at several points. Some 3,000 police officers were deployed in the operation, a much higher number than were used to assist in the clearance of a protest site in Admiralty District on November 18. The operation in Mong Kok comes a week after the partial clearance of another protest site next to the local government headquarters in Admiralty, bringing an end to the months-long protest movement. Some 3,000 police officers also stood guard at the former protest site in Admiralty on Tuesday. Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying expressed on Tuesday his hope that business could resume for shops in the area. He also restated that the protest was an unlawful gathering, and called for the protesters to respect and obey the law. "The common call of Hong Kong people has finally been answered. Now the protest is coming to an end which is necessary and unavoidable. The public has suffered enough," Leticia Lee See-yin told the Global Times. "Many people are living in Mong Kok or operating their businesses in the area. They are all angry at the protest for affecting their business. Two shop owners even shut down their stores because they can no longer afford losses caused by the protest," said Lee. It is believed that the successful clearance of the Mong Kok site has proven that the protests are decreasing as they approach an end. "The authorities met with much less resistance compared to a month ago when protesters reacted violently when police tried to remove barriers in the same area in Mong Kok. Now the public has expressed a stronger desire than ever for the protest to end," Tang Ka-piu, a lawmaker, told the Global Times. How do the Hong Kong public feel about the occupy protests? A) Approval. B) Annoyed. C) Scared. D) Desirable.
A: B
ARE you a dog person or a cat person? With so many photos and videos of cats and dogs doing cute things online, it's easier than ever to answer which of these furry friends you like more. There are many reasons why people prefer one type of pet over the other. So, have you ever wondered what your preference for cats or dogs says about you? In fact, a 2010 study done by Sam Gosling , a psychologist at the University of Texas, US, and his graduate student Carson Sandy found that dog people are more extroverted agreeable and serious than cat people. "Cats will occasionally engage in social activities, but usually after only a few minutes they will abandon the game. Dogs, on the other hand, will often engage in play, like fetching a thrown lull, for hours at a lime," said Modem Dog magazine. Just on the basis of dogs' nature being more sociable than cats', you may expect that the personalities of dog people also reflect higher sociability. And Cosling's study found that dog people are generally about 15 percent more extroverted and 13 percent more agreeable, both of which are associated with social altitude. In addition, dog people are 11 percent more conscientious than cat people. "Conscientiousness" is a tendency In show self-discipline ,to complete tasks and aim for achievement. This quality also shows a preference for planned rather than spontaneous behavior. In comparison, cat people an; about 12 percent more anxious, but they are also 11 percent more "open" than dog people, due to a general appreciation for art, emotion, imagination, curiosity, adventure, unusual ideas and variety of experience. And people high on openness are more likely to hold unconventional beliefs. Despite vast differences, there an some things that cat people and dog people have in common. "Both types of people consider themselves close to nature, dislike animal-print clothing and generally optimists. " noted Mother Nature Network. According to the article, both dog people and cat people _ . A) are generally self-disciplined B) are usually positive and care about nature C) are likely to hold unconventional beliefs D) like to wear animal-print clothing;
B