Such chronic diseases as heart disease, stroke, cancer and lung disorders are the most leading causes of death in the world. Yet health experts say these conditions are often the most preventable. The World Health Organization (WHO) points out chronic diseases lead to about 17 million early deaths each year. The United Nations (UN) agency expects more than 380 million people to die of chronic diseases by 2015. About 80% of the deaths will happen in developing nations. Chronic diseases now cause two-thirds of all deaths in the Asia-Pacific area. In ten years it could be almost three-fourths. People are getting sick in their most economically productive years. In fact, chronic diseases are killing more middle-aged people in poorer countries than in richer ones. The WHO estimates that chronic diseases will cost China alone more than 500,000 million dollars in the next ten years. That estimate represents the costs of medical treatment and lost productivity. Russia and India are also expected to face huge economic losses. According to a WHO report, deaths from chronic diseases have increased largely as the result of economic gains in many countries. Until recently infectious and parasitic diseases have been the main killers in Asia and the Pacific but they are no longer the major cause of death in most countries. As many as 80% of the deaths from chronic diseases could be prevented, health officials say. An important tool for governments is to limit the marketing of alcohol and tobacco to young people. Also, more programs are needed to urge healthy eating and more physical activity. The UN aims to reduce chronic-disease deaths by 2% each year by international action through 2015, that's to say, 36 million lives could be saved, including 25 million in Asia and the Pacific. In many countries, what's mainly responsible for increasing deaths from chronic diseases? A) The economic development. B) The poor living conditions. C) Infectious and parasitic diseases. D) Young people's bad habits.
A
It is an aerial performance far beyond the capabilities of even the most complex modern aircraft: landing upside down on a ceiling. But it is routine business for bats, and now scientists have learned precisely how they do it. Brown University scientists observed two species: Seba's short-tailed bat and the lesser dog-faced fruit bat. They tracked their motions using three high-speed video cameras taking images at 1,000 frames per second, and studied weight distribution in the bats' body and wings. They found that by flapping both wings while folding one of them just a bit toward their body, a bat can shift its centre of mass to perform a midair flip in order to land on a ceiling. "Flying animals all move skillfully constantly as they fly through a three-dimensional environment," Brown biology and engineering professor Sharon Swartz said. "Bats employ this specific technique every time they land, because for a bat, landing requires reorienting from head forward, back up, belly down, to head down, toes up." When approaching their touchdown spot, bats are not flying very quickly, making it difficult to gather the type of aerodynamic forces produced by pushing against the air that could help position them for an upside-down landing. But their heavy wings enable them instead to create inertial forces to adjust themselves in midair. Swartz said bats, as nocturnal animals, are generally not fully appreciated as skilled pilots. "People have many opportunities to observe birds and insects flying, but the bat world is hidden in the night. The more we observe flight behavior in bats, the more we are impressed," Swartz said. What's the key factor in bats' successful landing? A) Flapping both wings constantly. B) Flying slowly and stably. C) Choosing suitable positions. D) Shifting their centre of mass.
D
Q: Dear David, I'm glad you would like to share your feelings with me. It's hardly surprising that your feelings of not being "grown up" have come on strongly at this point in your life, just before you're about to become a father. You are asking: will I make a good father? How will I deal with? Should I have brought another little person into the world? Can I provide for it? Heeelp! I think nearly every sensitive about-to-be-parent must have these occasional feelings of self-doubt and inadequacy before the birth and it would be most unusual if you didn't share them. It's difficult, honestly, to feel grown-up unless you have something less grown-up to relate to. The boss with a hen-pecking wife may feel like a seven-year-old when he's at home. But as he walks through the office door, and knows he's going to be surrounded by staff looking to him for advice, he grows into a fully mature man. And I think it's a mistake to imagine that we all feel, as we age, a kind of progression of states, from the baby to the adult. Most people feel, on Tuesday, about three years old, and on a Wednesday, around 80. I remember feeling very grown-up at eight, a time when I was weighed down with responsibility. These days, much older, I can, in the company of people I feel at ease with, feel like a young girl. There's a common remark that "all men are little boys", but it's not true. It's more true that men often behave like little boys. But nearly all people, at some moments in their lives, are able of great maturity. Once your baby arrives, you'll soon feel less childlike, or rather, less often. When your child tries to put its fingers into the electric plug, the adult in you will rise up to prevent it. You'll see you have very little in common with a needy child, particularly if it's looking to you for comfort and support. Comfort yourself, David, with two truths. One is that your friends laugh when they talk about this subject because they, like you, feel frightened. And remember that people who haven't grown up don't go around... Miss Advice holds the view that _ . A) all men always behave like little boys B) men with a baby feel more grown-up C) people tend to need comfort and support D) people enjoy talking about their immaturity
A: B
Zoe Chambers was a successful PR(Public Relations) consultant and life was going well--she had a great job, a beautiful life in London. Then one evening in June last year, she received a text message telling her she was out of work. "The first two weeks were the most difficult to live through," she said. "After everything I'd done for the company, they dismiss me by text! I was so angry and I just didn't feel like looking for another job. I hated everything about the city and my life." Then, Zoe received an invitation from an old school friend, Kathy, to come and stay. Kathy and her husband, Huw, had just bought a farm in north west Wales. Zoe jumped at the chance to spend a weekend away from London, and now, then months later, she is still on the farm. "The moment I arrived at Kathy's farm, I loved it and I knew I wanted to stay." said Zoe. "Everything about my past life suddenly seemed meaningless." Zoe has been working on the farm since October of last year and says she has no regrets. "It's a hard life, physically very tiring." she says. "In London I was stressed and often mentally exhausted. But this is a good, healthy tiredness. Here, all I need to put me in a good mood is a hot bath and on of Kathy's wonderful dinners." Zoe says she has never bored on the farm. Every day brings a new experience. Kathy has been teaching her how to ride a horse and she has learnt to drive a tractor. Since Christmas, she has been helping with the lambing-watching a lamb being born is unbelievable. She says, "It's one of the most moving experiences I've ever had. I could never go back to city life now " Which of the following is closest to the main idea of the passage? A) Kill two birds with one stone. B) A misfortune may turn out a blessing. C) Where there is a will, there is a way. D) A friend in need is a friend indeed.
B