Last year, Jack Bleed cut through the bone of his ring finger while working. The 31-year-old resident of North Little Rock, Arkansas, waited for about six hours at a nearby medical center while the medical staff there called all over town -- even as far away as Dallas and Memphis -- to find a hand surgeon to reattach his finger. Finally, a willing doctor was located in Louisville, Kentucky. But even though Bleed had insurance , he would have to hire a private plane to get himself there, at a cost of $4,300. In the end, he charged the cost to two credit cards, and his finger was saved. His insurance company eventually covered the cost of the plane, but his experience makes people aware of the fact that trauma care in the United States is not only geographically limited, but in many places, non-existent. Only eight states -- New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Illinois, New Mexico, California, Oregon, and Washington -- have local, fully functional trauma systems. The remaining states have partial systems, and 12 -- including Arkansas -- have no trauma system at all. Although the President has signed a bill of $12 million for the purpose of supporting trauma care systems nationwide, many in Congress are unwilling to spend government money for a service they think should be paid for by states, says Wayne Meredith, medical director for trauma programs at the American College of Surgeons. Meanwhile, many states have also failed to find the dollars to support trauma systems. To make matters worse, many people without insurance depend heavily on the emergency care services, placing a huge financial burden on the medical centers that serve them. For the same reason, doctors, too, often go unpaid. They are unwilling to perform emergency care, worsening critical shortages of neurosurgeons, orthopedists, and hand surgeons -- the very types of specialists Bleed needed at short notice. Supporting a trauma care system doesn't take much. A half-penny sales tax in Miami-Dade County makes its outstanding system work. In Arkansas... Many people in Congress argue that trauma care systems should be supported by _ . A) the President B) each state C) insurance companies D) the US government
B
(Question)
I went into Harrods in London (a huge department store I am sure you have heard of) to buy some Minton china plates for a wedding anniversary which was to be a group gift from friends to other friends in Geneva. Having only 30 minutes between meeting. I whizzed there in a taxi from the office and battled through the milling people on the 2nd day of the sales on the ground floor up to the 5th to the china department. There was a man standing there who was obviously a sales person who I rushed up to and asked if he had this particular china in stock and if it would take long to wrap, etc. He was amazing. He got the plates in seconds, wrapped them up and asked me if I wanted a store card, to which I replied no, because I lived in Switzerland, to which he replied asking if, as I lived abroad, would like a tax rebate form . After that he showed me what to do, produced a map of the store and told me where I should go for the formalities . That was fabulous! I thanked him and said what wonderful service he had given me. I even asked if he gave this to everyone, to which he answered: "I'm just doing what is required at Harrods". With that, a tall man in a gray suit approached me and offered his hand to shake mine saying, "Can I introduce myself? I am the Chief Executive of Harrods and what an interesting conversation I have just heard..." He had been wandering through the store (as you should do as a hands-on CEO) and had overheard me thanking this salesman, whose face, I can hardly describe, was frozen in a mixture of delight awe and astonishment! Can you imagine the salesman going home to his family and friends recounting what the CEO spoke to him after overhearing him being praised by a customer? As soon as she bought what she wanted, the writer _ . A) went to a meeting. B) flew back to Geneva C) visited one of her friends D) attended a wedding ceremony
(Answer)
A
Ques: The other day, I received a most unexpected message in response to one of my essays:I am so proud of you and all you have accomplished. I shared your opinion ... It was signed Margaret Leibfried, who was my English teacher -- a teacher who appeared at a vital point in my life and helped me believe that I could become a writer. Thirty years ago, I entered high school as an introvert made all the more shy because I was the school's only nonwhite student. I always felt in danger of being swept away by a sea of tall white athletes. I spent a lot of time alone, reading and writing stories, hoping to escape being teased. Ms. Leibfried taught American literature and composition grammar, which involved the usual memorizing vocabulary, but also, thrillingly, reading novels. Thrilling to me, that is. Many of my classmates expressed dislike for novels because they were "not real." For once, I didn't care what they thought. Ms. Leibfried seemed to notice my interest in both reading and writing, and she took the time to make me feel less shy; she even offered me reading suggestions, like one of her favorite novels, "The Bell Jar." That year's big project was a book report, to be read aloud to the class. However, Ms. Leibfried suggested I do something "a little different." Instead of a report, I chose a passage from "The Bell Jar" that I considered as the best to recite. The morning of the presentations, I remember my hands sweating so badly as I walked to the front of the class that I kept my hands crossed, so I wouldn't wipe them on my blouse. When I finished, to my surprise, the class applauded. "Marie has picked out a particularly sensitive piece of writing and delivered it beautifully," Ms. Leibfried said, smiling. I felt, maybe for the first time, confident. Why did Ms. Leibfried ask the author to recite a passage in front of the class? A) To test whether she had a good memory. B) To make her earn the respect of her classmates. C) To help deepen her understanding of "The Bell Jar." D) To guide her to build a good relationship with others.
Ans: B
Ques: In the mid 1990's, people started doing business on the Internet. At that time, there were two kinds of companies. First, there were traditional companies. They sold things in stores. Then there were Internet companies. They didn't have a store, and they only sold things on the Net. Traditional companies didn't want to lose any business. Quickly they made their own websites and began selling things on the Net. These are the so-called "brick and click" companies. Many stores are made of brick. And you click on your mouse to buy things with your computer. That's where the name "brick and click" comes from. By the late 1990's, e-business like amazon com , buy com. and etoys com. were in trouble. Their profits were not very high. Competition was great. Many of these businesses were losing lots of money. In 2000, many e-business went out of business. Why are "brick and click" companies, like Barnes and Noble, Toys RVs and Walmart so successful? First, many customers know and trust their names. Their websites like walmart.com. are easy to remember. These companies also have lots of experience. They know how to run a successful business. In the world of e-commerce, companies are fighting for every dollar and every customer. Will "brick and click" companies win the war? Only time will tell. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? A) All the "brick and click" companies run a successful business. B) "Brick and click" companies are certain to win the business competition. C) It is uncertain whether "brick and click" companies will win the competition. D) Both "brick and click" companies and Internet companies will be successful in the future.
Ans:
C