What does it mean to cry over a book? "I'm a reader who did not weep," Ruth Graham, a well-known critic, wrote. "Does this make me heartless? Or does it make me a grown-up?" Tears have played a surprisingly important part in the history of the novel. Readers have always asked about the role that emotion plays in reading: What does it mean to be deeply moved by a book? Which books are worthy objects of our feelings? In different times, people answered those questions in different ways. In the early eighteenth century, when the novel was still a new form, crying was a sign of readers' virtue. "Sentimental" novels, full of touching scenes, gave readers an occasion to exercise their "finer feelings." Your tear proved that you were likely to feel the suffering of others. At that time, sentimental novels were hugely popular, but also easy to attack. Tears, after all, had no necessary connection to actual virtue, and they could be not true As the critic John Mullan points out, by the end of the eighteenth century, the word "sentimental" had acquired a new meaning -- "addicted to low emotion" -- bringing it closer to the meaning that it has for us today. In the nineteenth century, the meaning of tears evolved in two different directions. Some writers sought to waken "higher" feelings in their readers: Victorian sentimentalists wrote touching scenes in an effort to inspire social and political reform. However, the "sensation" novel, a different type of Victorian best-seller, showed that tears could be enjoyable in themselves. Sensation novels were the leaders of the modern thriller and mystery. Heavy on secrets, and madness, they were known for creating physical "sensations" in their readers -- trembling, a fast beating heart, and tears. But these were tears without moral purpose or effect. Today's debate about crying while reading looks back on all of this history. The debate, in fact, is about why books matter to us, and what reading is "for." Talking about what makes us cry is a way of talking about ourselves. What's the best title for the text? A) Sentimental novels & sensation novels B) Crying while reading through centuries C) The history of the novel D) Why books matter to us
B
(Question)
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... Why are the present trauma care systems in some states not satisfactory? A) They are shared by all the states. B) They are short of financial support. C) The doctors are not well trained. D) The hospitals can't provide low-cost services.
(Answer)
B
Ques: Do you sleep well? Some people get off to sleep as soon as their head hits the pillow, but many others are not so lucky. In fact, the lack of quality sleep has become a public health issue around the world. According to me World Association of Sleep Medicine, 45 percent of the world's population suffer from sleep problems. One in eight people don't sleep well and are easily woken. 7.6 percent sleep less than 3 hours each night. Some even cannot fall asleep for several days in a row. As a basic bodily and mental need, sleep is essential for our survival, it helps us to fight diseases, strengthen our memory, perform better in work and school and improve our quality of life. Lack of sleep is known to have a significant negative influence on health, both in the short and long term. Poor sleep has been associated with obesity, diabetes, weakened immune systems and even some cancers, as well as depression and anxiety. The World Sleep Day, held on the third Friday of March, is an annual celebration of sleep to lighten the burden of sleep problems through better prevention and management of sleep disorders. To achieve this goal, we must figure out what causes sleepiness and sleeplessness. Unhealthy lifestyle may be the first to blame. More and more people use cell phones and computers in bed, with many staying up until midnight. Modern technology does make our life convenient, but abuse of it ruins our health. Environmental conditions, such as temperature, noise, light, bed comfort also play an important Pole in one's ability to get proper sleep. Besides, improper evening diet, like a full or an empty stomach, coffee and alcohol all contribute to sleep problems. Of course, when it comes to causing poor sleep, stress from finances, family or work should never be ignored. However, those who suffer from sleep disorders don't necessarily have to continue to do so -most sleep problems can be managed. Which of the following is not a direct cause of sleep problems? A) Unhealthy lifestyle. B) Modern technology. C) Environmental conditions. D) Work stress.
Ans: B
Question: A ban on smoking in public places has come into force in China - home to a third of the world's smokers. The move is aimed at controlling the number of deaths from smoking-related diseases, running at a million a year. But the rules have been criticized, because they do not include punishments for those who choose to ignore them. Many business owners hate rules that force them to ban smoking on their premises because many customers do not like the rules and complain. The rules do not allow smoking in places like restaurants, hotels, railway stations or theatres, but not at the office. Employers have a duty to warn staff off the dangers of smoking but do not have to forbid them from lighting up at their desks. Shanghai introduced similar rules a year ago, but people do not seem to take much notice of them. Often you find people smoking at the next table while you are eating your meal or having a drink in a bar. The problem is that the rules do not include punishments for businesses or individuals who ignore them. It appears that many Chinese people _ the dangers of smoking. Research suggests that only one in four knows the harm cigarettes of second-hand smoke can cause. Officials say they have to try to persuade people not to smoke to reduce the numbers dying from smoking-related diseases. At the same time the government makes a lot of money from the sales of cigarettes by the state-owned firm that makes and sells all tobacco products throughout the country. If the government wants to ban smoking in public places, _ . A) only rely on educating people B) take more effective measures C) do punish those who ignore the rules D) let people know more about the dangers of smoking
Answer:
C