When you get in your car, you reach for it. When you're at work, you take a break to have a moment alone with it. When you get into a lift, you play with it. Cigarette? Cup of coffee? No, it's the third most addictive thing in modem life, the cell phone. And experts say it is becoming more difficult for many people to _ their longing to hug it more tightly than most of their personal relationships. The costs are becoming more and more evident, and I don't mean just the monthly bill. Dr. Chris Knippers, a counselor at the Betty ford Center in Southern California, reports that the overuse of cell phones has become a social problem not much different from other harmful addictions: a barrier to one-on-one personal contact, and an escape from reality. Sounds extreme, but we' ve all witnessed the evidence: The person at a restaurant who talks on the phone through an entire meal, ignoring his kids around the table; the woman who talks on the phone in the car, ignoring her husband; the teen who texts messages all the way home from school, avoiding contact with kids all around him. Jim Williams, an industrial sociologist based in Massachusetts, notes that cell - phone addiction is part of a set of symptoms in a widening gulf of personal separation. He points to a study by Duke University researchers that found one-quarter of Americans say they have no one to discuss their most important personal business with. Despite the growing use of phones, e - mail and instant messaging, in other words, Williams says studies show that we don't have as many friends as our parents. " Just as more information has led to less wisdom, more acquaintances via the Internet and cell phones have produced fewer friends," he says. If the cell phone has truly had these effects, it's because it has become very widespread. Consider that in 1987, there were only l million cell phones in use. Today, something like 300 million Americans carry them. They far outnumber wired phones in the United States. Which of the following is the best title for the passage? A) Cell phones Are the New Cigarettes B) Cell phones Are Harmful to the Society C) The New Report about the Cell phone D) The Disadvantages of the Cell phone
A
(Question)
In 1977 , a dead author of detective stories saved the life of a nineteen-month-old baby in a most unusual way. The author was Agatha Christie, a gentle married lady and one of the most successful writers of detective stories in the world. ks5u In June 1977 , a baby girl became seriously ill in Qatar , near Sandi Arabia . Doctors were unable to find out the cause of her illness, so she was flown to London and sent to Hammersmith Hospital. A team of doctors hurried to examine the baby only to discover that they, too, were puzzled by the very unusual signs of illness. While they were having a discussion about the baby's illness, a nurse asked to speak to them. "Excuse me," said Nurse Marsha Maitland, "but I think the baby is suffering from thallium poisoning ." "What makes you think that?" Dr. Brown asked. "Thallium poisoning is very rare." "A few days ago, I was reading a novel called 'A Pale Horse' by Agatha Christie," Nurse Maitland explained. "In the book, somebody uses thallium poison, and all the signs are exactly the same as the baby' s . " "You are very careful and you may be right," another doctor said. "we'll carry out some tests and find out whether it' s thallium or not." Tests showed that the baby had indeed been poisoned by thallium. Once they knew the cause of the illness, the doctors were able to give the baby the correct treatment. She soon recovered and was sent back to Qatar. Later on it was proved that the poison might have come from an insecticide used in Qatar. Nurse Maitland spoke to the doctors A) when she heard them discussing the possibility of thallium poison. B) because she could see that the doctors had made a mistake. C) to suggest a possible reason for the patient' s illness. D) after she had read about a horse which had been poisoned.
(Answer)
C
Ques: If I see one more article about how wonderful alternative energy is compared to oil, I will flip . Alternative energy sources can be good---- very good in fact. And it's pretty obvious that we're going to need them, and that our dependence on oil is a Bad Thing. But accepting that does not mean accepting that any kind of alternative energy is a good thing. To be a good thing, it has to have three properties: 1) It has to help reduce our dependence on oil, 2) It has to be no worse for the environment, and 3) It has to be economically practical. Many of the things praised meet one or even two of those properties. Solar panels, for example. They can reduce our need for oil, at least in certain regions, and they're certainly not bad for the environment. But they're expensive. If you spend the money to make your home solar-powered, you probably won't get back your costs for at least 15 years, which approaches the lifespan of the panels. Certainly we need to clean up our act big time and find workable sources of alternative energy. But we also have to keep in mind that every one of these alternative-energy sources comes at a cost, which is something people seem to forget. They hear the phrase "alternative energy" and automatically assume it's got to be good. But green isn't always good, and oil isn't always bad. One seemingly "green" technology that pops up again and again is electric cars. It is praised by well-meaning people as good for the environment and a way to reduce our oil dependence, especially as oil prices continue to rise. Electric cars are dirty. In fact, not only are they dirty, they might even be more dirty than their gasoline-powered cousins. People in California love to talk about " zero-emissions vehicles", but people in California seem to be clueless about where electricity comes from. Power plants mostly use fire to make it. Aside from the new folks who have their roofs covered with solar cells, we get our electricity from generators. Generators are fueled by something---- usually coal, oil,... Which of the following statements will the writer support? A) Any kind of alternative energy is a good thing. B) Alternative energy is bound to take the place of oil. C) People should have an objective view towards alternative energy. D) Solar panel is a good example of alternative energy that meets three properties.
Ans: C
Question: According to a world heritage education programme jointly launched by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and China's Ministry of Education, the course will first be offered at several school in Beijing before being included as a mandatory course for high school students nationwide. The new course covers photos, slide shows and documentaries on the magnificence of the world heritage sites. The class aims to tell children what world heritage is and why and how it should be protected. A total of 177 nations, including China, have signed the Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Listed are 754 sites all over the world, of which 29 are in China--the third most after Spain and Italy. Currently, protection of the country's cultural and natural resources leaves much to be desired. Education is undoubtedly the best way to _ people's sense for protecting cultural and natural resources. The introduction of such a programme in Chinese classrooms will certainly help our young people realize the significance of common heritage, learning about world heritage sites, the history and traditions of different cultures, ecology, and the importance of protecting biological and cultural diversity. More importantly, it will help cultivate a sense of responsibility in the minds of young participants. This is critical in protecting these cultural and natural legacies, as well as our living environment and the limited resources for sustainable development. Which of the statements is TRUE according to the passage? A) The world heritage education programme was jointly launched by the United States and China's Ministry of Education. B) The course will first be offered at all the schools in Beijing. C) Protection of the country's cultural and natural resources has been perfect thanks to people's efforts. D) China ranks high among the countries with 29 sites listed on the list.
Answer:
D