MERS, also known as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, has made its way to the US. The second patient was in Orlando, Florida while the first reported case was in Indiana. Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the disease has mainly been transmitted by close personal contact, such as directly caring for a very ill person. The virus is formally called MERS-CoV because it's part of the corona virus family that includes the common cold and severe SARS. SARS was ly easy to stop a decade ago, because it was being transmitted by caged animals in Chinese markets. MERS-CoV was first identified in people in 2012, but has been spreading rapidly since March, 2015. The vast majority of those cases occurred in Saudi Arabia. The patient in Orlando felt ill on the first flight but not ill enough to notify a doctor. Early on May 9, he apparently became concerned that he was still feeling ill, and he went to the emergency room at Dr. P. Phillips Hospital. He identified himself as recently having been in Saudi Arabia, so he was quickly isolated to avoid infecting other patients. Wayne Marasco, an expert at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, said his biggest concern about MERS-CoV is how little we know about it. It's still not clear, in some instances, where the virus comes from, how it is transmitted or who is most subject. According to Tom Frieden, how is a person mainly infected by MERS? A) By caged animals. B) By close personal contact. C) By animal-to-human transmission. D) By directly caring for a very ill person.
B
When you see homework covering the kitchen table and toys are piling up around the sofa,you probably wish there was a bit more space.You are not alone.Nearly a third of parents say they feel squeezed into their homes but cannot afford to move to a bigger property,a report reveals today. Twenty--nine percent say 'their property is too small to fit the size of their family'--rising to 40 percent for those 34 and under.One in four children is 'forced to share' a bedroom,according to the Finda Property,com website.Property analyst Samantha Baden said:"Afford ability remains a key issue for families,with the average cost of a three-bedroom home around PS193,000."Very few can afford to buy--or to rent--a property of the size they want and in the area they desire to live in,according to Miss Baden. A recent report,from investment firm LV,also found that many' space--starved parents' are pushed into a two--bedroom home which was perfect when they were a young couple,but has no space for three or so children.Grown--up children who cannot afford to leave home are also adding to the problem facing families in Britain's 'big squeeze'. For a home to be the correct size, which means it is not overcrowded,parents must have their own bedroom.Children under ten can share, as well as same--sex children between ten and 20.Anyone over 21 also needs their own room. The report comes as official figures,published yesterday by the Land Registry,revealing house prices are falling sharply in every region except London.The worst--hit area is the North East,where, average house prices have fallen to belowPS100,000 for the first time in seven years. However,they remain unaffordable for millions. The report from the investment firm LV shows_. A) young couples should live in a two--bedroom home B) families with three or so children couldn't afford a home C) parents should buy houses for their grown--up children D) some grown--up children couldn't afford a separate home
D
Q: The behavior of a building's users may be at least as important as its design when it comes to energy use, according to new research from the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC). The UK promises to reduce its carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050, part of which will be achieved by all new homes being zero carbon by 2016. But this report shows that sustainable building design on its own--though extremely important--is not enough to achieve such reductions: the behavior of the people using the building has to change too. The study suggests that the ways that people use and live in their homes have been largely ignored by existing efforts to improve energy efficiency, _ instead focus on architectural and technological developments. "Technology is going to assist but it is not going to do everything,"explains Katy Janda, a UKERC senior researcher, "consumption patterns of building users can defeat the most careful design." In other words, old habits die hard, even in the best designed eco home. Another part of the problem is information. Households and bill payers don't have the knowledge they need to change their energy use habits. Without specific information, it's hard to estimate the costs and benefits of making different choices. Feedback facilities, like smart meters and energy monitors, could help bridge this information gap by helping people see how changing their behavior directly affects their energy use; some studies have shown that households can achieve up to 15 percent energy savings using smart meters. Social science research has added a further dimension, suggesting that individuals' behavior in the home can be personal and cannot be predicted--whether people throw open their windows rather than turn down the thermostat , for example. Janda argues that education is the key. She calls for a focused program to teach people about buildings and their own behavior in them. What are Katy Janda's words mainly about? A) The importance of changing building users' habits. B) The necessity of making a careful building design. C) The variety of consumption patterns of building users. D) The role of technology in improving energy efficiency.
A: A
*Question*
Very soon a computer will be able to teach you English. It will also be able to translate any language for you,too. It's just one more incredible result of the development of microprocessors - those tiny parts of a computer commonly known as "silicon chips". So give up going to classes, stop buying more textbooks and relax. In a couple of years you won't need the international language of English. Already Texas Instruments in the United States is developing an electronic translation machine. Imagine a Spanish secretary, for example, who wants to type a letter from the boss to a businessman in Sweden. All he or she will have to do is this: first type the letter in Spanish. The letter will appear on a television screen. After a few seconds the translated letter will appear on another television screen in Stockholm in perfect Swedish. And that's not all. Soon a computer will be able to teach you English, if you really want to learn the language. You'll sit in front of a television screen and practice endless structures. The computer will tell you when you are correct and when you are wrong. It will even talk to you because the silicon chips can change electrical impulses into sounds. And clever programmers can predict the responses you, the learner, are likely to make. So think of it.You will be able to teach yourself at your own pace.You will waste very little time,and you can work at home.And if after all that,you still can't speak English,you can always use the translating machine.In a few years,therefore,perhaps there will be no need for BBC Modern English,or BBC English by Radio programmes - no more textbooks or teachers of English.Instead of buying an exciting new textbook,the computer will ask you to replace it with a microprocessor.Fast,reliable and efficient language learning and translating facilities will be available to you.Think of that,no more tears or embarrassing moments.One little problem is that a computer can't laugh yet - but the scientists are working on it.Happy learning! This passage is mainly about _ A) someone who learns English with the help of a computer B) the computer teaching the language C) fast, reliable and efficient language learning D) what language learning could be like when computerized
**Answer**
D