Is there a nationwide shortage of nurses? It’s hard to say．However, some characteristic symptoms often indicate that there is indeed a shortage．
One symptom is the vacancy rate, or the percentage of budgeted positions that are unfilled．New England’s hospitals currently report that an average of 7 to 12 percent of their registered nurse positions are vacant, the highest level since the last shortage in the late 1980s．Vermont has a relatively low vacancy rate, at 7．8 percent．But its vacancies were at 1．2 percent just five years ago．
Another symptom is the increased use of stopgap measures to fill empty positions．For instance, many nurses report an upswing in how frequently they are asked to stay past their shifts．According to Murphy, working in the St．Elizabeth’s Hospital, “The shortage has definitely created a lot of opportunities of overtime for our nurses, whether they want them or not．” Similarly, a national survey of registered nurses shows that in an average week, nurses in the U．S．work 2．4 more hours than they are scheduled to．Much of this extra time is voluntary, as nurses earn overtime pay when they stay to fill in blanks in the schedule．
When they can’t fill open positions by more traditional means, health care providers hire temporary staff to tide them over．Travelling workers are the largest part of the temporary health care workforce, hired for thirteen-week reduction at health care facilities facing short-term lack of workers．Temporary workers, mainly nurses, cost hospitals $ 7．2 billion in 2000．
“Any successful solution to the shortage depends on convincing more people to become nurses, and that is not an easy goal to reach．To achieve it,” says Buerhaus, “society needs to place more value on nursing．Legislation （法规） can’t do that – it should come from people．” And if this continues, we might have to learn to care for ourse
lves in the hospital．The temporary staff hired by a hospital _______．
| A．cost a large part of the hospital’s budget |
| B．meet the need for nurses in the hospital for a short time |
| C．should work on a weekly basis and on a scheduled timetable |
| D．ought to work passively for thirty continuous weeks |
According to Buerhaus, what is a successful solution to the nurse shortage?
| A．To convince people of the benefits of being a nurse． |
| B．To ask the government for help to work out specific legislation． |
| C．To publicize the past achievements of nurses． |
| D．To make people aware of the importance of being a nurse． |
What’s the probable meaning of the underlined word “upswing” in Paragraph 3?
| A．Symptom | B．Decrease | C．Increase | D．Figure |
What’s the author’s attitude towards nurse shortage?
| A．Worried | B．Indifferent | C．Doubtful | D．Optimistic |
In 1620, about half the USA was covered by forests． Today the forests have almost gone． A lot of good land has gone with them, leaving only sand． China doesn’t want to copy the USA’s example． We’re planting more and more trees． We’ve built the " Great Green Wall" of trees across northern part of our country．The Great Green Wall is 7,000 kilometres long, and between 400 and 1,700 kilometres wide． It will stop the wind from blowing the earth away． It will stop the sand from moving towards the rich farmland in the south． More "Great Green Walls" are needed． Trees must be grown all over the world． Great Green Walls will make the world better．In 1620, about ______ the USA was covered by forests．
| A．a third | B．half | C．two thirds | D．a fourth |
A lot of good land has gone with ______．
| A．sand | B．water | C．wind | D．forests |
The Great Green Wall in China is ______ long．
| A．7,000 kilometers | B．1,700 kilometers |
| C．7,000 meters | D．400 kilometers |
Trees must be grown in ______.
| A．China | B．the USA |
| C．some countries | D．every part of the world |
_____ will make the world better．
| A．The Great Wall | B．Tall buildings |
| C．Great Green Walls | D．Flowers and grass |
Looking back on China’s road to outer space, people can easily find it has not been very smooth. In the past years, Chinese people have made hard and determined efforts to realize the dream their ancestors had for thousands of years.
After China’s first satellite into the Earth’s orbit in 1970 came four flights of unmanned Shenzhou missions(飞行) from 1999 to 2002. The country carried out its first one-piloted space flight in October, 2003, making China the third country in the world to have independent human spaceflight ability after the Soviet Union and the United States. Then came another breakthrough on October 12, 2005, when Shenzhou 6, China’s second human spaceflight, was launched, with a crew of two astronauts. What’s more, the landmark(里程碑)spacewalk done by Zhai Zhigang, one of the three boarding Shenzhou 7, launched on Sept. 25, 2008, leads the country further in its space exploration.
Meanwhile, China’s moon exploration project, started in 2004, has also been progressing satisfactorily. Fifty years after the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the world’s first man-made satellite, China’s first circumlunar(绕月的)satellite Chang’e 1 took off on Oct.24, 2007, which became the third landmark in China’s space achievements after the above-mentioned manned flights. Chang’e 1 was expected to fulfill four scientific goals, one of which was to expore mineral elements on the moon, especially those not existent on Earth. It’s said that the lunar regolith(月壤) is abundant in helium-3, a clean fuel that may support the Earth’s energy demands for more than a century. Nearly 3 years later, Oct. 1, 2010 witnessed the launching of Chang’e 2, China’s 2nd unmanned lunar probe(勘探),marking another step forward in moon exp
loration. This time the aim is to test the key techniques of Chang’e 3 and Chang’e 4, as a preparation for a soft lunar landing in the future.
With great expectations, people all over the world are looking forward to China’s greater space achievements. According to the text, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．China sent its first satellite into the Moon’s orbit in 1970. |
| B．China is the third country in Asia to make human spaceflight. |
| C．By now, altogether 5 astronauts have made successful spaceflight by Shenzhou spaceship. |
| D．The launching of Chang’e 1 became the third landmark in China’s space achievements. |
Paragraph 2 mainly deals with information about China’s .
| A．landmark spacewalk | B．manned Shenzhou missions |
| C．first circumlunar satellite | D．unmanned Shenzhou missions |
We can infer from the text that .
| A．China’s road to outer spacehas not been very smooth for a long time |
| B．the lunar regolith is believed to be rich in a clean fuel called helium-3 |
| C．China’s lunar exploration project was started in 2004 and completed in 2007 |
| D．China’s scientists are researching into techniquesfor soft lunar landing |
What can be the best title for the text?
| A．Ancient Chinese’s Dream | B．China’s Major Space Achievements |
| C．China’s Moon Exploration | D．The World’s Great Expectations |
The auther’s attitude towards China’s space exploration is _________.
| A．negative | B．positive | C．critical | D．indifferent |
The UK has a wellrespected higher education system and some of the top universities and research i
nstitutions in the world. But to those who are new to it all， sometimes it can be confusing.
October is usually the busiest month in the college calendar. Universities have something called Freshers’ Week for their newcomers. It’s a great opportunity to make new friends， join lots of clubs and settle into university life.
However， having just left the comfort of home and all your friends behind， the prospect(前景) of meeting lots of strangers in big halls can be nervewracking(令人头痛的). Where do you start？ Who should you make friends with？ Which clubs should you join？
Luckily， there will be thousands of others in the same boat as you worrying about starting their university social life on the right foot. So just take it all in slowly. Don’t rush into anything that you’ll regret for the next three years.
Here are some top advice from past students on how to survive Freshers’ Week：
●Learn rules. Make sure you know British social manners. Have a few wine glasses and snacks handy for your housemates and friends.
●Be kind. Sometimes cups of tea or even slices of toast can give you a head start in making friends.
●Be sociable. The more active you are， the more likely you’ll be to meet new people than if you’re someone who never leaves their room.
●Bring a doorstop. Keep your door op
en when you’re in and that sends positive messages to your neighbors that you’re friendly.
So with a bit of clever planning and effort， Freshers’ Week can give you a great start to your university life and soon you’ll be passing on your experience to next year’s new recruits.Which of the following statements is FALSE according to the passage？
| A．October is generally the busiest month for universities. |
| B．It’s a good idea to put a doorstop in your suitcase. |
| C．A bit of planning can make Freshers’ Week easier. |
| D．The first week of your every year at university is called Freshers’ Week. |
The underlined word “recruits” in the last paragraph refers to .
| A．courses | B．freshers | C．neighbors | D．challenges |
We can infer from the 4th paragraph that .
| A．the newcomers usually miss the days living at home |
| B．most of the students in the UK spend three years in universities |
| C．many freshers are worried about how to fit university life |
| D．all the new students will make new friends and join certain clubs |
Why does the author suggest having wine glasses and snacks handy？
| A．To pass the busy university life. |
| B．To help make friends with other freshers. |
| C．To show yourself a drinker as others. |
| D．To pass the time in a happy way. |
The main purpose of the passage is to .
| A．tell the newcomers how to make a new start in universities |
| B．introduce something about higher education system of the UK |
| C．discuss something about the Freshers’ Week in the UK |
| D．advise the freshmen how to behave well in universities |
It was the old lady’s eightieth birthday. She was sure Myra wouldn’t forget her mother’s birthday, even if she was busy. After all, eighty was a special birthday. Perhaps Myra might come. Even if Myra did not come, she would send a present. The old lady was sure of that. Two spots of colour brightened her cheeks. She was excited like a child.
Mrs. Morrison had brought a card and a bunch of flowers when she came to do the breakfast. Mrs. Grant downstairs had made a cake. Johnnie, the little boy next door, was now up with her with a packe
t of sweets.
“I guess you’ll get lots and lots of presents, ” he said. “I did last week when I was six.”
What would she like? A pair of slippers, perhaps. A blue new cardigan(羊毛衫). Or a table lamp. Or a little clock, with clear black numbers. So many lovely things.
She stood by the window, watching. The postman turned round the corner on his bicycle. Her heart beat fast. Johnnie had seen him too and ran to the gate.
“Granny, granny, ” Johnnie returned. “I’ve got your post!”
He gave her four envelopes. Three were from old friends. The fourth was in Myra’s writing.
“No parcel(包裹), Johnnie?”
“No, granny.”
Almost reluctantly, she tore the fourth envelope open. Folded in the card was a check. Written on the card was a message: Happy Birthday—Buy yourself something nice with the check, Myra and Harold.
The six-figure check fell to the floor like a bird with a broken wing. Slowly the old lady bent to pick it up. Her present, her lovely present. With trembling fingers she tore it into little bits.As can be inferred from the passage, _______.
| A．the old lady lived alone in a flat away from her daughter |
| B．the friends sent the old lady many lovely presents by post |
| C．Myra was stopped by her husband from seeing her mother |
| D．the neighbours cared little about the old lady in daily life |
The old lady expected her daughter most __________.
| A．to send her a present. | B．to send her a check. |
| C．to come back home to celebrate her birthday. | D．not to return home. |
The old lady felt _______ when she saw no parcel came with her daughter’s card.
| A．excited | B．happy | C．disappointed | D．impatient |
Which of the following might serve as the best title for the passage?
| A．The Present | B．The Check | C．The Birthday | D．The Daughter |
The reason why the old lady tore the check into small pieces was that _______.
| A．she was sure her daughter would come, not the check |
| B．she didn’t notice there were six figures on the check |
| C．she didn’t think the check was large enough for a present |
| D．she would prefer a present with love from her daughter |
I had the meanest mother in the world. While other kids ate candy
for breakfast, I had to have cereal, eggs and toast. Others had cakes and candy for lunch, while we had to eat a sandwich. As you can guess, my supper was different from the other kids’. But at least I was not alone in my suffering. My sister and two brothers had the same mean mother as I did.
My mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times. She had to know who our friends were and what we were doing. We had to wear clean clothes every day. Other kids always wore their clothes for days. We reached the height of disgrace(耻辱) because she made our clothes herself, just to save money.
The worst is yet to come. We had to be in bed by 9:00 each night and up at 7:45 the next morning. So while my friends slept, my mother actually had the courage to break Child Labor Law. She made us work. I believed she lay awake all night thinking up mean things to do to us. Through the years, our friends’ report cards had beautiful colors on them, black for passing, red for failing. My mother, however, would only be satisfied with black marks. None of us was allowed the pleasure of being a dropout(退学者).
She forced us to grow up into educated and honest adults. Using this as a background, I’m now trying to bring up my three children. I’m filled with pride when my children think I am mean because now I thank God every day for giving me the meanest mother in the world.From the passage we can learn that the writer’s mother was __________.
| A．not generous at all |
| B．very strict with her children |
| C．very mean with money matters |
| D．very cruel to her children |
Which of the following things did the writer hate to do most?
| A．Eating differently from other kids. |
| B．Wearing clean clothes made by mother . |
| C．Going to bed early and getting up early . |
| D．Letting mother know where they were . |
It can be inferred from the passage that _____.
| A．the writer worked hard and usually got good grades in studies |
| B．mother was punished for breaking the Labor Law |
| C．all the other kids studied better than the writer |
| D．the writer’s family lived a miserable life |
Which of the following statements is Not true according to the passage ?
| A．Mother practised economy in running her home . |
| B．The writer is very thankful for her mother . |
| C．The writer is strict with her children when bringing them up . |
| D．The wrier has a deep hatred for her mother . |
The passage was written in a way of _________ tone.
| A．humorous | B．hateful | C．ridiculous | D．critical |
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