Cities alarmed by deaths and injuries of pedestrians are taking efforts to make crosswalks safer for people on foot, especially seniors and children who need more time to cross streets.
A pedestrian is killed in a traffic accident in the USA every 110 minutes; one is injured every nine minutes, according to official data. Crosswalks can be especially dangerous for the elderly. Among people 70 and older, 36% of pedestrian deaths in 2006 occurred in crosswalks, compared with 21% of those younger than 70, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) advises that next year States increase by nearly 15% the amount of time traffic lights provide for pedestrians to cross the street after the flashing orange hand appears.
FHWA spokesman Doug Hecox says reasons for the change include an aging population that needs more time to cross, health conscious Americans walking more, children encouraged to walk to prevent getting overweight and high gas prices pushing people to walk instead of drive.
Pedestrian deaths went down by 12% from 5, 449 in 1996 to 4,784 in 2006,.But among those in 2006,471 were killed in crosswalks, down slightly from 488 ten years earlier, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says. Which of the following is true according to the text?
| A．Among 100 pedestrian deaths there were 21 people younger than 70. |
| B．Old people are more likely to meet with accidents in crosswalks. |
| C．Traffic accidents killed more old people than young people. |
| D．About seven traffic accidents happened per hour. |
What is FHWA’s suggestion to States?
| A．Fixing more traffic lights. |
| B．Providing more crosswalks. |
| C．Giving pedestrians more time to cross streets. |
| D．Increasing the time before the orange lights appear. |
What’s the cause of the crosswalk safety problem according to the text?
| A．There’re many cars and buses on the road. | B．Pedestrians are careless. |
| C．Crosswalks are more crowded than before. | D．Drivers don’t give way. |
The report from NHTSA suggests that .
| A．fewer people were injured in crosswalks |
| B．crosswalk safety has greatly improved |
| C．much has been done to reduce traffic accidents |
| D．pedestrian deaths in crosswalks remain a serious problem |
Think about the last time you felt afraid．Was it a fear of height?Did you oversleep on a weekday and fear you’d get into trouble at the office?In any case，you know what it feels like to feel fear．
But one woman doesn’t．The woman，code-named“UM”，gave her first-ever interview after years of being studied by a team of researchers．The woman is given a code name because the researchers want to protect her from anyone who would take advantage of her inability to feel afraid．
UM can’t tell you what fear is because she’s never experienced it．“I wonder what it’s like to actually be afraid of something，”she said．The formal name for the disease is Urbach-Wieth disease，which is characterized by a hoarse(粗哑的)voice，small bumps around the eyes，and calcium deposits(钙沉积的)in the brain．
In the case of UM，the disease has transformed the part of her brain that controls the human response to fear．In the interview，UM talks about an event in her life where she was held at knifepoint and gunpoint，“I was walking to the store，and I saw a man on a park bench．He said．‘Come here，please，’so I went over to him．He grabbed me by the shirt，put a knife to my throat and told me he was going to cut me．I told him，‘Go ahead and cut me，’I wasn’t afraid at a11．And for some reason，he let me go．”
Doctors who have been studying UM’s condition for years have been trying different things that could strike fear into her．They finally figured something out—increasing UM’s carbon dioxide levels．Extra carbon dioxide concentration in the blood is known to cause fear and panic in health individuals．Increasing UM’s carbon dioxide levels did manage to give her a fright．The text starts by_______．
| A．challenging the reader | B．solving daily problems |
| C．1isting situations | D．giving explanations |
Why is the woman with Urbach-Wieth disease given a code name?
| A．To tell her case from other patients． |
| B．To respect her privacy． |
| C．To meet the researchers’demands． |
| D．To ensure her safety． |
From UM’s case，we can know that Urbach-Wieth disease may________.
| A．stop the brain from functioning normally |
| B．1ead to a decrease in calcium deposits |
| C．stop the brain from responding quickly |
| D．1ead to an increase in carbon dioxide |
What will probably happen to UM?
| A．Dying of the Urbach-Wieth disease． |
| B．Getting the sense of panic． |
| C．Experiencing another danger． |
| D．Speaking with a hoarse voice． |
Traveling to Cuba as an American is like jumping through hoops(环)．To help you better prepare for your trip，here are what you need to know about traveling to Cuba．
You wilI need to obtain a visa to travel to Cuba．You’11 need to apply for the visa associated with your travel purposes，such as religious or medical travel，family visits，or people-to-people travel，which is the most common type of visa attained by Americans．
Because of the U．S．restriction，banks have not yet been able to establish a foothold in Cuba，meaning it’s a cash—focused country．You can exchange currency at the José Martí International Airport or at your hotel．Keep in mind that there is a 10 percent fee to exchange U．S．currency for Cuban currency．You’11 also want to be sure to carry change for tips．
You can reserve a hotel room in Cuba online．Then you can call to confirm your reservation．You can also book through a travel agency．However，payment can be tricky：Even if you pay for your room through your travel agent，the restriction may prevent your payment from reaching your hotel in time(another reason to book well in advance)．Come prepared with enough cash to cover the cost，just in case．
If you expect to find the blue waters，volcanic landscapes and beautiful villages of other nearby islands，you’11 be disappointed．But beauty is not hard to find here．Old Havana—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—is home to splendid architecture and a bit of paladars(privately owned res—taurants)．Limited economic opportunities have led Cubans to be creative in other ways．You can’t go two blocks without coming across street paintings，art studios and joyful ballet music．Most Americans get the visa to Cuba by________．
| A．family visits | B．people-to-people travel |
| C．religious travel | D．medical travel |
How much will you pay if you want to exchange$1．000 for Cuban money?
| A．$20 | B．$50 | C．$100 | D．$200 |
Which does the author think is worth seeing in Cuba?
| A．Fantastic buildings | B．Blue waters |
| C．Beautiful villages | D．Volcanic landscapes |
Which can be the best title of the passage?
| A．How to prepare a travel? |
| B．Tips on Visiting Cuba |
| C．Restrictions in Cuba |
| D．Be careful，Americans |
International Exchange Programme
The application form for participation on the exchange programme for 2016／17 can be found in Application Procedures．
Applying Qualification—Current Queen Mary undergraduate students(with the exception of students in Biomedical Sciences，Chemistry，Dentistry and Medicine)have qualifications to apply.
Law Students—Students enrolled in The School of Law should contact Sheila Shirley(s．shirley@qmul．ac．uk)for details of study abroad opportunities.
English and Drama Studen—Students cannot study abroad for the full academic year. Students will be able to spend only the autumn semester studying at one of our exchange partners·
Applications
A complete application will consist of the two-page application form，a personal statement and a supporting academic reference．Students should follow these application procedures. Applicants must ensure they have spoken to their departmental study abroad instructor before submitting their application．Applications can be submitted in person at The Study Abroad Office(E09，Ground Floor，Queens’Building)or by email to h．gibney@qmul．ac．uk
New Exchange Partners for 2016／2017
For 2016／17 we hope to offer students the opportunity to study abroad at the following new partners：The University of Pennsylvania—UPenn(USA)，The University of Sydney(Australia) and Waseda University(Japan)．Should we be unable to send students to any of these new institutions on exchange，and if you intend to include one or more of these destinations with your application，please provide at least one alternative destination from the list of other partner programmes．Who can apply for the exchange programme?
| A．Students in Biomedical Sciences |
| B．Students in Chemistry |
| C．Students in Dentistry |
| D．Students in English and Drama |
The law students who want to study abroad should______．
| A．email to h．gibney@qmul．ac．uk |
| B．email to s．shirley@qmul．ac．uk |
| C．go to E09，Ground Floor，Queens’Building |
| D．go to Masons Lecture Theatre Hall，Bancroft Building |
What will you do if you can’t be sent to the new exchange partners?
| A．Wait for another proper opportunity． |
| B．Cancel your exchange programme． |
| C．Provide another university from the list． |
| D．Contact the university by yourself． |
Once school is out for the summer, students can begin their vacation trips in the great state of New Hampshire. Here are some low budget destinations.
Cannon Mountain
It is not only the well-known oldest ski area in the US, but a top summer destination. The site offers views of the attractions of NH’s Old Man of the Mountain, and the nests of eagles from the surrounding mount. You can treat yourselves to not only the small train ride, but a walk through the US ski museum and a hike along the small road. Feel free to choose a picnic lunch, or eat in the hotel. To comfortably enjoy the Cannon Mountain trip, plan to bring $20 per person in your group.
Mount Washington Auto Road
No trip to New Hampshire is complete without taking a drive up to the Mount Washington Auto Road. At $28 per vehicle and driver, plus $8 for each adult, you can arrive at the mountain top. You can start your trip to the highest top in the northeast, where you can spend a day climbing the rocks, exploring the weather station and the hiker rest area.
Cruising on Lake Winnipesaukee
Lake Winnipesaukee offers seasonal trips on the largest lake in New Hampshire. Summer cruises are designed for all the visitors, from plants tours and houses visiting to evening dinner cruises. Tickets change from $15 to $123 depending on the number of visitors and the season.
Prescott Park Arts Festival
Since 1974, the Prescott Park Arts Festival in Portsmouth has been hosting a free theater experience in the lovely river side Prescott Park. Past performances have included Annie, Shrek the Musical, and other plays. These community theater programs are a delight. And they run from June to August, with both evening shows and afternoon concerts.what can we learn about Cannon Mountain?
| A．It is the oldest ski area in the world. |
| B．A small train ride is available there. |
| C．Tourists have to take their food there. |
| D．There are nests of eagles on the mount. |
How much should you pay if you drive to Mount Washington Auto Road together with your parents?
| A．$ 28 | B．$36 | C．$44 | D．$52 |
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
| A．Summer cruises are more expensive in the busy season. |
| B．The Prescott Park Arts Festival lasts for a month every year. |
| C．Tourists can dine in the hotel for free in the Cannon Mountain. |
| D．Tourists can explore the weather station in the Cannon Mountain. |
Researchers in the US say they might have discovered how to fight against and even reverse some processes of ageing, at least in mice. Injecting the blood of young mice into the older ones improved their brainpower, a study found. Scientists at Stanford University plan to carry out trials in people in the hope that new treatments for dementia(痴呆症) can be developed.
“There are factors present in blood from young mice that can recharge an old mouse’s brain so that it functions more like a younger one,”says Dr. Tony from Stanford University School of medicine. In the study published in Nature Medicine, mice aged 18 months were given injections of the blood taken from mice aged 3 months. The injected mice performed better on memory tests than mice of the same age that had not been given the blood. Dr. Tony said it was not known whether the same was true of humans, but a trial was planned.
A research center in UK said the treatment restored certain aspects of learning and memory in mice, but was of unknown importance to humans. The research, while very interesting, did not test the type of brain damage that was seen in dementia, which is not a necessary consequence of ageing.
Meanwhile, two similar studies by a separate team have thrown more light on how young blood may benefit the old, in mice at least. A substance in the blood of mice previously shown to have an anti-ageing effect on heart muscle also improved brain cells, according to a Harvard team. The research, published in Science, found the blood factors encouraged the growth of brain cells in old mice, and restored their sense of smell. The same chemical also improved muscle power of aged mice, the researchers found. The underlined word in paragraph 1 probably means _________.
| A．change | B．destroy |
| C．speed | D．increase |
Scientists in the US will test the discovery in humans with the aim of __________.
| A．proving the possibility to live longer. |
| B．showing the importance of scientific research. |
| C．publishing the study in Nature Medicine. |
| D．treating an age-related disease successfully. |
According to the studies, the blood from young mice benefits the old in certain ways except in_________.
| A．memory | B．muscle power |
| C．fur color | D．brain cells |
What’s the author’s attitude to the anti-ageing studies?
| A．supportive | B．objective |
| C．negative | D．doubtful |
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