Taking a picture of your tongue with a mobile phone could soon instantly tell you how healthy you are. Researchers believe the images can reveal important information about a patient’s health and even give them early warning of serious illness.
A team at the University of Missouri is developing a system that can analyze pictures using a 5,000-year-old Chinese principle, which is based on the flow and balance of positive and negative energies in the body, and uses the tongue as a key to learning about a person’s physical health, or “zheng” according to Chinese medicine.
“Within a year, our goal is to create an application for smart phones that will allow anyone to take a photo of their tongue and learn the status of their zheng,” said Dong Xu, chair of MU’s Computer Science Department in the College of Engineering and the co-author of the latest study.
The software analyzes images based on the tongue’s color and coating to distinguish between tongues showing signs of “hot” or “cold” zheng. Shades of red and yellow are associated with hot zheng, whereas a white coating on the tongue is a sign of cold zheng.
“Hot and cold zheng doesn’t refer directly to body temperature,” said Xu, “Rather, it refers to a series of symptoms associated with the state of the body as a whole.”
For the study, 263 gastritis(胃炎) patients and 48 healthy volunteers had their tongues analyzed. The gastritis patients were classified by whether they showed infection by a certain bacteria as well as the intensity of their gastritis symptoms. In addition, most of the gastritis patients had been previously classified with either hot or cold zheng. This allowed the researchers to test the accuracy of the software’s analysis.
“Our software is able to classify people based on their zheng status. And as we continue to work on the software we hope to improve its ability,” said another co-author Ye Duan, “Eventually everyone will be able to use this tool at home using webcams or smart phone applications, which will allow them to monitor their zheng and get an early warning about possible ailments.” The software mentioned in the passage is based on ________.
| A．the latest development of smart phones |
| B．a traditional Chinese medical principle |
| C．the changes in one’s flow and energy |
| D．symptoms related with the state of the body |
According to Chinese medicine, zheng refers to ________.
| A．one’s body temperature | B．the physical health of a person |
| C．the possible disease of a person | D．the color and coating of one’s tongue |
The study led by Dong Xu proves _________.
| A．the effect of the software |
| B．the software’s great prospect |
| C．the advancement of smart phones |
| D．the greatness of Chinese medicine |
The underlined word “ailments” can be replaced by _________.
| A．analysis | B．effects | C．illnesses | D．applications |
It can be inferred from the passage that _________.
| A．the software still needs improvement |
| B．the subjects in the study are all gastritis |
| C．the software has been in market for a year |
| D．the subjects in the study are classified by age |
The sound of a mosquito can mean trouble in many parts of the world. The bite of the mosquito can be deadly. The insects carry serious diseases like malaria. The World Health Organization estimates that almost 630,000 people died from malaria and malaria-related causes in 2012, most of these cases were in African countries south of the Saharan desert.
In the United States, scientists are seeking new ways to fight malaria. A group of California scientists is working to develop a more effective and less costly substances to protect people from mosquito.
The researchers work at the University of California Riverside. They are investigating the sense of smell in mosquitoes. They found the insects use the same receptor for identifying carbon dioxide in human breath as they do for the smell of our skin.
Anandasankar Ray is leading the investigation. He says scientists tested more than a million chemical compounds until they found a substance called Ethyl pyruvate. He says Ethyl pyruvate makes the mosquitoes' receptor inactive.
"When we apply Ethyl pyruvate to a human arm and offer it to hungry mosquitoes in a cage, then very few of the mosquitoes are attracted to the human arm because only a few of them are able to smell it out," said Ray.
Genevieve Tauxe is a member of the UC Riverside research team. She says it was not easy to find the neurons of noble cells that recognise both the smell of human breath and skin. She describes a device the researchers are using to examine mosquitoes.
"With this apparatus, we are able to insert a very small electrode into the part of the mosquito's nose, effectively, where its olfactory neurons are and where the smell is happening," said Tauxe.
The scientists use these instruments to look for the signals that a mosquito's neurons send to its brain when it finds an interesting smell. Computer screen images show when the sense is strong or weak.
Anandasankar Ray says a product based on Ethyl pyruvate may cost less to manufacture than DEET, the most effective chemical treatment now in use. He says DEET is too costly for most people who live in areas affected by malaria.
"Perhaps by finding odors that can attack other target receptors, we will be able to improve upon DEET and finally have the next generation of insect behavior control products," said Ray.
The scientists believe they will soon be able to find a way to manufacture less costly and more effective products for the fight against mosquitoes.420According to the passage，scientists found a substance called_________.
| A．DEET |
| B．Ethyl pyruvate |
| C．carbon dioxide |
| D．target receptors |
From the passage, we know that__________.
| A．DEET is the most effective chemical treatment in use and it is not expensive. |
| B．scientists have not made products that are less costly and more effective to fight against mosquitoes. |
| C．new products will be more effective than DEET but will be costly. |
| D．DEET is not effective but expensive. |
What is the main idea of the passage？
| A．scientits help people to prevent from malaria. |
| B．scientits find how mosquitoes carry diseases. |
| C．scientits work hard to make new products to avoid the malaria. |
| D．scientits find new substances to fight mosquitoes. |
Where does this text probably come from ?
| A．Children’s literature | B．Science fiction |
| C．An advertisement | D．A health report |
According to the passage，which of the following statements is correct？
| A．Ethyl pyruvate does not make the mosquitoes' receptor inactive. |
| B．When we apply Ethyl pyruvate to a human arm，most of the mosquitoes are not attracted to the human arm. |
| C．Now we have not effective products to prevent from the mosquitoes. |
| D．Almost 630,000 people died from malaria and malaria-related causes in 2012, all the cases were in African countries. |
As we move upwards in an organization, our perspective begins to change, sometimes in ways that can feel uncomfortable. Most people begin working in some technical skill area where they can reliably produce desired outcomes based largely on their own performance.
In my career, I was a public relations practitioner, skilled at media relations, drafting news releases, organizing events and news conferences, etc. Of course that also required the skill of collaborating with others, but I wasn’t responsible for their performance. However, as my mastery of public relations increased into the areas of consulting and selling, I started moving up the ladder until eventually I was the general manager of the organization.
Suddenly, I realized I had been catapulted beyond my area of competence. I really had no idea how to “manage” others and how to “delegate” responsibility effectively to other players. So what did I do? I sucked most of the responsibility up to myself, continuing to work on things that demanded my technical expertise, while occasionally handing out a few “tasks” to others. Needless to say I suffered hugely as a manager until I learned the difficult lesson that (as my coach at the time said to me) “You need to find new ways of being important.”
The new role, the “new way of being important” that I learned was the role of leader, orchestrator, delegator. The new role of developing others instead of simply being a technical expert.The new role of working through others, not doing all the work myself. Imagine a symphony orchestra conductor trying to play all the instruments. That is what many new managers find themselves trying to do and its not a highly effective approach, to say the least!
Many new managers fail to achieve their potential because they don’t delegate effectively and they don’t really understand what delegation is all about. Delegating is so critically important that for many aspiring managers it literally becomes their “Achilles Heel”—their fatal weak spot that can make or break their careers. So let’s examine six major reasons that managers fail to delegate effectively.（www.kekenet.com）What does the word “collaborating” in the second passage mean?
| A．operating | B．corresponding |
| C．struggling | D．cooperating |
Where can the sentence “That’s when I hit the wall”be put？
| A．paragragh 1 and 2. | B．paragragh 2 and 3. |
| C．paragragh 3 and 4. | D．paragragh 4and 5. |
Why did the writer suffer as a manager?
| A．He took on most of the responsibility on his own. |
| B．He thought of himself an important person. |
| C．He failed to earn respect from others. |
| D．He put much pressure on others. |
According to the passage， we know “the new way of being important”means that________.
| A．The new role of developing others and being a technical expert. |
| B．The new role of working through others instead of doing all the work myself. |
| C．The new role of simply being a technical expert and doing all the work myself. |
| D．The new role of simply being a technical expert instead of doing all the work myself. |
What will the writer talk about following the text?
| A．How managers can deal with the workers. |
| B．The reasons why mangers should delegate effectively. |
| C．How managers be respected by workers. |
| D．The reasons why mangers can’t allocate effectively. |
Ecotourism is one of the fastest growing sectors in tourism．More and more of us are becoming concerned about the effects we are having on the destinations we choose, as well as the world around us．Some of us are choosing more green modes of transport to get there instead of flying, and some of us are choosing to visit greener destinations．India is one of the best places for ecotourism, and with the destinations below you can be sure that you’ll not only be protecting the earth, but giving something back to the area too．
Kerala, more commonly known as “God’s Own Country”, is a beautiful state on the southern tip of India．It’s a biologically diverse area, with many unique animal species, and almost 2,500 plant species in its tropical forests—that’s nearly a quarter of all India’s plant groups．In the past, though the forests in this area were much cleared, today they are well protected．There are plenty of wildlife reserves where you can see some of these unique animals．
With tourism developing in the area and money brought in, more attention can be given to protecting its plants and animals, ensuring that the people in the area have a better quality of life．
Arunachal Pradesh, situated on the most northern tip of India, is a resort for the more adventurous． With dry, desert heat in the summer and a snowfall best avoided in the winter, this area is less about greenery, and more about stunning desert landscapes．When visiting this amazing area, you'll be promoting locals earning income from their surroundings, encouraging them to make the most of them and preserve them, as well as gradually increasing their quality of life．
As a north Indian province, Ladakh supports much rare and even endangered plants and animals, which can be seen at Hemis High Altitude National Park．There are also many Tibetan monasteries, including the Hemis Monastery, to visit in the area．Why do people regard Kerala as a biologically diverse area?
| A．Because Kerala is one of the best places for ecotourism. |
| B．Because Kerala is commonly known as “God’s Own Country”. |
| C．Because there live many unique animal species and almost 2,500 plant species． |
| D．Because Kerala is a beautiful state on the southern tip of India． |
What’s the author’s attitude towards the tourist industry in Kerala?
| A．supportive |
| B．objective |
| C． nentral |
| D．passive |
What can the tourists enjoy in Arunachal Pradesh despite much hardship?
| A．many unique animal species |
| B．plenty of wildlife |
| C．The beautiful desert landscapes． |
| D．snowfall |
According to the passage, where would you like to go if you intend to study some endangered animals and plants?
| A．Hemis High Altitude National Park in Arunachal Pradesh. |
| B．Hemis High Altitude National Park in Kerala. |
| C．Hemis High Altitude National Park in Tibet. |
| D．Hemis High Altitude National Park in Ladak. |
What is the passage mainly talking about?
| A．The best ecotourism destinations in India． |
| B．protecting the earth |
| C．greener destinations |
| D．Ecotourism is one of the fastest growing sectors in tourism． |
The United Nations and the World Meteorological Organization created the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 1988. The panel is a committee made up of hundreds of scientists. Last week, an IPCC working group released a report about climatic conditions around the world.
Scientists are surer than ever before that the Earth is warming and that human activity is to blame. That is the message of the new report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. As we hear from Christopher Cruise, the report's findings will help inform policy makers and the public as they consider action to fight climate change.
One-hundred-ten governments approved this scientific agreement:
"It is extremely likely that human influence has been the dominant cause of observed warming since the mid-20th century."
The head of the World Meteorological Organization, Michael Jarraud, spoke at a press conference about the new report.
"It should serve as yet another wake-up call that our activities today will have a profound impact on society, not only for us, but for many generations to come."
Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have been losing mass and glaciers continue to shrink, the report says. It calls the decrease of Artic sea ice, "unprecedented," meaning nothing like this has been noted before. The report also examines the mean rate of sea level rise. It says that since the middle of the 19th century, the rate is higher than at any time in the past 2000 years.
The working group also examined the connection between extreme weather events and climate. Brenda Ekwurzel is a climate scientist with the Union of Concerned Scientists, a non-profit group. She has worked with the scientists who prepared the IPCC report.
"The most we can say is that extreme events dealing with coastal flooding and extreme heat, (we have) very, very high confidence with these events being highly linked to climate change."
She says the report blames human activity for half of the increased warming over the past fifty or so years. One such activity is the burning of fossil fuels in factories, buildings and cars. This produces heat-trapping gasses.
Past IPCC reports have led the way to international agreements like the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. It ended in 2012. The United Nation's top climate official, Christiana Figueres, says the new report will help move new climate talks forward.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is sometimes criticized as appearing to be too conservative in its predictions. But, Ms. Figueres says this report is right on the mark.
"Everything that we thought we knew about climate change has been underestimated, that we will have much faster and much more intense effects from the growing concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. So, it's a very sobering message that calls for a more invigorated and more accelerated policy response to address that."
Government leaders and climate experts will get a chance to do that at the climate negotiations next month. The talks will take place in the Polish capital, Warsaw.505
What does the underlined word “sobering”mean in the last paragraph?
| A．satisfactory |
| B．serious |
| C．disappointing |
| D．unbelievable |
According to the passage, the Earth is warming due to_______.
| A．human activity |
| B．the burning of fossil fuels |
| C．heat-trapping gasses |
| D．the burning of fossil fuels in cars |
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage？
| A．Christopher Cruise says that our activities today will have a profound impact on society. |
| B．Ms. Figueres says that climate change calls for a more invigorated and more accelerated policy response to address that. |
| C．Michael Jarraud says that the report blames human activity for half of the increased warming over the past fifty or so years. |
| D．Brenda Ekwurzel says that It is extremely likely that human influence has been the dominant cause of observed warming since the mid-20thcentury. |
A new study finds that more than 13 million deaths could be prevented in China over the next 40 years if the country had stronger anti-smoking measures. But the study's authors say China has not taken many steps to control the use of tobacco. The study was published in the British Medical Journal.
China signed the World Health Organization's international treaty on tobacco control in 2003. But it has not put in place many of the WHO ideas to help people stop smoking. Experts say following these ideas could cut smoking by 40 percent before the year 2050. Without stronger anti-smoking measures, there could be 50 million tobacco-related deaths in the country over that time.The authors of the study used a computer program called "SimSmoke" to make their predictions.
David Levy works at Georgetown University's Lombardi Cancer Center in Washington, DC. He says China has one third of the world's cigarette smokers. More than half of the men in China smoke. Mr. Levy says people often begin smoking without knowing it will harm their health. He says people in some countries smoke because it makes them feel important.
"Smoking, you know, once it gets established and in many of the low- and middle income countries, you know there's a kind of a prestige initially to smoking."
The WHO plan calls for a ban on smoking in all public places. It also calls for countries to place health warnings on cigarette containers and offer programs to help people stop smoking. And, it says, there should be high taxes on tobacco.
Experts say a 75 percent increase in cigarette taxes could save about 3.5 million lives. They say an end to cigarette advertising could save two million lives. After signing the WHO agreement, China placed a 12 percent tax on cigarettes. But the government did not force Chinese smokers to pay the tax.
One of the authors of the new study is Teh-we Hu. He is a professor of public policy economics at the University of California Berkeley. Professor Hu says China's culture and society are changing. He says President Hu Jintao supports a ban on smoking in public. The president also wants people to stop giving cigarettes as gifts to officials and employers. Mr. Hu says the most effective anti-smoking measure in China would be a large increase in the cigarette tax. But he does not expect that to happen soon.To prevent people from smoking，which is wrong about the WHO plan？
| A．The WHO plan calls for a ban on smoking in all public places. |
| B．The WHO plan calls for countries to place health warnings on cigarette containers. |
| C．The WHO plan calls for offering programs to help people stop smoking. |
| D．The WHO plan calls for there should be low taxes on tobacco. |
If China has stronger anti-smoking measures, about ________ lives could be saved over the next 40 years.
| A．3.5 million | B．more than 13 million | C．50 million | D．40 million |
What does the underlined phrase “put in place” mean in Chinese?
| A．carry out | B．put something in the correct place | C．stop | D．begin |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?
| A．After signing the WHO agreement, China placed a 75 percent tax on cigarettes. |
| B．Experts say a 12 percent increase in cigarette taxes could save about 3.5 million lives. |
| C．Experts say using stronger anti-smoking measures could cut smoking by 40 percent before the year 2050. |
| D．After signing the WHO agreement, China has taken many steps to control the use of tobacco. |
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