Nurses have saved almost 800 lives in just one year by using iPads, iPods and mobile phones to record patients' vital (至关重要的) signs instead of paper charts.
Death rates at two major hospitals dropped by more than 15% after the nursing stall started using hand-held devices instead of paper notes to monitor (监督) the condition of patients, according to the research published recently.
Nurses recorded patients' blood pressure, pulse, oxygen levels and other indicators on tablets and mobiles. Specialist software, called VitalPAC, automatically told them if the patient was deteriorating. If this is happened the nurse was warned to increase the frequency of their monitoring of the patient and, in some cases, to warn a doctor or a response team.
The introduction of the new system led to a fall of almost 400 patient deaths in just 12 months at Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth, and a drop of more than 370 in the same period at University Hospital, Coventry, according to the study in BMJ Quality & Safety. An editorial in the journal described the research as "an important milestone" in improving patient safety and said the lowering of mortality (死亡率) at these two hospitals "represents a truly dramatic improvement".
Data recorded on the hand-held devices is automatically uploaded to a hospital-wide system allowing nurses, doctors and managers to monitor the health of patients across all wards. Staff on ward rounds have instant access to information from any device connected to the hospital network.
The system is now installed in 40 hospitals across England and could eventually be rolled out across the whole of the NHS. The system was developed by doctors and nurses at Portsmouth working together with health improvement company The Learning Clinic.
Dr. Paul Schmidt, of Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, one of the leaders of the project, said: "Observing patients and making accurate records provides a safety net to guard against their deterioration. We believed traditional paper charts were not doing the job well enough so we designed an electronic system to support staff. This study shows its introduction was followed by a significant drop in deaths."
1. What can be learned about VitalPAC?| A．It was designed by The Learning Clinic independently. |
| B．It works with the hand-held devices. |
| C．It can replace the nurses to take care of patients. |
| D．It was applied by all the members of the NHS. |
| A．the specialist software is out of order. |
| B．the patient's condition is getting worse. |
| C．the patient's vital signs are uploaded. |
| D．the patient's indicators are difficult to record. |
| A．The significance of VitalPAC. | B．The improvement of Vita1PAC. |
| C．The rules of operating VitalPAC. | D．The brief introduction of VitalPAC. |
| A．A fashion magazine. | B．A story book. |
| C．A news report. | D．A science fiction. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】A new study suggests that patients with breast cancer who take additional vitamins during chemotherapy(化疗) treatment may face increased risks.
Researchers said the use of dietary supplements(补充剂) that increase levels of antioxidants(抗氧化剂), iron, vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids appeared to lower the effectiveness of chemotherapy. Researchers reported their findings in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Christine Ambrosone is the head of cancer prevention and control at the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, New York. She said, “From this study and others in the literature, it seems that it may not be wise to take supplements during chemotherapy.”
“It’s thought that antioxidants might interfere with the ability of chemotherapy to kill cancer cells,” Ambrosone said.
Some doctors have been advising patients for a number of years not to take antioxidants during chemotherapy. “But there was no strong empirical data for that recommendation,” Ambrosone said.
So, Ambrosone and other researchers decided to study whether supplement use might affect chemotherapy’s effectiveness. They looked for evidence in an earlier study on diet exercise, lifestyle and cancer results.
In the earlier research, people who took part were asked about their use of supplements at the beginning of and during treatment, and about their lifestyle, diet and exercise. The researchers studied 1,134 patients who filled out the surveys and followed them for a median of six years.
The researchers searched for possibilities that might increase the risk of the disease reappearing or of death. They found that patients who took any supplements at the beginning of and during chemotherapy were 41 percent more likely to have their breast cancer return than those who did not. In addition, the supplement takers were 40 percent more likely to die later on compared to patients using no supplements. The supplements included vitamin A, C and E. Those taking vitamin B12 and iron supplements were at greater risk of cancer returning, the researchers said.
1. Why did Ambrosone and other researchers conduct the study?| A．To know about the patients’ lifestyle. |
| B．To see whether patients take supplements. |
| C．To seek evidence for the recommendation. |
| D．To examine chemotherapy’s effectiveness. |
| A．Taking vitamins may increase the risk of breast cancer. |
| B．Ambrosone is the first one to warn patients off taking antioxidants. |
| C．Antioxidants may increase the ability of chemotherapy to kill cancer cells. |
| D．Patients may face more dangers if taking supplements during chemotherapy. |
| A．Health | B．Entertainment |
| C．Education | D．Technology |
【推荐2】In the 19th century, doctors tried to transfuse blood (输血)to patients who had lost blood in accidents or to try to save them. However, in most cases there would be a horrible reaction. When the donated blood mixed with the patient's own blood，it clotted (凝结)almost immediately. That stopped the circulation (循环)and the patient would die. Born on 14th June 1868，Karl Landsteiner，a doctor in Vienna, was very concerned about this. He knew there was something in the blood that caused reactions, but some people did manage to escape. Perhaps different people had different kinds of blood? He got a lot of blood samples (标本)from people, and mixed and matched them. Blood has two parts，the blood cells and the liquid serum(血清).You take blood cells from one person and mix them with the serum of another. If they react, the cells will clot and form a big lump. That means it is not safe to transfuse blood between these people. Landsteiner matched hundreds of samples like this，to find out who was safe for whom and who wasn’t. In fact, there were blood groups now called A, B, AB and O.
So what was going on in the blood? All our red blood cells have sugar molecules(糖分子) that are stuck on their surfaces. The red blood cells of people with group A have one kind of sugar, while those with B have another. People with AB have both of these while people with O have none.
People with the A blood group have a chemical substance called anti-B, while those of B blood group have anti-A in their serum. People with AB group have neither anti-A nor anti-B, while people with O have both. If you were B group and got blood from an A person,the anti- A in your blood would cause all the cells with A-sugar on them to clot immediately, stopping the circulation of blood.
In 1907, Dr. Reuben Outenberg carried out the first safe blood transfusion by matching blood groups. Blood transfusion became quite common from then on. And it helped saved thousands of lives in the First World War.
1. What does the passage mainly talk about?| A．Accidents in blood transfusion. |
| B．The discovery of blood groups. |
| C．Who Karl Landsteiner is. |
| D．The success of Dr. Reuben Otlenberg. |
| A．Some doctors in the 19th century. |
| B．The cause of some patient deaths. |
| C．Many medical accidents that he came across. |
| D．Certain successful cases of blood Iransrusion. |
| A．Only in the A blood group. |
| B．Only in the B blood group. |
| C．Only in the AB blood group. |
| D．In blood groups of B and O. |
| A．The first successful blood transfusion done by Ottenberg. |
| B．The time when blood groups were named by Landsteiner. |
| C．The year when the First World War broke out. |
| D．The blood transfusion by matching blood groups. |
【推荐3】Close your eyes for a minute and imagine what life would be like if you had a hundred dollars less. Also imagine what it would be like spending the rest of your life with your eyes closed. Imagine having to read this page, not with your eyes but with your fingertips.
With existing medical knowledge and skills, two thirds of the world’s 42 million blind should not have to suffer. Unfortunately, rich countries possess most of this knowledge, while developing countries do not.
ORBIS is an international nonprofit organization which operates the world’s only flying teaching eye hospital. ORBIS intends to help fight blindness worldwide. Inside a DC8 aircraft, there is a fullyequipped teaching hospital with television studio and classroom. Doctors are taught the latest techniques of bringing sight back to people there. Project ORBIS also aims at promoting peaceful cooperation (合作) among countries.
ORBIS tries to help developing countries by providing training during three-week medical programs. ORBIS has taught sightsaving techniques to over 35,000 doctors and nurses, who continue to cure tens of thousands of blind people every year. ORBIS has conducted 17 plane programs in China so far. For the seven to ten million blind in China ORBIS is planning to do more for them. At the moment an ORBIS is working on a longterm plan to develop a training center and to provide eye care service to Shanxi Province. ORBIS needs your help to continue their work and free people from blindness.
For just $ 38, you can help one person see; for $ 380 you can bring sight to 10 people; $ 1,300 helps teach a doctor new skills; and for $ 13,000 you can provide a training programme for a group of doctors who can make thousands of blind people see again. Your money can open their eyes to the world. Please help ORBIS improve the quality of life for so many people less fortunate than ourselves.
1. What do we learn about existing medical knowledge and skills in the world?| A．They are adequate. |
| B．They have not been updated. |
| C．They are not equally distributed. |
| D．They have benefited most of the blind. |
| A．teaching medical students |
| B．training doctors and nurses |
| C．running flying hospitals globally |
| D．setting up nonprofit organization |
| A．ORBIS in China |
| B．Fighting Blindness |
| C．ORBIS Flying Hospital |
| D．Sightseeing Techniques |
| A．introduce a new way of reading |
| B．advise the public to lead a simple life |
| C．direct the public’s attention to the blind |
| D．Encourage the public to use imagination |
【推荐1】Free energy is everywhere around us. There are many ways to make and collect energy from various sources like sun, wind and water. People also realize that everyday stuff can be a source of energy too. For example, riding a bike, running or just walking, etc. We simply have to change our way of thinking if we want to change the world.
So comes the idea of solar roadways. Are they the road of future? Why use roads just for driving and collecting tolls (过路费)? Why don’t we use them for collecting energy?
The US Department of Transportation recently awarded $100,000 to Solar Roadways to build the first ever Solar Road Panel. So how do these future roads work?
The Solar Road Panels will contain embedded (嵌入的) LEDs which “paint” the road lines from beneath to provide safer nighttime driving as well as to give drivers instant instructions such as detour (绕行) ahead. The road will be able to sense wildlife on the road and can warn drivers to “slow down”. There will also be embedded heating elements in the surface to prevent snow and ice buildup, providing safer winter driving.
Replacing asphalt (沥青) roads and parking lots with Solar Roadway Panels will be a major step toward stopping climate change. Fully electric vehicles will be able to recharge along the roadway and in parking lots, finally making electric cars practical for long trips.
We just can’t wait to see more of these roads all over the world in the near future.
1. The first paragraph serves as a(n) _____.| A．argument | B．comment |
| C．explanation | D．background |
| A．Guide them to a safer place. |
| B．Remind drivers to drive slowly. |
| C．Frighten them away from the road. |
| D．Advise drivers to choose another way. |
| A．provide heat for drivers in winter |
| B．guide drivers who get lost on the highway |
| C．melt snow and ice soon in winter |
| D．help drivers see the road clearly in the sun |
| A．Functions of the road in the future. |
| B．Development of solar energy. |
| C．Free energy on the road. |
| D．Solar road of the future. |
【推荐2】There’s a continuing controversy over whether electric vehicles should produce sounds to let the blind and other pedestrians know they’re on the scene. Some think those sounds should be standardized—like the “beep, beep, beep” of heavy machinery backing up, so you’ll think “something heavy is coming this way” when you hear it — and some think any sound will do.
This is a serious subject. Plug-in hybrid cars (电混动力车) and battery electric vehicles are super-quiet, and a study at the University of California, Riverside concludes that people listening to recordings on headphones can hear a regular gas car coming from 28 feet away, but a hybrid in battery mode only when it’s 7 feet away.
In response, the European Union has put new rules into play: all new electric vehicle models must have a sound-producing device, which sounds like a traditional engine. Starting in 2021, all new electric vehicles of any model will need the Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System or AVAS. That sound will come into play when the car is traveling backwards or when it’s traveling at less than 12 miles an hour — speeds at which cars are more likely to be mixing with pedestrians.
That’s a nice start, say representatives for the blind, but more is needed. “We’re calling on the government to take this announcement further by requiring AVAS on all existing electric and hybrid vehicles and ensuring drivers have them switched on,” John Welsman, guide dog owner and Guide Dogs staff member, said in a statement.
Drivers in most cases have the ability to shut off the device when needed. My guess is that they will eventually be standardized so your mind will automatically register “electric car” when you hear it. And that’s probably a good thing to reduce the mayhem (混乱) on the roads.
1. How does the author show “electric cars are quiet” in Paragraph 2?| A．By making a classification. |
| B．By making a comparison. |
| C．By analyzing cause and effect. |
| D．By setting down general rules. |
| A．It was developed by the European Union. |
| B．It was designed for inexperienced drivers. |
| C．It consists of a sound-producing device and an engine. |
| D．It warns pedestrians of the coming of an electric car. |
| A．They are too strict for drivers. |
| B．They are too complex to follow. |
| C．They need further improvement. |
| D．They hardly allow for any flexibility. |
| A．Electric cars with a standardized sound-producing device. |
| B．A new type of electric car on sale. |
| C．Problems with the electric cars. |
| D．Quiet electric cars. |
【推荐3】Given that cancer is one of the deadliest diseases out there, any new development in our fight against it is highly praiseworthy. The latest breakthrough was made by Heman Bekele in 2023, a 14-year-old student from Virginia. The student has created a bar soap to treat skin cancer. Now, his findings have earned him the title of America’s Top Young Scientist.
Bekele remembers he always saw people who were constantly hit by the glaring sun as a child. As he grew up and began to realize the risks like skin cancer were associated with sun exposure, the boy decided to come up with solutions.
While similar treatments are available, Bekele hoped to work on a more affordable alternative, especially for those in developing countries. “I wanted to make my idea something that not only was great in terms of science but also could benefit as many people as possible,” Bekele says. It is often the simple solutions that are the most effective because soap is a daily routine for most people.
With the guidance of Deborah Isabelle, a product engineering specialist, Bekele made his soap by mixing regular soap with compounds (化合物) that slowly reactivate dendritic (枝状的) cells. When the soap is applied, it releases toll-like receptors into our skin. These receptors attach onto dendritic cells which reactivate them. The reactivated dendritic cells then join with TN io12 cells to fight cancer cells. Rather than a cure, Bekele’s soap aims to help people’s immune cells stay active while fighting skin cancer.
For now, the young scientist hopes to improve his invention and create a non-profit to distribute the soap among those who need it most. “I believe that young minds can make a positive impact on the world,” Bekele said. “I have a strong desire to know how the physical world works and how to improve the lives of its inhabitants, and this challenge gives me the perfect platform to showcase my ideas.”
1. Why is Bekele’s childhood experience mentioned in paragraph 2?| A．To show his genius for scientific creation. |
| B．To express people’s eagerness for his soap. |
| C．To explain his motivation to create the soap. |
| D．To remind people of their similar memories. |
| A．It can be admirable for the design. |
| B．It can be available to more people. |
| C．It will be effective in curing any cancer. |
| D．It will be pioneering in terms of science. |
| A．The treatment principle of the soap. |
| B．The damage caused by skin cancer. |
| C．The prevention measures of skin cancer. |
| D．The professional evaluation of the soap. |
| A．Creative and loyal. | B．Ambitious and plain. |
| C．Curious and adaptable. | D．Sympathetic and curious. |
【推荐1】Remembering tenses (时态) and grammar is crucial to your studies, but a lot of communication doesn’t even rely on words or sounds. Nonverbal (非语言的) gestures and body language are not just a vital part of communication: they vary in meaning around the world. Let’s take a look at gestures from different cultures.
Shaking one’s head
Most people are used to understanding a nod of the up and down as meaning something is correct. However, in India, moving the head from side to side is the gesture for “yes” – the quicker the movement, the stronger the certainty. These gestures can also be used in conversations with other people to express that you are paying attention. There is a point of confusion that a similar shake of the head can also express “maybe” and a host of other things, with the context of the situation being needed to determine which meaning is trying to be expressed, according to the language website FluentU.
Showing irritation
How can you tell if an Italian person is irritated (恼怒的)? If you understand body language, it’s simple! There’s a common gesture you will see wherever you are in Italy: a closed hand with the palm (手掌) facing up and the fingers held tight together in an upward-pointing cone (圆锥) shape. This hand gesture is used to express disbelief or surprise at somebody’s behavior or remarks, with a shake of the hand used for emphasis, according to the Washington Post. Countries in South America with a large population who originally immigrated (移民) from Italy, such as Argentina and Uruguay, also use this gesture – a sign of how culture can be transported around the world.
Keeping count
Finger counting is also a type of hand gesture that differs between countries and cultures. For example, while in China all numbers up to 10 can be displayed with only one hand, in Western countries both hands are used to represent numbers between six and 10. Still, many other countries also differ in how they go about showing numbers. In Germany, for example, the number one is symbolized by raising the thumb (大拇指); while in the UK and North America, counting starts from the index finger (食指).
1. How can you know the exact meaning of head shaking in India?| A．By paying more attention. |
| B．By considering the context. |
| C．By noticing the speed of the movement. |
| D．By understanding the speakers’ expressions. |
| A．A closed hand. | B．Fingers held tight. |
| C．A shake of the hand. | D．A hand in a cone shape. |
| A．One thumb and one little finger. |
| B．One index finger and a thumb. |
| C．One hand with five fingers up and another thumb. |
| D．One hand with five fingers up and an additional index finger. |
【推荐2】Everyone gets anxious when the world takes an uncertain turn. And often, we treat that anxiety with a little panic buying.
A study published last year in the Journal of Consumer Research found that people buy things in troubled times as a means of keeping control over their lives. The researchers noted that utility items — specifically, cleaning products — tend to move most quickly from store shelves. The hoarding （囤积） of toilet paper, as perhaps the most fundamental cleaning product, may represent our most fundamental fears. An invisible enemy moves slowly and quietly towards us. We need to hold on to something in uncertain times. Maybe a hoard of toilet paper brings promises.
The thing is, it’s not actually going anywhere. For all the sharp words and even sharper elbows thrown around by the crazy toilet paper shoppers, they seem to be missing one essential fact: There is no toilet paper shortage.
As The New York Times points out, shop owners that see their shelves emptied often fill up the shelves again in a day, often in just a few hours.
“You are not using more of it. You are just filling up your closet with it,” Jeff Anderson, president of paper product manufacturer Precision Paper Converters, tells the Times.
The thing is, the toilet paper-obsessed shoppers have been infected with something many times more contagious （感染性的） than any coronavirus: fear.
“People are social creatures. We look to each other for cues for what is safe and what is dangerous,” Steven Taylor, a clinical psychologist at the University of British Columbia, tells Fox News. “And when you see someone in the store panic-buying, that can cause a fear contagion effect. People become anxious ahead of the actual infection. They haven’t thought about the bigger picture, like what are the consequences of hoarding toilet paper.”
1. Why do shoppers have a panic toilet paper buying?| A．The world is on the turning point. |
| B．It guarantees their victory over coronavirus. |
| C．There is no adequate supply in the store at all. |
| D．It comes as a way of anxiety relief. |
| A．explain the reasons for a panic toilet paper buying. |
| B．warn us of the danger of an enemy. |
| C．remind us of the threat of any coronavirus. |
| D．teach us the method of handling a problem. |
| A．Uninterested. | B．Negative. | C．Supportive. | D．Curious. |
【推荐3】The tradition of birthday parties started in Europe a long time ago. It was feared that evil(邪恶的) spirits were particularly attracted to people on their birthdays. To protect them from harm, friends and family members would come to stay with the birthday person and bring good thoughts and wishes. Giving gifts brought even more good cheer to keep away from the evil spirits. This is how birthday parties began.
The following are some countries’ birthday traditions:
Canada--Putting butter on the nose. In Atlantic Canada, the birthday child’s nose is put butter on for good luck.
China--Noodles for lunch. The birthday child pays respect to his / her parents and receives a gift of money. Friends and relatives are invited to lunch and noodles are served to wish the birthday child a long life.
England--Money cakes. Certain symbolic(象征性的) objects are mixed into the birthday cake as it is being prepared. If your piece of cake has a coin in it, you will be rich.
Ireland--Birthday bump(碰撞). The birthday child is lifted upside down and “ bumped” on the floor for good luck.
Italy--Pulling ears. The child’s ears are pulled as many times as how old he / she is turning.
Japan--New clothes. The birthday child wears new clothes to mark the occasion.
New Zealand--Birthday claps. After the candles are hit, the happy birthday song is sung loudly and often out of tune and then the birthday person receives a clap for each year he / she has been alive and then one for good luck.
The United States--Cake, candles and the birthday song. A cake is made, and candles are put on top based on how old the person is.
1. The first paragraph mainly talks about .| A．why there are so many birthday traditions |
| B．how birthday parties started |
| C．how to keep away from evil spirits |
| D．why gifts must be given to the birthday person |
| A．China. | B．England. |
| C．Ireland. | D．Japan. |
| A．In New Zealand, an eight-year-old birthday child receives eight claps in all. |
| B．In Ireland, bumping the birthday child means good luck to him/her. |
| C．In England, coins are the only things that can be made into a birthday cake. |
| D．In Italy, the birthday child’s ears are pulled when he/she is lifted upside down. |
| A．birthday cake | B．birthday candles |
| C．birthday claps | D．birthday song |
| A．Tech&Science. | B．Entertainment. |
| C．Careers&Jobs. | D．Culture. |
【推荐1】You know that thrill you get when listening to your favorite music or that exciting feeling down your spine (脊柱) when you hear your favorite melody or rhythm? According to a recent study, it seems the same thing can happen while you are reading, but not with every kind of text. This opens up fascinating questions around how music, reading and emotions are connected in the brain.
“We decided we would do a comparison between four or five different kinds of texts to see how the brain responded,” explains Professor Adam Zeman, a neurologist. “The participants lay in an MRI scanner reading the texts, and then we compared brain activity for those five texts.” The texts ranged from deadly boring ones to highly exciting ones, including the Highway Code, passages from novels and poems.
As the researchers observed, participants found some texts more emotional than others. When they read these emotional texts, there was higher activity in brain areas associated with pleasure and reward — the same areas related to the thrill we get when we listen to music. As Zeman says, “It was a nice proof that the emotional response to literature and to music has quite a bit in common.”
When the participants were reading poems, the team found there was more activity in a particular group of brain areas called the Default Network. "These areas seem to be associated with things we do with our minds when we are resting, like thinking about what's happened to us recently, thinking about what’s going to happen in the near future, about other people, and that network seems to be more strongly associated with poetry than with prose” explains Zeman. The study shows that the different texts activate different areas of our brains when we read.
1. What can we know from the study?| A．People may feel excited when reading poems. | B．People aren’t thrilled when listening to music. |
| C．Music gives participants more pleasure than text. | D．Deadly boring texts never excite the brain. |
| A．To thrill the participants. | B．To scan the participants’ brain. |
| C．To check the response of human's brain. | D．To teach the participants novels and poems. |
| A．Their brains preferred music. |
| B．Brain areas related to pleasure became more active. |
| C．Their emotional response to literature stopped. |
| D．Their brains were less emotional when reading the emotional text. |
| A．A science magazine. | B．A film review. |
| C．An advertisement. | D．A science fiction. |
【推荐2】In your daily life, are you often a little tired and sleepy in the early afternoon? Many people feel this way after lunch.They may think that eating lunch is the cause of the sleepiness.Or，in summer，they may think it is the heat.However，the real reason lies inside their bodies.At that time—about eight hours after you wake up—your body temperature goes down.This is what makes you slow down and feel sleepy.Scientists have tested sleep habits in experiments where there was no night or day.The people in these experiments almost always followed a similar sleeping pattern.They slept for one long period and then for one short period about eight hours later.
In many parts of the world，people take naps in the middle of the day.This is especially true in warmer climates，where the heat makes work difficult in the early afternoon.Researchers are now saying that naps are good for everyone in any climate.A daily nap gives one a more rested body and mind and therefore is good for health in general.In countries where naps are traditional，people often suffer less from problems such as heart disease. Many working people，unfortunately，have no time to take naps.Though doctors may advise taking naps，employers do not allow it! If you do have the chance，however，here are a few tips about making the most of your nap.Remember that the best time to take a nap isabout eight hours after you get up.A short sleep too late in the day may only make you feel more tired and sleepy afterward. This can also happen if you sleep for too long.If you do not have enough time，try a short nap—even ten minutes of sleep can be helpful.
1. Do you know why do you sometimes feel sleepy in the early afternoon?| A．Because it’s hot in summer. |
| B．Because you eat too much for lunch. |
| C．Because you didn’t have a good sleep last night. |
| D．Because your body temperature goes down at that time. |
| A．All the people in warmer climates take naps in the middle of the day. |
| B．Taking naps regularly is beneficial to people’s health. |
| C．If you take naps everyday，you’ll never suffer from heart disease. |
| D．Doctors need to take naps while employers don’t. |
| A．If you get up at 6：30 am，you’d better take a nap at about 1：30 pm. |
| B．Taking a nap whenever you want will do good to your health. |
| C．You’ll feel sleepy at regular intervals（间隔）. |
| D．You will feel less sleepy if you sleep for a long time. |
| A．All for a Nap | B．Just for a Rest |
| C．A Special Sleep Pattern | D．Taking Naps in Warmer Climate |
【推荐3】US and Canadian researchers recently calculated the total amount of the world's groundwater and estimated that it is equal to a lake 180 metres deep covering the entire Earth. This makes groundwater the largest active freshwater resource on the planet. The team also investigated its age. How did they do this?
Humans introduced a convenient time signature on the Earth when we started testing atomic (原子的) weapons. This leaves a time stamp which can be found in water, rocks and living organisms. By seeing if radioactivity (放射性) from atomic bomb testing was present in the groundwater, the researchers could estimate that about 6% of this groundwater is younger than50 years old. If this water was spread evenly over the continents, then there is just three metres depth of "modern" groundwater spread equally over the continents.
It could be argued that if we use only this "modern" groundwater, then this is sustainable, as we know that it has been replaced (or recharged) by natural processes over the last 50years. But how quickly groundwater recharges changes over time.
Water has to reach the inside of rocks, either now or in the past. This means that the amount of rainfall has to be more than the amount of water evaporating (蒸发) from the land surface, and more than the amount of water used by all the plants. Whenthisoccurs, fresh water can recharge the groundwater from either water "leaking" from the beds of rivers or from rainwater that passes through the soil.
In many parts of the world we know that groundwater recharge varies due to natural climate variability such as El Nino. Groundwater recharge will also change with global warming.
1. In order to know the age of groundwater, we can ________.| A．find its time stamp | B．test atomic weapons |
| C．examine its freshness | D．spread groundwater equally |
| A．It's fresh. | B．It's limited. | C．It's vital. | D．It's sufficient. |
| A．Water evaporating. | B．Water leaking from river beds. |
| C．Water getting into rocks. | D．Water being used by all the plants. |
| A．Climate variability. | B．Global warming. |
| C．Groundwater exploration. | D．Groundwater sustainability. |
