It is reported that 90 million people in China suffer from depression, with around 90% not getting any effective treatment. Other research further suggests that mental disorders have generally become more common across China in the last 30 years.
China’s resources for dealing with mental health have not always been at the same level as other countries. A 2020 WHO report showed that there were only 1.7 psychiatrists per 100,000 people, compared with 15 per 100,000 in the European countries.
In the past, mental health support was largely focused on specific groups such as “left-behind children”. However, many now recognize the need to make support more widely available.
One issue that has helped bring mental health into the spotlight on a national scale is that of “996” work culture. The term refers to jobs in which employees are required to work six days per week from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. With the 996-work culture, more and more people are starting to realize that actually, mental health can affect a whole number of people. As we all know, long hours of overtime may cause many health problems, even leading to sudden death.
Our government is indeed designing policies to deal more effectively with mental health challenges. The country’s National Health Commission plans to introduce screening (筛查) for vulnerable groups and require medical institutions as well as universities, colleges and high schools to re evaluate mental health policies. The government plans to set up mental health outpatient services in 40% of the general hospitals in pilot areas by the end of 2022, a move catalyzed by the pandemic.
Whether said policies will be effectively implemented remains to be seen. However, what is clear is that mental health is now very much taken seriously across China.
1. What do we know from the first two paragraphs?| A．China’s medical level is quite backward. |
| B．Mental health problems are getting more serious. |
| C．China has the largest population with depression. |
| D．Many people with depression refuse to be treated. |
| A．Doctors. | B．Professors. |
| C．Researchers. | D．Patients. |
| A．It is well received by employees. | B．It severely affects people’s health. |
| C．It can make people work even harder. | D．It does harm to “left-behind children”. |
| A．Cooperating with medical institutions. | B．Establishing more voluntary organizations. |
| C．Setting up outpatient services in pilot areas. | D．Designing policies to deal with the challenges. |
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【推荐1】The cancer death rate in the U.S. fell by the most on record as advances in treatments for lung tumors （肿瘤） like video-assisted surgery helped prolong the lives of patients.
The death rate from cancer has been gradually declining for 26 years, thanks in large part to fewer people smoking cigarettes. But from 2016 to 2017, the most recent period available, it dropped by 2.2%, the most ever in a single year, according to a report released Wednesday by the American Cancer Society. That compares with an average 1.5% yearly decline over the decade. The drop translates to roughly 2.9 million fewer cancer deaths than would have occurred had death rates remained at their peak. For lung cancer specifically, the death rate declined 4.3% annually from 2013 to 2017.
"It is really lung cancer that is driving this," said Rebecca Siegel, scientific director of surveillance research at the American Cancer Society, and lead author on the new study. "We found increases in survival for lung cancer at every stage in diagnosis.”, She attributed the lower deaths to improvements in treatments, including video-assisted surgery that enables more patients with early lung tumors to become eligible for operations; more precise radiation treatment; and better scanning technology that allows doctors to better assess the stage of tumor, so the patient gets the best treatment right away. At later stages of illness, new, targeted drugs that aim at specific disease-causing genes are helping patients whose tumors have those genetic flaws （缺陷）.Overall, lung cancer death rates have dropped by 51% for men since their peak in 1990, and by 26% for women since their peak in 2002.
There's the potential for more progress in future reports. That's because the latest death-rate statistics go only through 2017, and likely don't include the potential impact in lung cancer death from immune-therapy drugs. They became widely used in lung cancer only in the past few years.
The report, based on U.S. government data, isn't all good news. Prostate （前列腺）cancer death rates have leveled off recently after a period of decline. That may be because many doctors pulled back on using the controversial prostate-specific antigen test, or PSA, which can spot the disease but can lead to over-treatment of men who may never have died from their tumors.
"Though it was definitely causing harm, it was also contributing to declines in death," Siegel said. What's needed now is better screening tests to detect only the prostate cancers that will go on to cause harm.
Population death rates are considered one of the most reliable ways of measuring progress in cancer treatment and prevention. By contrast, cancer survival rates can sometimes be influenced by improvements in diagnosing tiny, early stage tumors that wouldn't necessarily be deadly.
1. According to paragraph 2, ______.| A．cancer death rate reached its peak in 2017 |
| B．death rate decreases over the past 2 decades |
| C．2.9 million people die of cancer in America every year |
| D．most of the cancer patients in America suffer from lung cancer |
| A．female death rate of lung cancer drops more than that of male |
| B．targeted drugs have led to rapid increase in cancer death rates |
| C．better scanning technology will lead to improvement in treating genetic flaws |
| D．improper use of prostate-specific antigen test can lead to over-treatment of men |
| A．remain unchanged | B．show up |
| C．take off | D．become sharp |
| A．Medical Progress Prolonging Patients’ Lives |
| B．Cancer Death Rates Dropping at the Fastest Pace |
| C．Significant Improvement in Treating Lung Cancer |
| D．Advanced Technologies Applied in Cancer Treatment |
【推荐2】People have been wondering why elephants do not develop cancer even though they have lifespans(寿命)that are similar to humans, living for around 50 to 70 years.
Now scientists believe they know why. A team at the University of Chicago, US has found that elephants carry a large number of genes that stop tumors(肿瘤)developing. To be precise, they found 20 copies of an anti-tumor gene called TP53 in elephants. Most other species, including humans, only carry one copy.
According to the research, the extra copies of the gene improved the animal’s sensitivity to DNA damage, which lets the cells quickly kill themselves when damaged before they can go on to form deadly tumors.
“An increased risk of developing cancer has stood in the way of the evolution of large body sizes in many animals,” the study author Dr Vincent Lynch told The Guardian. If every living cell has the same chance of becoming cancerous(癌变的),large creatures with a long lifespan like whales and elephants should have a greater risk of developing cancer than humans and mice. But across species, the risk of cancer does not show a connection with body mass.
This phenomenon was found by Oxford University scientist Richard Peto in the 1970s and later named “Peto’s paradox(悖论)”. Biologists believe it results from larger animals using protection that many smaller animals do not. In the elephant’s case, the making of TP53 is nature’s way of keeping this species alive.
The study also found that when the same genes were brought to life in mice, they had the same cancer resistance as elephants. This means researchers could use the discovery to develop new treatments that can help stop cancers spreading or even developing in the first place.
“Nature has already figured out how to prevent cancer,” said Joshua Schiffman, a biologist at the School of Medicine, University of Utah, US. “It’s up to us to learn how different animals deal with the problem so that we can use those strategies to prevent cancer in people.”
1. Why are elephants unlikely to develop cancer?| A．Certain genes in their body kill existing tumors. |
| B．They have a rather large body size. |
| C．They carry many genes to prevent tumors developing. |
| D．Their genes suffer no DNA damage. |
| A．The huge body mass. |
| B．Deadly tumors. |
| C．Cells killing themselves. |
| D．Sensitivity to DNA damage. |
| A．The risk of cancer is not related to body size. |
| B．Larger animals have protection from TP53. |
| C．Larger animals suffer the same risk of cancer as smaller ones. |
| D．The larger animals are, the bigger risk of cancer they will have. |
| A．Depending on nature is surely enough to fight against cancer. |
| B．The TP53 genes have proved useful in stopping cancer in people. |
| C．The extra copies of elephants’ genes are used to cure cancer patients. |
| D．Humans are expected to prevent cancer with the making of TP53. |
【推荐3】For some people, music is no fun at all. About 4% of the population is what scientists call “amusic”. People who are amusic are born without the ability to enjoy musical notes. Amusic people often cannot tell the differences between two songs.
As a result,songs sound like noise to an amusic. Many amusics compare the sound of music to pieces of metal hitting each other. Life can be hard for amusics. In fact,most people cannot understand what it feels like being amusic. Just going to a restaurant or a shopping center can be uncomfortable or even painful. That is why many amusics have to stay away from places where there is music. However, this can result in social loneliness. “I used to hate parties,” says Margaret,a seventy-year-old woman who only recently discovered that she was amusic. By studying people like Margaret,scientists are finally learning how to identify (辨别) this unusual condition.
Scientists say that the brains of amusics are different from those of people who can enjoy music. The difference is complex (复杂的),and it is not connected with poor hearing. Amusics can understand other non-musical sounds well. They also have no problems understanding common speech. Scientists compare amusics to people who just can’t see certain colors.
Many amusics are happy when their condition is finally diagnosed(诊断). For years, Margaret felt embarrassed about her problem. Now she knows that she is not alone. That makes it easier for her to explain. “When people invite me to a concert, I just say ‘No, thanks. I’m amusic. ’”says Margaret.
1. Amusics are the people who .| A．like music |
| B．have poor listening |
| C．don’t like music |
| D．are born unable to enjoy music |
| A．Their brains. |
| B．Their poor hearing. |
| C．Their lack of colors. |
| D．Their problems with speech. |
| A．Amusics’ strange behavior. |
| B．Musical ability. |
| C．Some people’s inability to enjoy music. |
| D．Identification and treatment of amusic. |
【推荐1】Probably over half of Americans are overweight in different degrees, a fact most newcomers quickly notice. This is because of a diet that is high in fat, sugar, and salt. In the South, much food is fried or flavored with fat.
You will see many television commercials about dieting and exercising, indicating the serious concern people have about their weight problems. Many Americans lose weight by restricted diets and much exercise as obesity is considered harmful to good health, appearance, and longevity(长寿).
Many Americans can afford to eat well and have jobs that do not offer much opportunity for exercise. The possession of cars also limits the amount of exercise most people get. It is therefore easy for Americans to put on weight, and many newcomers have found that the good food and lack of exercise can add pounds on them, too.
Generally, Americans hate being overweight, and some people—especially women and teenage girls—suffer from eating disorders. These disorders can become health-threatening or ever life-threatening and often require psychiatric treatment(精神病治疗). Even those who do not suffer from eating disorders often eat carefully to control their weight.
1. According to the passage, newcomers usually ______ because of the diet and lifestyle of America.| A．get used to it | B．put on weight | C．get unhappy | D．afford to eat well |
| A．Americans Eating Disorders | B．Americans Health Problem |
| C．Harmful Diet in America | D．Overweight Problem in America |
| A．Because they eat well and lack exercise. | B．Because they have good jobs. |
| C．Because they drive cars very often. | D．Because they suffer from eating disorders. |
【推荐2】The World Health Organization says the widespread use of sugar in food products and drinks is a major concern in many areas. So WHO officials are calling on governments to require taxes on sugary drinks in an effort to limit their usage and popularity. The officials believe the taxes also would reduce the risk of health problems resulting from obesity.
Obesity is a condition in which the body stores large, unhealthy amounts of fat. Obese individuals are considered overweight. A new report says that in 2014 more than one-third of the adults in the world were overweight, and 500 million were considered obese. The United Nations agency estimates that in 2015, 42 million children under age 5 were either overweight or obese. It says that number represents an increase of about 11 million during the past 15 years. Almost half of these boys and girls live in Asia and one-fourth in Africa.
The U. N. agency blames unhealthy diets for a rise in diabetes cases. There are 422 million cases of the disease worldwide. WHO says 1.5 million people die from it every year. It says the use of sugar in food products, like sugary drinks, is a major reason for the increase in rales of obesity and diabetes.
Temo Waqanivalu is with the agency’s Department for the Prevention on Non-Communicable Diseases: He told VOA that taxing sugary drinks would reduce consumption and save lives. Waqanivalu noted that Mexico enacted a law of a 10 percent tax on sugary drinks in 2014. He said by the end of the year, there was a 6 percent drop in the consumption of such drinks. Among poor people, the number of people who consumed sugary drinks dropped by 17 percent.
The WHO says people should limit the amount of sugar they consume. It says they should keep their sugar intake to below 10 percent of their total energy needs, and reduce it to less than 5 percent for improved health.
1. Why are taxes on sugary drinks required?| A．To warn people to change their life style. | B．To readjust the economic structure. |
| C．To limit their use and popularity. | D．To ensure the market’s diverse development. |
| A．Obesity is a severe worldwide problem. |
| B．Adult obesity is ignored at present. |
| C．Obesity can block economic development. |
| D．Obesity is most serious in developed countries. |
| A．Abolished. | B．Passed. | C．Promised. | D．Reduced. |
| A．Tax policies are unfair to the poor. | B．Taxing sugary drinks makes a difference. |
| C．The poor consume more sugary drinks. | D．Sugary drinks are a threat to health. |
【推荐3】As both a parent and a college professor, I have witnessed the destructive effects of test anxiety. Students with it can say quickly the material and explain complex content in a relaxed environment but fail in an exam. When it matters the most, students with test anxiety can convey the least.
Some students turn to drugs. With any medicine, there is a concern for safety, particularly when it is with the brain, the body’s most complicated and important organ. A new study suggests there may be a choice to these drugs for students: an open-label placebo (安慰剂).
Placebos have long been known to effectively reduce symptoms for different illnesses. Traditionally, service of a placebo treatment requires some tricks, in that people believe they are receiving an active, effective treatment, but in reality, they are taking a sugar pill or an activity that has no medical help. An open-label placebo is different: people are told from the start that they are receiving a placebo that contains no medication. And yet Schaefer’s findings indicate that people may still benefit from it.
Why did the placebo work? At this point, scientists are not entirely sure. Human mental processes can be changed by environment. Taking the pills each day may have encouraged participants to think about test anxiety and may have also provided a sense that they were doing something to deal with it.
Finally, although participants taking the placebos did show improvement on a number of self-report measures, they had no benefit over the control group with respect to scores on their final exams. They may have felt better about taking their exams, but those feelings did not change into improved test scores.
Despite these limits, the present findings are appealing and suggest a low-cost, low-risk way for reducing an all-too common problem among students.
1. What can be inferred from the first paragraph?| A．Test anxiety prevents some students perform normally in exams. |
| B．Test anxiety can improve some students’ performance after exams. |
| C．A relaxed atmosphere helps students bring out their best in exams. |
| D．Some students’ performance in exams is connected with environment. |
| A．Because people feel it necessary psychologically. |
| B．Because people’s psychological feelings are at work. |
| C．Because placebos are made from sugar and taste sweet. |
| D．Because placebos are an open choice for the people taking it. |
| A．Taking placebos can reduce test anxiety. |
| B．Taking placebos can improve test scores. |
| C．Taking placebos is not as effective as taking drugs. |
| D．Taking placebos can increase sense of achievement. |
| A．Drug, a public concern for brain safety. |
| B．Test anxiety, a destructive factor in exams. |
| C．Open-label placebo, a free choice for students. |
| D．Placebo, a likely way to deal with test anxiety. |
【推荐1】In intense summer heat, a Nevada bus driver's quick thinking to help an elderly passenger this week was a simple reminder that a little kindness can go a long way.
Bus driver Mike Blair noticed an old man who looked to be so suffering in what he said was about 105-degree heat, and he decided to get out and help.
“This gentleman would not board the bus,” he said. “He seemed like he started to grasp the wall and seemed to be in pain.”
After Blair helped him board the bus, he placed the man next to the air conditioner before reaching into his lunch box to offer a cool bottle of water. After about 10 minutes, the elderly man was back on his feet and on his way.
“He got off the bus and said, ‘Thank you.’ As he got off, he said, ‘Simply amazing!’” Blair said.
Blair was not aware that someone documented what he called “Just a small act of kindness”, until his employer Keolis as well as the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) reached out to him. Keolis threw the bus driver a small party and even framed the photo posted to Twitter-a social networking service—for him to have.
“I guess I have to learn how to do Twitter, huh?” Blair joked, adding that anyone would have done what he did.
“Well, maybe this will touch people's hearts so they will do something kind as well,” he said.
Keolis, which is equipping its drivers with 10,000 bottles of water this summer, trains its drivers to spot signs of dehydration (脱水).
1. Why did the old man fail to get on the bus in the beginning?| A．He hurt his feet. | B．He didn't feel well. |
| C．He was waiting for someone. | D．He lost something beside the wall. |
| A．The first aid. | B．The timely lunch. |
| C．The cool water. | D．The supporting wall. |
| A．Through the Internet. | B．Through the RTC’s report. |
| C．From the old man's statement. | D．From the bus company's party. |
| A．It was his duty. | B．It deserved recognition. |
| C．It was just a small act of kindness. | D．It was an ordinary person's reaction. |
【推荐2】The Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge is a science competition for U. S. middle-school students. It's run by Society for Science, which also publishes Science News Explores. The 30 finalists in this year's competition traveled to Washington, D. C. and also showed off their research projects.
Sharanya Chudgar, 14 years old, is one of the finalists in the competition and built a trash-collecting robot. The wheeled machine of the robot uses sensors to spot litter and a pan to pick it up. The robot's metal-detecting sensor helps it sort garbage from recyclables. And a light sensor can let the robot's solar panel angle itself toward the sun, collecting as much energy as possible.
Sharanya got the idea to build her trash collector by participating in litter cleanups. "When I signed up to volunteer at our local trash cleanup, I saw how much litter poliution there was and I knew that I had to fix this problem," Sharanya says. "People do have very limited time and resources, right? But robots don't. So it was then that my project idea formed in my head."
"Building the robot is my favorite part of this project," Sharanya says. "Ever since first grade, I've loved building Legos and building my robot felt just like building a Lego. But this project was a completely new experience since I hadn't ever had any experience in robotics before. Throughout the project, I had to use tons of power tools and I even had to cut pieces of metal to certain lengths. Whenever I needed to use a power tool, I had to turn to my dad who was always there to help out if necessary."
"It might seem difficult at times, but sticking to this and changing just one variable at a time gets you the best results," Sharanya says. This middle school scientist is solving global problems of litter pollution. For some, a science project might be an assignment or a fun hobby. But for Sharanya, doing research can also be a chance to help others and make the world a better place.
1. What can be known about the trash-collecting robot?| A．It is environment-friendly. | B．Its solar panel can't turn. |
| C．It has multiple purposes. | D．Its shape is like a human. |
| A．The limited natural resources. | B．The encouragement from the locals. |
| C．Her trash cleanup experiences. | D．Her participation in the competition. |
| A．To express her thanks to her father. | B．To show her love for the project. |
| C．To explain the difficulty of the project. | D．To tell her interest in building Legos. |
| A．Unconcerned. | B．Negative. | C．Critical. | D．Approving. |
【推荐3】Zibo city in Shandong has unexpectedly become famous on Chinese social media since late February for its local barbecue specialty, and this trend continues as the local government takes the opportunity to promote tourism and spending.
The latest promotion gives visitors free admission to 10 scenic spots in the city with their train tickets as long as their final destination is Zibo. This move followed another on March 31 under which the Jinan bureau of China Railway added a weekend special round-trip “barbecue tour” train between Jinan.
Passengers who get on the train are greeted by a banner reading “Welcome to the Special BBQ Train”at the entrance of the train. Many also took videos and posted them on social media, drawing more visitors.
Barbecue is popular in China, and Zibo’s barbecue has its own local features: it’s made on a stove, and is served with flatbread and dressings. The food is 70-80 percent cooked before it is brought to the table, where diners can finish cooking it on their own stoves. Diners are served with flatbreads, scallions and other dressings at the table so they are able to assemble their own barbecue parcels, in much the same way Peking Duck is eaten.
The barbecue suddenly became famous after a group of college students shot videos of themselves enjoying a meal in Zibo and posted them on social media in late February. Since then, many people, mostly young, have come to the city from all over the country to try the dish.
On several streets, lines can be seen outside barbecue restaurants, which stretch for more than 100 meters on the weekend.
“Zibo barbecue is bringing more and more people to the city, and the local government needs to think about how to promote the city as a whole, its culture and tourism, as well as its living and business environment,” said Sun Xiaorong, an expert of tourism marketing and promotion. The trend will eventually end if the local government doesn’t take proper follow-up measures, he added.
1. What does paragraph 1 mainly talk about?| A．Zibo city’s snacks. |
| B．Zibo city’s places of interest. |
| C．The reasons why Zibo is famous recently. |
| D．The challenges Zibo meets with at present. |
| A．It is usually paired with flatbread and dressings. |
| B．It is as delicious as Peking Duck. |
| C．It is totally toasted by the cook on the stove. |
| D．It is very cheap and various. |
| A．Young people’s dreams. |
| B．Local government’s measures. |
| C．Barbecue restaurants in Zibo city. |
| D．Some college students’ promotion. |
| A．Objective. | B．Negative. |
| C．Curious | D．Doubtful. |
