1 . James T.Green thought he was having a panic attack.
He took a break from work to walk around the block during a stressful day, and noticed he felt out of breath walking up a slight slope."This isn't normal,” Green thought.He had become a regular biker in recent months and wasn't exactly out of shape.He sat down at his desk, and looked at the Apple Watch on his wrist.His heart rate was through the roof, and the Heart Watch app he was using to check his pulse （脉搏）was flashing warnings.Maybe it was something more serious, he thought.
Although he had blood clots （血栓）in his lungs a few years back, he had been taking medication, and doctors said that it was an unusual condition for someone in their mid-20s.Still, the symptoms （症 状）this time were much less serious, and he was feeling stressed, so his mind didn't automatically jump to blood clots.Green's doctor told him it sounded like anxiety.But then he showed her his heart rate recorded by the Apple Watch.
"This is my normal heart rate,” Green told her, pointing to the graph in the app.“This is where my heart is now.There's something wrong."
The doctor ordered a CT scan.The blood clots in his left lung had returned.An ambulance rushed Green to the emergency room, where he was pumped full of blood thinners.He didn't need surgery this time, but doctors told him that if he had waited, a clot could have killed him.
Green isn't the only person who has discovered a serious health condition after seeing heart-rate data on a smartwatch.And he won't be the last.Presently, smartwatches from Apple to Fitbit and others can tell you your heart rate and track your workouts.But these companies want to go beyond the basics by developing ways to tell you when something is wrong.In fact, it's already happening.
1. What is not normal for Green this time?| A．He breathed with difficulty. | B．He worked out less often. |
| C．He had a heart attack. | D．He was out of shape. |
| A．He himself. | B．His doctor. | C．The CT scan. | D．The Apple Watch. |
| A．Tiredness. | B．Anxiety. | C．Work stress. | D．Blood clots. |
| A．Apple's new study on smartwatches. | B．The tips on how to buy a smartwatch. |
| C．Other cases where smartwatches save lives. | D．The application of smartwatches in health care. |
2 . The great 18th-century author Montesquieu once put it, “I have never known any stress that an hour’s reading does not reduce." And now many argue for a return to this view of literature as therapy, even using the word “bibliotherapy"（阅读疗法）to describe it.
So what does literature provide, beyond entertainment? It can act as a guide.Those who show great respect for Shakespeare, Milton or Proust should keep in mind that even the most famous author was still a human being.In other words, great writers have been through the same things as you.Like you, they found themselves in this strange world and they tried to make sense of it.And this is what most literature consists of: people trying to make sense of the world.
No matter what your fears or concerns may be, chances are some great writer has written about them.Before seeking （寻求）suggestions, cither from a professional or a well-read friend, be clear about what is troubling you.For example, let's say you were raised in a religious （信仰宗教的）family but now, in later life, have lost your faith （信仰）.This is painful to you and you feel empty and alone.Countless writers have gone down this path before you and have found a way out — the German poet and novelist Hermann Hesse, for example, wrote the wonderful little novel Siddartha about this search for spiritual peace.
It would also help to consider your particular life stage.Someone from a poor background about to set off for a great college will want a different set of reading from a retired woman whose husband has died.To take another example, let's imagine you had a childhood of abuse （虐待）.For years you have suffered from depression.In that case, you could try Edward St Aubyn's The Patrick Melrose Novels.St Aubyn's father abused him, while his mother escaped into drink, but Aubyn wrote a series of splendid novels based on his life, charting a man's journey through the hard situation of abuse and out the other end.
1. Why does the author quote Montesquieu?| A．To stress the effect of bibliotherapy. | B．To explain what bibliotherapy means. |
| C．To tell us when bibliotherapy came into being. | D．To argue for the use of literature as therapy. |
| A．Find out which writer has written about your problem. |
| B．Know what authors have gone through. |
| C．Find out how to seek spiritual peace. |
| D．Know what your trouble is. |
| A．Aubyn's novels suit people who have retired. |
| B．Aubyn's novels are mainly read by young readers. |
| C．People should choose novels according to their interest. |
| D．People of different ages need different works of literature. |
| A．What novels best suit you. | B．A form of therapy: literature. |
| C．The great influence of literature. | D．The experiences of great writers. |
3 . It is important to protect yourself from harmful rays. But if you think a high-factor sunscreen keeps you safe from harmful rays, you may be wrong. Research in this week’s Nature shows that while factor 50 reduces the number of melanomas(黑素瘤)and delays their occurrence, it can’t prevent them. Melanomas are the most aggressive skin cancers. You have a higher risk if you have red or blond hair, fair skin, blue or green eyes, or sunburn easily, or if a close relative has had one. Melanomas are more common if you have periodic intense exposure to the sun. Other skin cancers are increasingly likely with long-term exposure.
There is continuing debate as to how effective sunscreen is in reducing melanomas—the evidence is weaker than it is for preventing other types of skin cancer. A 2011 Australian study of 1,621 people found that people randomly selected to apply sunscreen daily had half the rate of melanomas of people who used cream as needed. A second study, comparing 1,167 people with melanomas to 1,101 who didn’t have the cancer, found that using sunscreen routinely, alongside other protection such as hats, long sleeves or staying in the shade, did give some protection. This study said other forms of sun protection—no sunscreen—seemed most beneficial. The study relied on people remembering what they had done over each decade of their lives, so it’s not entirely reliable. But it seems reasonable to think sunscreen gives people a false sense of security in the sun.
Many people also don’t use sunscreen properly applying insufficient amounts, failing to reapply after a couple of hours and staying in the sun too long. It is sunburn that is most worrying—recent research shows five episodes of sunburn in the teenage years increase the risk of all skin cancers.
The good news is that a combination of sunscreen and covering up can reduce melanoma rates, as shown by Australian figures from their slip-slop-slap campaign. So if there is a heat wave this summer, it would be best for us, too, to slip on a shirt, use sunscreen and slap on a hat.
1. What’s people’s common expectation of high-factor sunscreen?| A．It will protect them from sunburn. |
| B．It will keep their skin smooth and fair. |
| C．It will work for people of any skin color. |
| D．It will delay the occurrence of skin cancer. |
| A．Sunscreen can prevent all kinds of skin cancers. |
| B．The studies are based on direct observation of the subjects. |
| C．The studies may help people select the most effective sunscreen. |
| D．Daily application of sunscreen helps reduce the incidence of melanomas. |
| A．Staying in the shade whenever possible. |
| B．Using covering up instead of sunscreen. |
| C．Using both covering up and sunscreen. |
| D．Applying the right amount of sunscreen. |
| A．No Way to Stop Harmful Rays! |
| B．Does Sunscreen Prevent Skin Cancer? |
| C．Did You Use Sunscreen in the Right Way? |
| D．Skin Cancer—The Biggest Threat to Human Beings! |
4 . This summer there is plenty to keep you all busy from free movies at Regal Mayfaire stadium to free theater performance.
Free Movies
Free movies will be shown on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8 a.m. at Regal Mayfaire stadium from June 14 to Aug 11. Call 9102563425 for more information.
Free Admission to Hundreds of Museums
This Saturday, July 25, hundreds of US museums are admission-free for the Smithsonian’s annual Museum Day.
Unlike previous Museum Day celebrations, you must sign up for a free ticket that allows two people to any of the participating museums. That means filling out a form and having the ticket emailed to you. Not bad for a free offer that will give you admission to museums such as the Adler Planetarium and the Air & Space Museum in Downtown Wilmington. Please see the website for the list of collections: http://www.mec.com.
Downtown Wilmington Concert
Downtown Sundown Concert Series will take place every Friday at 6 p.m. from June 16 to Aug.15. See the following link for a list of bands: http://www.wilmingtondowntown.com. Local performers will be performing “Much Ado about Nothing” at the newly built Greenfield Lake Amphitheater. All shows are free to the public.
Free Night of Theater
It’s the yearly run of the Free Night of Theater, when hundreds of theaters in 120 US cities give away thousands of tickets to local productions.
While the opening date is June 15, many of the theaters start giving away their free tickets by Oct. 1 or in waves during the month of June for performance dates throughout the month. Ticket seekers are limited to two tickets for one performance.
Find your city on the Free Night of Theater website (http://www.retheater.com) and check the listings for performances, their dates and their ticket giveaway times and locations.
1. You can go to watch a free movie on ________.| A．A Monday in June | B．A Thursday in July |
| C．A Sunday in September | D．A Wednesday in November |
| A．By getting the ticket in the participating museums. |
| B．By downloading and printing out a form by yourself. |
| C．By signing up and paying for the ticket on the website. |
| D．By filling out a form and having the ticket emailed to you. |
| A．They take place once a year. | B．They last for the same length of time. |
| C．The tickets can be used in any US city. | D．Their opening dates are the same. |
5 . A robot created by Washington State University (WSU) scientists could help elderly people with dementia (痴呆) and other limitations live independently in their own homes.
The Robot Activity Support System, or RAS, uses sensors installed in a WSU smart home to determine where its residents are, what they are doing and when they need assistance with daily activities. It navigates (定位) through rooms and around obstacles to find people on its own, provides video instructions on how to do simple tasks and can even lead its owner to objects like their medication or a snack in the kitchen.
“RAS combines the convenience of a mobile robot with the activity detection technology of a WSU smart home to provide assistance in the moment, as the need for help is detected,” said Bryan Minor, a postdoctoral researcher in the WSU School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
Currently, an estimated 50 percent of adults over the age of 85 need assistance with every day activities such as preparing meals and taking medication and the annual cost for this assistance in the US is nearly $2 trillion. With the number of adults over 85 expected to triple by 2050, researchers hope that technologies like RAS and the WSU smart home will relieve some of the financial strain on the healthcare system by making it easier for older adults to live alone.
RAS is the first robot researchers have tried to incorporate into their smart home environment. They recently published a study in the journal Cognitive Systems Research that demonstrates how RAS could make life easier for older adults struggling to live independently.
“While we are still in an early stage of development, our initial results with RAS have been promising,” Minor said. “The next step in the research will be to test RAS’ performance with a group of older adults to get a better idea of what prompts, video reminders and other preferences they have regarding the robot.”
1. How does RAS serve elderly people?| A．Through sensors. | B．Through objects. |
| C．Through a mobile robot. | D．Through their daily activities. |
| A．It is the first robot used in daily life. | B．Its function remains to be tested. |
| C．It can locate people and do any task. | D．It can cook for owners on its own. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Negative. |
| C．Optimistic. | D．Uncertain. |
| A．Elderly people leave the nursing home. |
| B．Smart Home Tests first elder-Care robot. |
| C．RAS, the first robot to make home smart. |
| D．Older adults have benefited from RAS. |
6 . On some Swedish trains, passengers carry their e-tickets in their hands. About 3,000 Swedes have chosen to put microchips (微芯片) beneath the skin between fingers. The chips, which cost around $150, can hold personal facts, credit-card numbers and medical records. They depend on Radio Frequency ID (RFID), a technology already used in payment cards, tickets and passports.
There are 10,000 people with chip implants (植入) around the world. Sweden, home to several microchip companies, has the largest share. People can order do-it-yourself kits. And sometimes they get T-shirts that say “I got chipped”.
Jowan Österlund, the founder of BioHax, a Swedish firm, argues that chips are safer than mobile phones because it is harder to steal information from them. But some people still have worries. RFID chips do not have GPS, but they leave a trail when they are used to open doors, operate printers, etc. In 2004 a Mexican government official and his workmates had chips placed in their arms that tracked who had accessed important information.
So why take the risk? Less trouble is one reason. The equipment for microchip implants exists wherever new payments are accepted. Sweden is well suited, as the world’s second most cash-less country (after Canada).
But the chips have little use unless all companies agree to work together. Few shops recognize this chip implants yet, even those organizations that do have had some troubles in the beginning. When Swedish rail officials began scanning passengers’ microchips, they saw private information rather than evidence of ticket buying. For now the chips are used largely as business cards, keys or to store important information.
So the desire to win notice or admiration is another explanation. Chip enthusiasts want to equip human bodies with technology. Elon Musk, an American businessman has spent money on this technology that connects machines with human brains, which caused fears from some Christians.
1. What is special about the microchips mentioned in the passage?| A．They have already become part of human bodies. |
| B．They have offered access to personal information. |
| C．They have become a symbol of modern society. |
| D．They have used the latest technology in payment. |
| A．the information is safer to keep on chips than phones |
| B．RFID chips can also have GPS as mobiles phones do |
| C．information on chips is likely to be accessed and let out |
| D．some microchips have already been equipped with GPS |
| A．Because developed countries are well prepared for chip implants. |
| B．Because they want to save themselves the trouble of cash payment. |
| C．Because they encourage more companies to recognize chip implants. |
| D．Because it is an attention-catching technology that makes things easier. |
| A．There is a long way to go before the implanted chips are widely applied. |
| B．Many companies take a wait-and-see attitude towards this technology. |
| C．The chip implants have caused difficulty for both users and companies. |
| D．Microchips always successfully offer information about ticket buying. |
7 . Nobody likes home economics (家政学). But restoring the program could help us in the fight against obesity and chronic (慢性的) diseases today.
The home economics movement was founded on the belief that housework and food preparation were important subjects that should be studied scientifically. The first classes occurred in the agricultural and technical colleges that were built in the 1860s. When most departments of universities rejected women, home economics was a back door into higher education.
Indeed, in the early 20th century, home economics was a serious subject. When few people understood germ (微生物) theory and almost no one had heard of vitamins, home economics classes offered vital information about washing hands regularly, eating fruits and vegetables and not feeding coffee to babies.
However, today we remember only the fixed ideas about home economics, forgetting the movement’s most important lessons on healthy eating and cooking. Too many Americans simply don’t know how to cook. Our diets, consisting of highly processed foods made cheaply outside the home, have contributed to many serious health problems. In the last decade, many cities and states have tried to tax junk food heavily or to ban the use of food stamps (食品券) to buy soda. Clearly, many people are doubtful about any governmental steps to promote healthy eating. But what if the government put the tools of obesity prevention in the hands of children themselves by teaching them how to cook?
My first experience with home economics happened two decades ago when I was a seventh grader in a North Carolina public school. A year later, my father’s job took our family to Wales, where I attended a large school for a few months. It was the first time I had ever really cooked anything. I remember that it was fun, and with an instructor standing by, it wasn’t hard. Those lessons stuck with me when I first started cooking for my husband and myself after college and they still do. Teaching cooking in public schools can help solve some problems facing Americans today. The history of home economics shows it’s possible.
1. Home economics______.| A．is a subject becoming more and more popular with Americans |
| B．is often used to help fight against obesity and chronic diseases |
| C．once offered women a. special approach to university education |
| D．was first taught in the agricultural and technical colleges in the early 1900s |
| A．the importance of regular hand washing |
| B．the health benefits of fruits and vegetables |
| C．the contents of home economics classes in the early 20th century |
| D．the significance of teaching home economics in the early 20th century |
| A．Children should be taught how to cook. |
| B．A heavy tax should be put on junk food. |
| C．Healthy eating should be promoted at school. |
| D．Using food stamps to buy soda should be banned. |
| A．Her family moved frequently in her childhood. |
| B．Cooking classes have a far-reaching influence on her later life. |
| C．To receive a better education, she went to a large school in Wales. |
| D．Teaching cooking is the key to solving Americans’ health problems. |
