Incense (香) boasts a long history,
Since the Tang and Song dynasties, burning incense, hanging paintings, making tea, and enjoying music have been known as the “four arts for literati (文人)”.
Moreover, medical incense is an essential part of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which considers preventative healthcare as
2 . If you followed the Rio Olympic Games, you may have noticed that several athletes, including US swimmer Michael Phelps, had circular bruises (青肿) on their bodies. These bruises were the result of “cupping (拔火罐) therapy”, a traditional Chinese medicinal practice that has been around for more than 2,000 years.
Many athletes say that they have benefited from the therapy. Phelps used the therapy in the fall of 201 and has used it about twice a week since, reported ABC News. Another US swimmer, Dana Vollmer, also believes that “it really helps with blood flow”.
However, some have said that the supposed health effects result from people’s feeling that the treatment works, rather than any physical effect of the treatment. To figure out cupping therapy has any physical effect, last year researchers from Germany carried out a test in which a false treatment was provided.
In the study, the same type of cups was used in the real treatment and the false treatment. But in the false treatment, the cups had a hole at the top so that they couldn’t create the proper suction (吸力).
The tested patients, who suffered from a disorder that caused a lot of pain, were told that they would receive either a traditional cupping or “soft cupping”. But they were not informed that the so-called “soft cupping” was a false treatment.
It turned out that most patients correctly guessed which kind of cupping they had received. In both groups, patients also experienced about the same reductions in pain. “The results suggest the effects of cupping therapy might come from factors that are not necessarily part of the treatment itself,” the researchers told the Live Science website.
The question of whether cupping therapy works still needs to be answered. “But because the treatment is relatively safe and it could be helpful for some people, the therapy can be used as part of a comprehensive treatment program involving other exercises, nutritional choices and lifestyle changing,” Dr Brent Bauer, director of the US Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program at Mayo Clinic, told Live Science.
1. Why does the author mention Michael Phelps in Paragraph 1?| A．To give athletes a new way to swim faster. |
| B．To provide athletes with a new way of treatment. |
| C．To introduce the topic on cupping therapy. |
| D．To show swimmers suffer from disorders. |
| A．promote the health effects of cupping therapy |
| B．see whether cupping therapy has a physical effect |
| C．compare traditional cupping with the soft cupping |
| D．compare cupping therapy’s effects on different groups of people |
| A．Different people need different types of cupping therapy. |
| B．The real treatment and false treatment almost have the same effects. |
| C．The results show that cupping therapy is surely not part of the treatment. |
| D．Cupping therapy is only effective when used with lifestyle changing. |
| A．is a fast and easy treatment for people to carry out |
| B．is a newly invented way to cure some diseases |
| C．needs a long period of time to take effect |
| D．can be used together with other treatments |
3 . Roller coasters are fast and exciting. But passing a painful kidney (肾) stone is not. The process is painful and can take a long time. But American researchers have found that a roller coaster ride just might help those suffering from a kidney stone. They say such rides help patients pass the stones with a 70 percent success rate.
David Wartinger led the study. He found that where the person sits on the roller coaster can make a big difference. He said, “In the pilot study, sitting in the last car of the roller coaster showed about a 64 percent success rate, while sitting in the first few cars only had a 16 percent success rate.”
When it comes to passing kidney stones, not all roller coasters are equal. The researchers used 174 kidney stones of different shapes, sizes and weights to see if each model worked on the same ride and on two other roller coasters. They found that Big Thunder Mountain was the only one that worked. The other two roller coasters both failed the test. Wartinger said the other rides were too fast and too violent. The movement forced the stones against the side of the kidney. He said that the ideal roller coaster is rough and quick with some twists and turns.
It also mattered where the stones were located in the kidney. The researchers found that stones located in the upper part of the kidney model were passed 100 percent.
Wartinger thinks roller coaster rides could really be used as an effective measure. He said that a yearly ride on a roller coaster could even prevent stones from developing. “You need to pay attention to the warnings before going on a roller coaster,” he said, “If you have a kidney stone, but are otherwise healthy and meet the requirements of the ride, you can absolutely try it.”
He adds that it’s definitely a lower cost alternative to other treatments. And riding a roller coaster is definitely more interesting!
1. What might passing kidney stones be like?| A．Quick. | B．Enjoyable. |
| C．Exciting. | D．Uncomfortable. |
| A．when the person rides rough and fast roller coasters with twists and turns. |
| B．when the person sits in the first car of a roller coaster. |
| C．when the stone is forced against the side of the kidney. |
| D．when the stone is located in the lower part of the kidney. |
| A．It can prevent danger because of its clear warning. |
| B．It can prevent the development of kidney stones. |
| C．It can help anyone besides those with kidney stones. |
| D．It can apply to everyone with kidney stones effectively. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Doubtful. |
| C．Concerned. | D．Disapproving. |
4 . Scientists believe they are close to developing a cancer vaccine. Already, the vaccine has proved effective on mice, and has successfully stopped the growth of all cancer tumors(肿瘤).Scientists plan to begin trials this year and see whether it is safe and could produce an active immune(免疫的)response in humans.
The gene-based vaccine appears to wake up the body’s immune system by encouraging it to attack cancer tumors in our bodies. Through gene technology, genes are taught to recognize cancer cells through a protein that only exists on the surface of tumors. “When you use genes as a weapon, your immune system is actually a blueprint for the ‘ wanted poster’ of the enemy and will distinguish cancer cells from normal cells,“ Professor Alan Kingsman, from Oxford Biomedica which has developed the vaccine, said.
He also points out that the vaccine will train immune system to attack tumors in the same way as it attacks normal infections. “The cancer vaccine could produce the desired antigen(抗原)that could be recognized by immune system. So the vaccine gets immune system to recognize those tumor cells as dangerous and sweep them out in much the same way as it destroys viruses and bacteria when we get an infection.”
“You have to understand cancer is a genetic disease. Cancer treatments are facing great challenges but we couldn’t find a way out. That’s probably because we haven’t reached the core of the issue: genes. Ultimately the fundamental change of our cures will come from targeting cancer cells at genetic level. So this gene-based vaccine probably is the future, “ Dr. Richard Sullivan, from the Cancer Research Programme, said.
Though working on the vaccine remains at an early stage, plans to begin clinical trials on humans are scheduled to be carried out soon. The Oxford company is hoping that the vaccine will prove as successful in humans as it has in mice.Still. it’s worth noting that many promising cancer trials end in failure. It may be several years before we know if the cancer vaccine really do live up to its fame.
1. How do genes tell cancer cells from normal cells?| A．By using themselves as a weapon. |
| B．By identifying a protein on tumors. |
| C．By waking up immune system in bodies. |
| D．By turning immune system into a blueprint. |
| A．It could take tumor cells away. |
| B．It could treat normal infections. |
| C．It helps immune system to recognize antigen. |
| D．It activates immune response through antigen. |
| A．How gene technology works. |
| B．How cancer treatments will change. |
| C．Why this vaccine is promising. |
| D．Why cancer treatments are challenging. |
| A．Gene-based Cancer Vaccines: Will They Be the Future? |
| B．Gene-based Cancer Vaccines:How Do They Affect Us? |
| C．Gene Technology: Will It Change Cancer Treatment? |
| D．Gene Technology: How Does It Shape the Vaccine Research? |
5 . Paris Baker is a 30-year-old mother who has two daughters, Kallie, nine, and Harper, five.
One day, the three were playing at home. Harper was playing mom, feeding her mother, then her teddy bear and finally herself. Suddenly, Paris started choking on a piece of cookie. Soon, the cookie was at the back of her throat. The two girls started hitting her back at once. After about a minute of hitting her back, Kallie went to call an ambulance as she started to worry. As she did this the other girl carried on doing what she had been doing and thankfully the cookie finally came up.
Paris was diagnosed (诊断) with motor neurone disease (MND) in 2017, and was told she had five years to live. The condition will gradually paralyse (使……瘫痪) her, leaving her trapped inside her body.
Due to her condition, she’s more likely to fall and has received serious injuries. She felt it was very important to teach her girls what to do in a dangerous situation she might be in. This included applying pressure to a bleeding wound, what to do if someone is choking and how to call emergency services.
The girls know that if their dad isn’t home and an emergency happens there are three steps. Step one is to ring 999, ask for an ambulance and give their address. Step two is to put their dogs in the garden, and step three is to open the front door for the emergency services.
After the accident, Paris was so grateful that she had taught her daughters what to do in such a situation. But accidents like that can happen to anyone. So if your kid hasn’t learned first aid skills yet, it’s time to do that now.
1. How did the two girls react as their mother choked?| A．They called an ambulance at once. |
| B．They took action as soon as possible. |
| C．They were too frightened to do anything. |
| D．They tried to carry their mother somewhere else. |
| A．She wanted them to help others. |
| B．She knew she’d need their help. |
| C．She planned to make them doctors. |
| D．She was afraid of losing them in accidents. |
| A．To introduce useful first aid skills. |
| B．To explain kids’ role in stopping accidents. |
| C．To encourage the learning of first aid skills. |
| D．To tell readers what to do in an emergency. |
| A．A game puts a mother’s life at great risk |
| B．A mother teaches her daughters a life lesson |
| C．Girls learn first aid skills from their mother |
| D．Girls save their mother’s life using first aid skills |
In the 1940s, China
The WHO gives malaria-free certificates (证明) to countries when they have presented that they’ve stopped nationwide spread
In the 1970s, through a government project, Chinese scientist Tu Youyou discovered artemisinin, the most
Being a civilization with a long history, traditional Chinese medicine can date back nearly two thousand years. As many scholars pointed out, however, it wasn’t until the mid 20th century that China established its
Now every country is facing various challenges, yet I believe each will have its
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a health care system in which patients
According to the World Health Organization, nearly 80 percent of the world's population depends for its primary health care needs
Increasingly, however, modern medicines also contain substances from animals and plants. Given growing populations, increasing wealth, and the spreading
9 . First aid means the aid or the help that can be given to an injured person first, that is, before any medical help arrives. Sometimes quick action by us may save someone's life.
Shock. People often suffer from shock after receiving an injury, sometimes even when the injury is a small one. The face turns gray, and the skin becomes damp and cold. They breathe quickly. They should be kept warm. Cover them with a blanket and give them a warm drink.
Broken bones. Do not move the patient. Send for an ambulance at once.
Bleeding. A little bleeding doesn't harm. It washes dirt from the wound. But if the bleeding continues, try to stop it by placing a clean cloth firmly over the wound until the bleeding stops or helps arrive.
Poison. A person who has taken poison should be taken to a hospital at once. With some poisons, sleeping pills, for example, it is a good thing to make the patient throw up by pressing your fingers down his throat.
Remember: When an accident happens, telephone for an ambulance at once. Keep the injured person warm and quiet. Give him plenty of air. Do not let other people crowd around him.
1. When someone is injured, what should we do first?| A．Call for an ambulance. |
| B．Doing nothing but stand by. |
| C．Keep the injured person warm and quiet. |
| D．Give him or her first aid measures immediately. |
| A．2. | B．3. | C．4. | D．5. |
| A．In a newspaper. | B．In an advertisement. |
| C．In a popular magazine. | D．In a medical guide book. |
10 . During a pandemic (流行病), for many reasons, there are lots of poor parents who are isolated (隔离) with their kids, or roommates who are stuck together in an apartment. But what about the people who have nobody to talk to?
It is common that people feel lonely. However, during the pandemic, this situation can be much worse for experiences like long-time hospital stays or being unable to move due to poor health, disability or age.
Recently, a friendly robot named Robin got a test run in the children’s treatment center of the Wigmore Clinic in Yerevan. About as tall as an 8-year-old child, Robin’s plastic body and square head may not put you in mind of a human partner, but its face screen containing two big eyes and expressive brows (眉毛) is attractive, which can help children forget their stress for a while.
A hospital can be very stressful for anybody. And the time of treatment, and recovery might seem tiresomely long to an adult stuck in a hospital bed. For a child who can’t play with his or her friends or sometimes even family, the long course and boring atmosphere seen unbearable. That’s where Robin comes in. It can recognize facial expressions and use the mood of a talk to build personalized, natural conversations and dialogues with a lonely child in the way another child might use. Robin also plays games, tells stories, and makes children take part in various other activities.
According to Expper Technologies, the makers of Robin, during the program with Wigmore Clinic, Robin improved the experience of children in the hospital by 26 percent over those who did not have the chance to play with Robin, and reduced their stress levels by 34 percent during their hospital stay. Mary, whose son was one of those users, said, “Thanks to Robin, my son became happy every day during this pandemic. ”John Smith, a father of a five-year-old girl in the clinic, told a reporter, “Robin is a great partner. It brings big smiles to my daughter’s face. ”
1. Why does the author mention the experiences of people having difficulty moving?| A．To encourage people to fight against the pandemic bravely. |
| B．To call on people to care for those in need. |
| C．To draw people’s attention to healthy living. |
| D．To point out people’s loneliness during the pandemic. |
| A．Its functions need further tests. |
| B．Its design is based on some children’s ideas. |
| C．It can cheer up children with great communication skills. |
| D．It is quite difficult to operate for the young patients. |
| A．Objective. | B．Supportive. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Worried. |
| A．Robots Have Been Used to Treat Patients in Hospital |
| B．Robots Have Brought Both Benefits and Challenges |
| C．Robot Robin Is Introduced into People’s Daily Life |
| D．Robot Robin Helps Make Sick Children’s Life Easier |
