2 . As an educator and health care provider, I have worked with numerous children infected with the virus that causes AlDS. The relationships that I have had with these special kids have been gifts in my life. They have taught me so many things, but I have especially learned that great courage can be found in the smallest of packages. Let me tell you about Tyler.

Tyler was born infected with HIV: his mother was also infected. From the very beginning of his life, he was dependent on medications (药物) to enable him to survive. When he was five, he had a tube inserted (插入) in a vein (静脉) in his chest. This tube was connected to a pump, which he carried in a small backpack on his back. Medications were linked to this pump and continuously supplied through this tube to his bloodstream. At times, he also needed supplemented (补充的) oxygen to support his breathing.

Tyler wasn’t willing to give up one single moment of his childhood to this deadly disease. It was not unusual to find him playing and racing around his backyard, wearing his medicine-laden backpack and dragging his tank of oxygen behind him in his little wagon. All of us who knew Tyler were amazed at his pure joy in being alive and the energy it gave him. Tyler’s mom often teased him by telling him that he moved so fast that she needed to dress him in red. That way, when she peered through the window to check on him playing in the yard, she could quickly spot him.

This dreaded disease eventually wore down even the likes of a little dynamo like Tyler. He grew quite ill and, unfortunately, so did his HIV-infected mother. When it became apparent that he wasn’t going to survive, Tyler’s mom talked to him about death. She comforted him by telling Tyler that she was dying too, and that she would be with him soon in heaven.

A few days before his death, Tyler called me over to his hospital bed and whispered, “might die soon. I’m not scared. When I die, please dress me in red. Mom promised she’s coming to heaven, too. I’ll be playing when she gets there, and I want to make sure she can find me.”

1. Tyler had to wear his backpack so that ________ .

A．his mother could recognize him in the crowd

B．oxygen could be provided to support his breathing

C．he could carry his favourite toys wherever he went

D．its pump could supply medications to his bloodstream

2. We can learn from the passage that________.

A．Tyler was very afraid of dying so soon

B．Tyler gave up the chance to enjoy his childhood

C．Tyler tried to enjoy his life though being badly ill

D．Tyler couldn’t move freely with his medicine-laden backpack

3. From the passage, we can learn that Tyler is ________.

A．courageous and optimistic	B．confident and energetic
C．enthusiastic and adventurous	D．ambitious and passionate

4. Which can be the best title for the passage?

A．Gifts in my life	B．Dress me in red
C．Never give up	D．Live with HIV

4 . Researchers at Brigham found about one in five teenagers now have some degree of hearing damage. The researchers did not say why hearing loss has risen, but other experts have strong suspicions. One likely culprit, they say, is MP3 players.

An MP3 player can be dangerous to hearing when its decibel level is turned up too high. High-decibel sounds can damage nerve endings, called hair cells. If a sound is loud enough, the damage can be permanent. A loud sound can shake the membrane (薄膜) on which the hair cells sit- “like an earthquake”. That shake can break or even uproot hair cells. When that happens, the hair cells are finished. Human ears cannot regrow hair cells. Therefore, when listening to an MP3 player, set a volume limit and avoid exposure to loud sounds.

On the other hand, the loudness of today’s music may not be totally under your control. Music companies have been purposely turning up the volume. It’s a trend called the fight for loudness.

Play a CD from the 1990s. Then play a newly released tune. Don’t touch the volume control. You’ll probably notice that the new CD sounds louder than the old one. Why? Sound engineers who create CDs are using dynamic range compression (压缩), a technology that makes the quiet parts of a song louder and the loud parts quieter. The overall effect of compression is a louder recording.

Many musicians and sound engineers aren’t pleased. They say that compression is driving down the quality of today, s music, making it sound flat and blaring. Gray Hobish, a sound engineer, explains that music should be a combination of loudness and softness. But music companies want to make music louder so it will stand out. That’s important in the competition among recording companies.

What about listeners? Many teenagers listen to music on the go in noisy places and through headphones, all of which reduce sound quality. So young listeners may not notice the poorer quality of modem recordings. “To their ears,” says Hobish, “the music sounds fine. And they are not aware of the hidden threat of the music they are enjoying.”

1. The phrase “like an earthquake” in Para. 2 aims to explain       .

A．that volume can strongly affect parts of the ear

B．how our body is unable to regrow hair cells

C．how much damage the ear can avoid

D．that hair cells are easily damaged

2. What can we learn about today’s music business?

A．New technology improves the quality of music.

B．Young listeners today prefer louder sound.

C．Music companies sacrifice quality for loudness.

D．Sound engineers face tough competition.

3. What is probably the best title for the passage?

A．The Loudness War

B．Your Hearing Is Going!

C．The Damaged Ears

D．Are You a Good Listener?