Reading Comprehension
TEXT A
New global estimates, based on improved data, show about 40 million people worldwide are living with HIV/AIDS, including an estimated 2.5 million children under 15 years old. About 5 million people were infected in 2003 and more than 3 million have died.
Peter Piot, head of the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, (UNAIDS) said，\"The AIDS epidemic continues to expand; we haven't reached the limit yet. More people have become infected this year than ever before and more people have died from AIDS than ever before. It is the first cause of death in Africa and the fourth cause of death worldwide.\"
China has stepped up its battle against HIV/AIDS in recent months, pledging free drugs to people in the countryside and poor urban residents who have the disease. China's ministry of health has warned that if stronger HIV/AIDS prevention measures are not taken, 10 million people could be HIV-positive by 2010.
According to the UNAIDS, as much as 40 per cent of the population— approximately five-hundred million persons— don't know how to protect themselves against the virus. In some areas, up to 10 per cent were HIV-positive and they estimated that 8.5 million people have sexually transmitted infections in the same year.
1. Which of the following accounts for the biggest amount of HIV/AIDS?
A. Children under 15. B. Adults over 40.
C. People infected in 2003.
D. People who died of HIV/AIDS in 2003.
2. From Peter Piot‟s remark we know that the AIDS epidemic_______.
A. continues to expand in Africa B. will continue to expand worldwide C. is the first cause of death worldwide D. can never be stopped
3. What does “step up” mean? (Para. 3)
A. walk close to B. come up with
C. increase in size or speed D. climb onto
4. “The population” in the last paragraph refers to________.
A. the world population B. the Chinese population C. the HIV/AIDS population D. five-hundred million persons 5. What is the tone of the passage?
A. optimistic B. pessimistic C. subjective D. objective
TEXT B
The agriculture revolution in the nineteenth century involved two things: the invention of labor-saving machinery and the development of scientific agriculture. Labor-saving machinery naturally appeared first where labor was scarce. \"In Europeo make the most of their land, labor being sufficient; here it is to make the most of our labor, land being abundant\". It was in America, therefore, that the great advances in nineteenth-century agricultural machinery first came. At the opening of the century, with the exception of a crude plow, farmers could have carried practically all of the existing agricultural tools on their backs. By 1860，most of the machinery in use today had been designed in an early form. The most important of the early inventions was the iron plow. As early as 1890 Charles Newbolt of New Jersey had been working on the idea of a cast-iron plow and spent his entire fortune in introducing his invention. The farmers, however, would home none of it, claiming that the iron poisoned the soil and made the weeds grow. Nevertheless, many people devoted their attention to the plow, until in 1869, James Oliver of South Bend, Indiana, turned out the first chilled-steel plow.
6. The underlined word \"here\" refers to__________.
A. Europe B. America C. New Jersey D. Indiana 7. Which of the following statement is NOT true?
A. The need for labor helped the invention of machinery in America.
B. The farmer rejected Charles Newbolt's plow for fear of ruin of their fields. C. Both Europe and America had great need for farm machinery. D. It was in Indiana that the first chilled-steel plow was produced. 8. The passage is mainly about__________. A. the agriculture revolution
B. the invention of labor-saving machinery C. the development of scientific agriculture D. the farming machinery in America
9. At the opening of the nineteenth-century, farmers in America__________. A. preferred light tools
B. were extremely self-reliant C. had many tools D. had very few tools
10. It is implied but not stated in the passage that __________.
A. there was a shortage of workers on American farms
B. the most important of the early invention was the iron plow C. after 1869, many people devoted their attention to the plow D. Charles Newbolt had made a fortune by his cast-iron plow
TEXT C
What exactly is a lie? Is it anything we say which we know is untrue? Or is it something more than that? For example, suppose a friend wants to borrow some money from you. You say “I wish I could help you but I‟m short of money myself.” In fact, you are not short of money but your friend is in the habit of not paying his debts and you don‟t want to hurt his feelings by
reminding him of this. Is this really a lie?
Professor Jereald Jellison of the University of Southern California has made a scientific study of lying. According to him, women are better liars than men, particularly when telling a “white lie,” such as when a woman at a party tells another woman that she likes her dress when she really thinks it looks awful. However, this is only one side of the story. Other researchers say that men are more likely to tell more serious lies, such as making a promise which they have no intention of fulfilling. This is the kind of lie politicians and businessmen are supposed to be particularly skilled at: the lie from which the liar hopes to profit or gain in some way.
Research has also been done into the way people‟s behaviour changes in a number of small, apparently unimportant ways when they lie. It has been found that if they are sitting down at the time, they tend to move about in their chairs more than usual. To the trained observer they are saying “I wish I were somewhere else now.” They also tend to touch certain parts of the face more often, in particular the nose. One explanation of this may be that lying causes a slight increase in blood pressure. The tip of the nose is very sensitive to such changes and the increased pressure makes it itch.
Another gesture which gives liars away is what the writer Desmond Morris in his book Manwatching calls „the mouth cover‟. He says there are several typical forms of this, such as covering part of the mouth with the fingers, touching the upper-lip or putting a finger of the hand at one side or the mouth. Such a gesture can be interpreted as an unconscious attempt on the part of the liar to stop himself or herself from lying.
Of course, such gestures as rubbing the nose or covering the mouth, or moving about in a chair cannot be taken as proof that the speaker is lying. They simply tend to occur more frequently in this situation. It is not one gesture alone that gives the liar away but a whole number of things, and, in particular, the context in which the lie is told.
11. One sometimes tells one‟s friend a “white lie” because one wants to________.
A. make a profit from the other person B. avoid offending the other person
C. convince the other person D. have some fun
12. One research suggests that women ________.
A. generally lie far more than men B. tend to tell more serious lies than men
C. make more promises they can fulfill than men D. are better at telling less serious lies than men 13. It can be inferred from the passage that ________.
A. politicians tend to tell intentional lies B. men are less skilled at telling lies
C. businessmen seldom break their promises D. women tend to make false promises
14. People may rub their noses when they lie because ________.
A. they suffer from high blood pressure at the time
B. the nose is the most sensitive part of the human body
C. the nose reveals the liar more easily than the other parts of the face
D. they do so in order to stop themselves from telling more lies 15. It can be learned from the passage that ________.
A. lies can easily be detected by careful observers B. lies are usually accompanied by strange gestures
C. people are liable to tell a lie when they hear others lying D. a liar may give away his or her intention unconsciously
TEXT D
Although credit cards are becoming a more acceptable part of the financial scene, they are still regarded with suspicion by many as being a major part of the \"live now pay later\" syndrome. Along with hire-purchase, rental and leasing schemes, they provide encouragement to spend more money. Of course, it is only the foolhardy who yield to the temptation to live, temporarily at least, beyond their means, and such people would no doubt manage to do so even without credit cards.
Advertising campaigns have, however, promoted a growing realization of the advantages of these small pieces of plastic. They obviate need to carry large amounts of cash and are always useful in emergencies.
All the credit card organizations charge interest on a monthly basis which may work out as high as 25 per cent a year, yet judicious purchasing using a card can mean that you obtain up to seven weeks, interest-free credit. Using the card abroad, where items frequently take a long time to be included on your account, can extend this period even further.
It is worthwhile shopping around before deciding on a particular credit card. It is necessary to consider the amount of credit granted; interest rates, which may vary slightly; the number and range of outlets, though most cards cover major garages, hotels, restaurants and department stores; and of course, what happens if your card is lost or stolen. A credit card thief may be sitting on a potential goldmine particularly if there is a delay in reporting the loss of the card.
However, if used wisely, a credit card can cost nothing, or at least help to tide you over a period of financial difficulty.
16. Which of the following can not make you spend more money? A. Credit cards.
B. Hire-purchase.
C. Rental and leasing schemes.
D. None of the above is right.
17. The foolhardy are people who________.
A. spend more money than they have B. spend less money than other people C. save money D. make money
18. The disadvantage of credit cards is________.
A. to enable you to buy things without carrying large amount of cash B. to encourage people to spend more money C. to be always useful in emergencies
D. to help people tide over a period of financial difficulty 19. According to the passage, credit cards are made of________. A. paper B. gold C. plastic D. tin
20. Deciding on a particular credit, you do not have to consider________. A. the amount of credit granted B. the number and range of outlets C. the possibility of loss of money
D. the department stores where you are going to use your credit cards
Fast Reading TEXT A
Pizza Hut was started in 1958, by two brothers in Wichita, Kansas. Frank and Dan Carney had the idea to open a pizza parlor. They borrowed $600 from their mother, and opened the very first Pizza Hut. In 1959, the first franchise unit opened in Topeka, Kansas. Almost a decade later, Pizza Hut would be serving one million customers a week in their 310 locations. In 1970, Pizza Hut was put on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PIZ.
In 1986, Pizza Hut introduced delivery service, something no other restaurant was doing. By the 1990's Pizza Hut sales had reached $4 billion worldwide. In 1998, Pizza Hut celebrated their 40th anniversary, and launched their famous campaign \"The Best Pizzas Under One Roof.\" In 1996, Pizza Hut sales in the United States were over $5 million. Out of all the existing pizza chains, Pizza Hut had the largest market share, 46.4%. However, Pizza Hut's market share has slowly eroded because of intense competition from their rivals Domino's, Little Caesar's and newcomer Papa John's. Home delivery was a driving force for success, especially for Pizza Hut and Domino's.
However, this forced competitors to look for new methods of increasing their customer bases. Many pizza chains decided to diversify and offer new non-pizza items such as buffalo wings, and Italian cheese bread. The current trend in pizza chains today is the same. They all try to come up with some newer, bigger, better, pizza for a low price. Offering special promotions and new pizza variations are popular today as well. For example, chicken is now a common topping found on pizzas.
In the past, Pizza Hut has always had the first mover advantage. Their marketing strategy in the past has always been to be first. One of their main strategies that they still follow today is the diversification of the products they offer. Pizza Hut is always adding something new to their menu, trying to reach new markets. For example, in 1992 the famous buffet was launched in Pizza Hut restaurants worldwide. They were trying to offer many different food items for customers who didn't necessarily want pizza.
Another strategy they used in the past and are still using is the diversification of their pizzas. Pizza Hut is always trying to come up with some innovative way to make a pizza into something slightly different - different enough that customers will think it‟s a whole new product. For example, let's look at some of the pizzas Pizza Hut has marketed in the past. In 1983, Pizza Hut introduced their Pan Pizza, which had a guarantee of being ready to eat in 5 minutes when dining at Pizza Hut restaurants. In 1993, they introduced the \"BigFoot,\" which was two square feet of pizza cut into 21 slices. In 1995, they introduced \"Stuffed Crust Pizza,\" where the crust would be filled with cheese. In 1997, they marketed \"The Edge,\" which had cheese and toppings all the way to the edge of the pizza. Currently, they are marketing \"The Big NewYorker,\" trying to bring the famous New York style pizza to the whole country.
Another opportunity that Pizza Hut has is their new ordering online system. Anyone with Internet access can order whatever they wish and get it delivered to their house without even speaking to someone. This program has just been started, so we do not have any numbers to support whether or not it will be a success.
Lastly, Pizza Hut has always valued customer service and satisfaction. In 1995, Pizza Hut began two customer satisfaction programs: a 1-800 number customer hotline, and a customer call-back program. These were implemented to make sure their customers were happy, and always wanted to return. In our plan, we will first give a situation analysis of current and relevant environmental conditions that affect our plan. Next, we will give a brief analysis of the current fast food industry, and any trends or changes that might occur in the future.
However, the fact that Pizza Hut does have a restaurant to run is also a weakness. Pizza Hut has higher overhead costs, due to the restaurant that other competitors don't have to deal with. Another result of higher overhead costs is higher prices Pizza Hut must charge. Obviously, Pizza Hut is not the low cost producer. They rely on their quality pizza and good service to account for their higher prices.
An indirect weakness that Pizza Hut has is that they have lost a lot of their customers and market share due to such intense competition with competitors. Pizza Hut's opportunities are almost endless. They can increase revenue with their new innovative pizzas, and increase brand loyalty with good customer service.
Pizza Hut's number one threats are from their competitors. Currently, their closest competitor is Domino's Pizza. Domino's main competitive advantage over Pizza Hut is their price. It is generally lower than Pizza Hut. Also, Domino's was very profitable when they ran the promotional deal of delivering a pizza within 30 minutes. However, many lawsuits have been filed against Domino's in the past for reckless driving by their drivers, so Domino's withdrew the promotion. Little Caesar's is another one of Pizza Hut's competitors, right behind Domino's in market share. Little Caesar's is famous for offering large quantities of pizza for less money. Other competitors include Papa John's, Sbarro, and Pizza Inn.
A problem facing all of the pizza chains is that each of their individual competitive advantages are pretty much everyone's competitive advantages. Most if not all the top pizza chains offer free delivery, and always have some sort of promotional deal offering large pizzas at reduced prices. Other competitors to take into consideration are frozen pizzas and make-it-yourself pizzas that are purchased in grocery stores. Some examples of these are Tombstone Pizzas, Boboli, and Di'Gornio pizzas.
1. Pizza Hut expanded its business into many parts of the country by the time of 1969.
2. Pizza Hut has always dominated the market and is free of challenge.
3. Fruits and salads are now commonly served at pizza restaurants.
4. The diversification strategy is to be the first mover.
5. In Pizza Hut, a Pan Pizza was ___________ to serve in 5 minutes.
6. If you want a pizza from Pizza Hut delivered directly to your house, you have to have ________ in the first place.
7. In order to make sure their customers were happy, Pizza Hut introduced ________________.
8. The higher overhead costs of Pizza Hut obviously accounted for ______________.
9. The reason why Domino’s withdrew their promotion was that they suffered legally from _____________.
10. Major pizza makers have to face the problem that their competitive advantages are _________. TEXT B
Definitions of Obesity
How does one define when a person is considered to be obese and not just somewhat overweight? Height-weight tables give an approximate guideline as to whether one is simply overweight or has passed into the obese stage.
The World Health Organization recommends using a formula that takes into account a
person's height and weight. The \"Body Mass Index\" (BMI) is calculated by dividing the person's weight in kilograms by the square of their height in meters, and is thus given in units of kg/m2. A
BMI of 18.5-24.9 is considered to be the healthiest. A BMI of between 25 and 29.9 is considered to be overweight, while a BMI of over 30 is considered to be obese.
However, it is recognized that this definition is limited as it does not take into account such variables as age, gender and ethnic origin, the latter being important as different ethnic groups have very different fat distributions. Another shortcoming is that it is not applicable to certain very muscular people such as athletes and bodybuilders, who can also have artificially high BMIs. Agencies such as the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) in the USA and the
International Diabetes Foundation (IDF) are starting to define obesity in adults simply in terms of waist circumference. Health Effects of Obesity
Over 2000 years ago, the Greek physician Hippocrates wrote that \"persons who are naturally very fat are apt to die earlier than those who are slender\". This observation remains very true today. Obesity has a major impact on a person's physical, social and emotional well-being. It increases the risk of developing diabetes mellitus type 2 (\"mature onset diabetes\") and also makes Type 2 diabetes more difficult to control. Thus weight loss improves the levels of blood glucose and blood fats, and reduces blood pressure. The association between obesity and coronary heart disease is also well-known. Cancer
Furthermore, in 2001 medical researchers established a link between being overweight and certain forms of cancer, and estimated that nearly 10,000 Britons per year develop cancer as a result of being overweight. This figure was made up of 5,893 women and 3,220 men, with the strongest associations being with breast and colon cancers. However, it is thought that being overweight may also increase the risk of cancer in the reproductive organs for women and in the prostate gland for men.
The link between breast cancer and nutritional status is thought to be due to the steroid
hormones oestrogen and progesterone, which are produced by the ovaries, and govern a woman's menstrual cycle. Researchers have found that the more a woman eats, or the more sedentary her lifestyle, the higher are the concentrations of progesterone. This link could explain why women from less affluent countries have lower rates of breast cancer. Women from less affluent nations tend to eat less food and to lead lifestyles which involve more daily movement. This lowers their progesterone level, resulting in lower predisposition to breast cancer.
The Times newspaper, in 2002 reported that obesity was the main avoidable cause of cancer among non-smokers in the Western world! Aging
Research published by St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK in 2005 showed a correlation
between body fat and aging, to the extent that being obese added 8.8 years to a woman's biological age. The effect was exacerbated by smoking, and a non-overweight woman who smokes 20
cigarettes a day for 20 years added 7.4 years to their biological age. The combination of being obese and a smoker added at least ten years to a woman‟s biological age, and although the study only involved women, the lead researcher Professor Tim Spector believes the finding would also apply to men.
The aging effect was determined by measuring the length of telomeres, tiny \"caps\" on the ends of chromosomes, which help protect the DNA from the ageing process. Indeed, telomeres have been dubbed the \"chromosomal clock\" because, as an organism ages, they become progressively shorter, and can be used to determine the age of the organism. Beyond a certain point, the telomere becomes so short that it is no longer able to prevent the DNA of the
chromosome from falling apart. It is believed that excess body fat, and the chemicals present in tobacco smoke release free radicals which trigger inflammation. Inflammation causes the production of white blood cells which increases the rate of erosion of telomeres. Dementia
Recent research (2005) conducted in the USA shows that obesity in middle age is linked to an increased risk of dementia, with obese people in their 40s being 74% more likely to develop
dementia compared to those of normal weight. For those who are merely overweight, the lifetime risk of dementia risk was 35% higher.
Scientists from the Aging Research Centre at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden have been able to take information such as age, number of years in education, gender, body mass index, blood pressure level, physical activity and genetic factors, assigning each a risk score. They then used this information to devise a predictive test for dementia. This test will enable people at risk, for the first time, to be able to affect lifestyle changes which will reduce their risk of contracting dementia.
Other Problems
The world-wide upsurge in obesity, particularly in children, is of major economic concern, liable to drain economies. Of further concern is that research conducted in Australia and published in 2006, shows that up to one third of breech pregnancies were undetected by the traditional \"palpation\" examination, the danger being greatest for those women who are overweight or obese—a growing proportion of mothers. This means that such women are not getting the treatment required to turn the baby around in time for the birth, and in many cases require an emergency Caesarean section.
This is a true health-care crisis, far bigger than Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and ultimately, even bigger than AIDS.
1. You can judge whether one is simply overweight or has passed into the obese stage according to the height-weight table.
2. Using the \"Body Mass Index\"to define a person's weight ideal, because it takes into account many variables such as age, gender and ethnic origin.
3. A person's emotional well-being will not affected by obesity. 4. Obesity has nothing to do with cancer in the prostate gland for man. 5. Women from less affluent nations tend to have much less breast cancer.
6. An overweight woman who smokes 20 cigarettes a day for 20 years added 10 years to her biological age.
7. The excess body fat, like the chemicals present in tobacco smoke, can lead to inflammation.
8. Obese people in middle age run ________ .
9. The predictive test for dementia will help people to _________ that will reduce their risk of contracting dementia.
10. The world-wide upsurge in obesity, particularly in children, will possibly _________.
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