For years, the U. S. has experienced a shortage of registered nurses. The Bureau of Labo

根据下面材料，回答题。

U. S. Life Expectancy Hits New High

Life expectancy rates in the United States are at an all-time high, with people born in 2005 projected to live for nearly 78 years, a new federal study finds.

The finding reflects a continuing trend of increasing life expectancy that began in 1955, when the average American lived to be 69.6 years old. By 1995, life expectancy was 75.8 years, and by2005, it had risen to 77.9 years, according to the report released Wednesday.

"This is good news." said report co-author Donna Hoyert, a health scientist at the National Center for Health Statistics. "It&39;s even better news that it is a continuation of trends, so it is a long period of continuing improvement."

Despite the upward trend, the United States still has a lower life expectancy than some 40 other countries, according to the U. S. Census (人口普查)Bureau. The country with the longest life expectancy is Andorra at 83.5 years, followed by Japan, Macau, San Marino and Singapore.

Much of the increase owes to declining death rates from the three leading causes of death in the country-heart disease, cancer and stroke.

In addition, in 2005, the U. S. death rate dropped to an all-time low of less than- 800 deaths per100,000.

Dr. David Katz, director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine, said, "News that life expectancy is increasing is, of course, good. But the evidence we have suggests that there is more chronic disease than ever in the U. S."

Adding years to life is a good thing, Katz said. "But adding vital life to years is at least equally important. If we care about living well, and not just longer, we still have our work cutout for us." he said.

Since 1955， life expectancy rates in the U. S. have ___________. 查看材料

A.moved up and down

B.been declining

C.remained steady

D.been on the rise

The rise of multinational corporations (跨国公司), global marketing, new communications technologies, and shrinking cultural differences have led to an unparalleled increase in global public relations or PR.

Surprisingly, since modern PR was largely an American invention, the U. S. leadership in public relations is being threatened by PR efforts in other countries. Ten years ago, for example, the world's top five public relations agencies were American-owned. In 1991, only one was. The British in particular are becoming ore sophisticated and creative. A recent survey found that more than half of all British companies include PR as part of their corporate (公司的) planning activities, compared to about one-third of U. S. companies, It may not be long before London replaces New York as the capital of PR.

Why is America lagging behind in the global PR race？ First, Americans as a whole tend to be fairly provincial and take more of an interest in local affairs. Knowledge of world geography, for example, has never been strong in this country. Secondly, Americans lag behind their European and Asian counterparts (相对应的人) in knowing a second language. Less than 5 percent of Burson-Marshall's U. S. employees know two languages. Ogilvy and Mather has about the same percentage conversely, some European firms have half or more of their employees fluent in a second language. Finally, people involved in PR abroad tend to keep a closer eye on international affairs. In the financial PR area, for instance, most Americans read the Wall Street Journal. Overseas, their counterparts read the Journal as well as the Financial Times of London and The Economist, publications not often read in this country.

Perhaps the PR industry might take a lesson from Ted Turner of CNN(Cable News Network). Turner recently announced that the word "foreign" would no longer be used on CNN news broadcasts. According to Turner, global communications have made the nations of the world so interdependent that there is no longer any such thing as foreign.

According to the passage, U. S. leadership in public relations is being threatened because ______ .

A．an unparalleled increase in the number of public relations companies

B．shrinking cultural differences and new communications technologies

C．the decreasing number of multinational corporations in the U. S.

D．increased efforts of other countries in public relations

___mainly at adults 20 to 49 years old, AIDS robs these societies【C2】______some of their most productive citizens. Ignorance and fear of the disease can disrupt families and communities and may even【C3】______political relations between nations.

Because AIDS is a worldwide epidemic(传染病，流行病), nothing【C4】______than a worldwide effort can control and perhaps some day wipe the disease. Governments must【C5】______by fully informing their citizens【C6】______the epidemic and, most important, by telling people【C7】______actions they can take to prevent infection(感染). Public health agencies must also insure that blood transfusions(输血)and【C8】______are safe. Those already infected should receive【C9】______attention so they do not spread the virus to others.

【C10】______, the U. S. government has committed more than two billion dollars to fight【C11】______AIDS in 1989 - including more than 600 million dollars for research. The screening of blood【C12】______has already ensured the safety of blood supplies in the U. S. , and American military personnel are required to take【C13】______blood tests. Public health groups have carried【C14】______AIDS education programs aimed particularly at homosexuals,【C15】______addicts, and others whose behavior. makes them highly susceptible(易受影响的)【C16】______the virus. U. S. government agencies are also【C17】______public health authorities throughout the developing world in their efforts to【C18】______the spread of the AIDS virus and to treat those afflicted with the disease.【C19】______the rapid spread of the disease and the number of people now infected, the battle against AIDS will be difficult to win. But it's a battle the world cannot【C20】______to lose.

【C1】

A．striking

B．sticking

C．stirring

D．stinging

According to the U. S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) , car crashes are the leading cause of death among children between 5 and 14 years of age. Says NHTSA: "【61】50% of children who die in crashes are unrestrained. In addition, 4 out of 5 children are【62】restrained. "

The NHTSA offers a number of safety【63】and cautions for those who are accompanied by children while driving. 【64】laws vary from country to country and even from state to state, these guidelines may serve as food for【65】to many parents and guardians of children.

The safest place for all children is in the back seat. Infants should be placed in a rear-facing child safety seat in the baekseat of the car. A child【66】a year old and weighing at least 20 pounds may be placed in a forward-facing seat. At 40 pounds, the child can use a "booster seat(儿童案例椅) ",【67】is secured by one of the car's lap and shoulder belts. At approximately 80 pounds and a【68】of about four feet nine inches, the child may begin using an adult safety strap.

Children should not sit in the front passenger seat【69】they are at least 13 years of age. Front- passenger air bags can cause serious【70】to younger children and babies.

When a booster seat is used, a lap belt alone will not provide【71】protection if the booster seat does not have a【72】.

Do not think that a shoulder belt alone will protect a small child; in the【73】of a crash, the belt may【74】the neck of the child, causing serious injury or even death.

Follow instructions closely when【75】and using child seats. According to NHTSA, "even the 'safest' seat may not protect your child if it isn't used correctly. "

(61)

A．Of

B．On

C．Over

D．Behind

people is different from that for younger Americans. Most senior citizens retire, or no longer work full time. Also it is unusual for people of this age to live with their children and grandchildren.

For many senior citizens, the year after 65 is not enjoyable. They feel unproductive when they no longer work. They lives losing meaning. In addition, they may feel lonely being away from their families and the contacts they had in their work. Moreover, they become more concerned with their health as they grow older, If they live in big cities, they often worry about their safety. Other senior citizens enjoy their lives. They feel free to do things they were not able to do when they were working and raising families.

The number of senior citizens in the U. S. is increasing rapidly because people are living longer than before. Because of their large numbers and more active life Styles, senior citizens are gaining social influence in the country, both politically and economically. Their concerns are receiving a wider audience than ever before. The time may come when all Americans will look forward to becoming senior citizens.

(30)

A．People of 65 years old.

B．People over 65 years old.

C．People between 60 and 65 years old.

D．Retired people.

回答题：

The Case of the Disappearing Fingerprints

One useful anti-cancer drug can effectively erase the whorls and other characteristic marks that give people their distinctive fingerprints. Losing__________（51）could become troublesome. A case released online in a letter by Annals of Oncology indicates how big a__________（52） of losing fingerprints is.

Eng-Huat Tan， a Singapore-based medical doctor describes a 62-year old man who has used capecitabine to __________（53）his nasopharyngeal cancer. After three years on the__________（54）， the patient decided to visit U. S. relatives last December. But he was stopped by U. S. customs officials __________（55）4 hours after entering the country when those officials couldn"t get fingerprints from the man. There were no distinctive swirly__________（56） appearing from his index finger.

U.S. customs has been fingerprinting incoming foreign visitors for years， Tan says. Their index fingers are__________（57） and screened against digital files of the fingerprints of bad guys-terrorists and potential criminals that our federal guardians have been tasked with keeping out of the country. Unfortunately， for the Singaporean travelers， one potential__________（58）effect of his drug treatment is a smoothing of the tissue on the finger pads. __________（59）， no fingerprints.

"It is uncertain when fingerprint loss will__________（60） to take place in patients who are taking eapecitabine，" Tan points out. So he cautions any physicians who__________（61）the drug to provide their patients with a doctor"s note pointing out that their medicine may cause fingerprints to disappear.

Eventually， the Singapore traveler made it into the United States. I guess the name on his passport didn"t raise any red flags. But he"s-also now got the explanatory doctor"s note——and won"t leave home __________（62） it.

By the way， maybe the Food and Drug Administration， __________（63） approved use of the drug 11 years ago， should consider __________ （64） its list of side effects associated with this medi-cine. The current list does note that patients may experience vomiting， stomach pain and some other side effects. But no where __________（65） it mention the potential for loss of fingerprints.

材料题请点击右侧查看材料问题 查看材料

A.him

B.her

C.them

D.he

ll Association (NBA)listed at over seven feet. If he had played last season, however, he would have been one of 42. The bodies playing major professional sports have changed dramatically over the years, and managers have been more than willing to adjust team uniforms to fit the growing numbers of bigger, longer frames.

The trend in sports, though, may be obscuring an unrecognized reality: Americans have generally stopped growing. Though typically about two inches taller now than 140 years ago, today's people-especially those born to families who have lived in the U. S. for many generations-apparently reached their limit in the early 1960s. And they aren't likely to get any taller. "In the general population today, at this genetic, environmental level, we've pretty much gone as far as we can go," says anthropologist William Cameron Chum-lea of Wright State University. In the case of NBA players, their increase in height appears to result from the increasingly common practice of recruiting players from all over the world.

Growth, which rarely continues beyond the age of 20, demands calories and nutrients-notably, protein--to feed expanding tissues. At the start of the 20th century, under-nutrition and childhood infections got in the way. But as diet and health improved, children and adolescents have, on average, increased in height by about an inch and a half every 20 years, a pattern known as the secular trend in height. Yet according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, average height--5 '9" for men, 5'4" for women--hasn't really changed since 1960.

Genetically speaking, there are advantages to avoiding substantial height. During childbirth, larger babies have more difficulty passing through the birth canal. Moreover, even though humans have been upright for millions of years, our feet and back continue to struggle with bipedal posture and cannot easily withstand repeated strain imposed by oversize limbs. "There are some real constraints that are set by the genetic architecture of the individual organism," says anthropologist William Leonard of Northwestern University.

Genetic maximums can change, but don't expect this to happen soon. Claire C. Gordon, senior anthropologist at the Army Research Center in Natick, Mass ensures that 90 percent of the uniforms and workstations fit recruits without alteration. She says that, unlike those for basketball, the length of military uniforms has not changed for some time. And if you need to predict human height in the near future to design a piece of equipment, Gordon says that by and large, "you could use today's data and feel fairly confident."

Wilt Chamberlain is cited as an example to ______ .

A．illustrate the change of height of NBA players.

B．show the popularity of NBA players in the U. S.

C．compare different generations of NBA players.

D．assess the achievements of famous NBA players.

ticeship in an English spinning mill, he was apparently so worried about the growth, and hence saturation, of the industry in the United Kingdom that, in 1789, without the knowledge of his family, Slater traveled to America at the age of 21. This was done in secret; it was illegal at the time to export anything to the U.S. relating to machinery, including engineers. Also, the U. S. was offering rewards for textile information.

Arriving in New York, it was not long before he learned of the experimental work of Moses Brown and William Almy, in Pawtucket, with more advanced machines than the Spinning Jennys used in New York. Initially without any contract, and working alongside the engineers already employed at the Almy and Brown mill, Slater successfully reworked a spinning frame. along the lines of Arkwright's Water Frame. This three months of work resulted in a partnership with Almy and Brown. He understood the whole spinning process and knew which machines were vital to overall success of a mill.

However, that management training and knowledge really came into its own over the next two years as Slater labored to educate the embryonic textile industry and businessmen in the techniques that had proved so successful in Belper. Without these, Slater believed the industry would not flourish. In particular, his aim was to maximize the output from the machinery and develop the market place in order to sell all the yarn that could be produced. Prior to this, the philosophy of Almy and Brown was to produce only to order. By 1792, Slater had proved, through the use of his Belper-learned management techniques, that he could make spinning a profitable business. This led to building the Old Slater Mill—the first successful U. S. cotton spinning mill. Slater's view was to concentrate on a specific aspect and specialize. The other partners believed in covering the whole textile process through to finished goods, including knitting. As a result, in 1797, Slater broke away and built his own larger mill—the White Mill. Following the success of Slater's business, the cotton industry really took off and over the next ten or so years, over eighty mills developed. Slater has been called both the "Father of American Industry", and the "Founder of the American Industrial Revolution".

What does the second paragraph mainly discuss？

A．Slater's arrival in America.

B．New York and the Almy and Brown mill.

C．The first three months and achievement of a partnership.

D．Slater's understanding of the spinning process.

Passage One

Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage.

Your passport is your official identification as an American citizen. In America，most people never consider obtaining a passport unless they are planning a trip out of the country. In Europe, where travel from one country to another is much more common，almost everyone carries a passport. A passport is final proof of identity in almost every country in the world.

In 1979 almost 15 million Americans held passports. Most of these passports were obtained to travel outside the country because，except for a few Western nations。passports are required to enter every country. And if you travel abroad，you must have a valid passport to reenter the country.

When traveling abroad，you will need a passport for identification when exchanging dollars for francs or marks or other foreign currency. You may also need your passport to use a credit card，buy an airplane ticket or check into a hotel. As a passport is an official U. S. document. it is valuable as identification in any emergency cases，such as floods，fires，or war.

Don't confuse passports and visas. Whereas a passport is issued by a country to its citizens. a visa is official permission to visit a country granted by the government of that country. For some years，many countries were dropping their visa requirements，but that trend has reversed. Argentina，Brazil，and Venezuela now require visas from U. S. citizens. They may be obtained from the embassy of the country you wish to visit.

Passport applications are available at passport agency offices in large cities like Boston，New York，or Chicago. In smaller cities，applications are available at post offices and at federal courts. To get your first passport，you must submit the application in person. along with a birth certificate and two pictures.

The main purpose of this passage is to______.

A. discuss traveling in other countries

B. distinguish between passports and visas

C. discuss the financial uses of a passport

D. provide information about passports

Questions 61-65 are based on Passage Two:

Passage Two

I am Sergey Brin !I was born in Moscow． In 1979,when I was 5,my family immigratedto the U． S． A． , California． I remember that on my 9th birthday I got my first computer “Commodore 64”．

Later I graduated with honors in the University of Maryland in Mathematics and IT． The main field of my science research was the technologies used to collect data from unsystematic sources as well as large quantities of texts and science data． I was the author of dozens of articles in leading American academic magazines．

The greatest event in my life happened in 1998 when I was preparing for the defense(论文答辩) of my Doctor's degree in Stanford University． There the fate made me meet Larry Page-a young computer genius． Larry belonged to the inteilectual（知识分子）society．Larry and I quickly became friends when we worked together．

We were searching day and night on the Internet． We were finding a lot of information but with the feeling we still couldn't find enough of what we were looking for． Naturally the idea for a search engine that would allow specific information to be found in the endless pool of data was born like it came to us． It wasn't our plans but we gave up the education at the university． You know the next part,maybe-we managed to turn an ordinary garage in Meplo Park,California,the U． S． A． into our first of．fice,in which Google was born． With excitement we typed the name of the thing which we created with love on September 14th, 1998—www． Google． com． Now,after those years we bought this garage． As a symbol it will always remind us that everything is possible．

Which of the following would be the best title for this passage？ ()

A． The Birth of Google

B． The Founder of Google

C． The Importance of Cooperation

D． The Great Contribution to the Internet