The Pew report—which was based on surveys carried out in Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece, Poland and the Czech Republic—concluded that the European Union was “ the new sick man of Europe”.
The percentage of Europeans with a favorable view of the EU has plunged from 60 percent last year to 45 percent now.
The UK may be considered the most Eurosceptic（欧洲怀疑论者）country, but its support for the union has barely changed in the past 12 months, slipping only two points to 43 percent.
By contrast, France’s backing for the EU has slipped sharply, from 60 percent last year to 41 percent today.
On the question of whether to remain in the EU, 46 percent of the British want to leave the union and surprisingly, the same percentage want to stay.
The Pew report’s authors said, “The long-drawn economic crisis has created bad forces that are pulling European public opinion apart, separating the French from the Germans and Germans from everyone else.”
They added, “The effort over the past half century to create a more united Europe is now the main disaster of the euro crisis. The European project now stands in a bad reputation across much of Europe.”
The only European leader rated highly by their own voters was the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, with 74 percent voters in favor of her.
Prime Minister David Cameron was the next highest with a positive score of 37 percent among the British public, although he can take some comfort from the fact that 58 percent of Poles（波兰人）and half of all French people think he is doing a good job.
In spite of the dark economic future and growing doubt of the EU, there were strong majorities of more than 60 percent in favor of keeping the euro in the five countries surveyed that use the single currency.
1.Which of the following is TRUE about the recent Pew report?
A. The UK has the smallest number of people against the EU.
B. There’s a slight change of the UK’s support for the EU.
C. More than half the Germans raise doubt about the EU.
D. A vast majority of French people are in favor of the EU.
2.As to whether to remain in the EU, ______.
A. The British are divided equally B. few British want to stay
C. half British want to leave D. many British don’t care about it
3.What’s the Pew report’s authors’ attitude towards the relation between France and
Germany?
A. Enthusiastic. B. Optimistic.
C. Negative. D. Neutral.
4.Why does Prime Minister David Cameron feel a little bit comfortable?
A. Only a score of 37 percent of Britons go against him.
B. Many of the Poles and French think well of him.
C. More than 60 percent of the Europeans are in favor of keeping the euro.
D. Angela Merkel has 74 percent voters supporting her.
Believe it or not, the size of the human brain has become smaller over the past 20,000 years. Scientists argue over whether this means we are becoming more or less intelligent as a species.
“I’d call that a major downsizing in an evolutionary eye blink (眨眼),” John Hawks told Discover magazine.
Why is the brain becoming smaller?
There are different theories to explain it. One is that tens of thousands of years ago, before the decline began, to survive in cold and dangerous conditions, humans needed a stronger and larger body and therefore, a larger head. Also they had to chew the tough meat of rabbits, foxes and horses. As conditions improved, the brain stopped growing, according to supporters of this theory.
Another theory comes from a recent study by David Geary and Drew Bailey. They found that brain size decreased as population density(密度) increased.
“As complex societies appeared, the brain became smaller because people did not have to be as smart to stay alive.” Geary told AFP.
But smaller brain size does not necessarily mean that modern humans are less smart than their ancestors. “Modern humans simply developed different, more complex forms of intelligence,” said Brian Hare.
Hare’s studies focus on two types of great apes: chimpanzees and bonobos. Both are much like humans, but are physically quite different from one another. The bonobo has a smaller brain than the chimpanzee, and is also much less aggressive and more tolerant.
“When it comes to working out a problem,” Hare said, “chimpanzees are much less likely to accomplish it if it involves working together. Not so with bonobos.”
The smaller brain in modern humans may be evidence that we can cooperate,” Hare told the US National Public Radio.
1.Which of the following words can be used to replace the underlined word in Paragraph 2?
A. speed B. increase
C. decline D. change
2.We can learn from the passage that ____________.
A. the size of human brain has something to do with many factors
B. the brain size increases because of the increase of population density
C. the abilities of the bonobos and the chimpanzees are almost the same
D. modern humans can certainly do teamwork better than other species
3.According to Brian Hare, _____________.
A. bonobos are much likely to cooperate better than chimpanzees
B. chimpanzees tend to work well with others
C. modern humans are less smart their ancestors
D. small brains are certainly connected with intelligent beings
4.Which of following is probably the best title of the passage?
A. Bonobo or Chimpanzee—Which Smarter?
B. Smaller Brain--Less Intelligent?
C. Human and Animal—More Intelligent?
D. Human Brain-Why Downsizing?
HOLLAND & BARRETT
Valerian capsules(缬草胶囊)
A traditional herbal medicinal product used for the temporary relief of symptoms of mild anxiety and to aid sleep. This is based on traditional use only.
Active Ingredients:
Each capsule contains 337mg of extract (as dry extract) from Valerian root (Valerian officinalis L) (equivalent to 1683mg-2020mg of Valerian root).
Dosage（剂量）:
For oral use only.
For adults and elderly:
Mild anxiety — Take 1 capsule 3 times daily.
To aid sleep — Take 1 capsule 30 minutes to 1 hour before bedtime with an earlier dose during the evening if necessary.
Swallow the capsule with water. As the effects of this product may not occur immediately, the capsule should be taken continuously for 2-4 weeks.
The maximum dose is 4 capsules per day.
Duration of use: If symptoms worsen or do not improve after 4 weeks, a doctor or a qualified healthcare practitioner should be consulted.
Warnings:
Do not exceed (超过) the stated dose.
Do not take this product if you are:
Under 18 years of age
Pregnant or breastfeeding
Allergic to Valerian or any of the excipients (辅药)in this product
Already taking a medicine for sleep or anxiety
Storage: Store the capsules below 25℃.
Keep the bottle tightly closed.
Keep out of sight and reach of children.
Registration Holder: NBTY Europe Limited, Samuel Ryder House, Barling Way, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, CV10 7RH, United Kingdom
1.What people is this product especially suitable for?
A. All kinds of people. B. Children having mild anxiety.
C. People suffering from severe anxiety. D. Old people having sleep problems.
2.If you wish to relieve anxiety, how many capsules should you take per day?
A. 1. B. 2.
C. 3. D. 4.
3.How long should this product be taken continuously at least before its effects occur?
A. 4 weeks. B. Half a month.
C. 1 hour. D. 30 minutes.
Around three forty-five on a rainy Saturday morning, I was woken up by the sound of my pager(呼机) beeping. As a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician, I can never count on a full night of sleep. I pulled myself out of bed and went toward the desk to grab my radio. Our crew was being sent to a nearby home where a man was in cardiac arrest (心脏骤停). We found the man lying on the kitchen floor with his wife beside him. We rushed the patient to the hospital, but despite our efforts, we were unable to save his life.
In my line of life, I rarely get any recognition from the patients we treat, or from their loved ones. But that night, a man’s wife approached us, and through her tears, whispered, “Thank you.” Then she hugged each of us. She knew we answered her late-night call for help, even though the ending was not positive.
There is something deeply rewarding about helping people in these circumstances. Sometimes, I’m able to make their worst day a bit better: like seeing the tears of an injured child turn into a smile when I gave him an interesting toy; or watching a terrified mother’s screams turn into tears of joy when she realized her baby was going to be fine.
Experiences like these allow me to see the impact my work has on others. At the same time, I also know the effect it has had on my own life. As a teenager, I felt awkward when my dad hugged me and said, “ I love you, my dear son.” I was equally uncomfortable and responded, “I love you.” But then I imagined him lying on the kitchen floor that rainy night and realized that my opportunity to say those three words could—at any moment—be taken away forever. Now, I extremely treasure the moment when my father says those three words to me. I’ve learned to appreciate every relationship I have, to tell people I care about them, and to never take anything in life for granted.
1.On that rainy Saturday morning, the author was woken to ____________.
A. meet his father for the last time B. put out a really big fire
C. save a man’s life D. do a scientific experiment
2.The author mentioned the injured child and the terrified mother to show that________.
A. Life was not always pleasant
B. His help could bring people happiness
C. He saved a lot of people
D. They were very grateful to him
3.The underlined word “it” in Paragraph 4 refers to ___________.
A. a rainy Saturday morning B. special love
C. others’ recognition D. the author’s work
4.According to this passage, we know that ___________.
A. The author’s work greatly influenced him
B. The author’s father died several years ago
C. The author regretted treating his patients badly
D. The author never treasured every relation with others
It was the belief ________ he could find his “root” in Africa _________ made Alex Haley decide to go to Gambia.
A. that; where B. where; that
C. that; that D. how; which
It is illegal for a public official to ask people for gifts or money _______ favors to them.
A. in preference to B. in place of
C. in agreement with D. in exchange for
