Nuclear Power and Its Danger Nuclear power’s danger to health, safety, and even life itself can be summed up in one word: radiation. Nuclear radiation has a certain mystery about it, partly because it cannot be detected by human senses. It can’t be seen or heard, or touched, or tasted, even though it may be all around us. There are other things like that. For example, radio waves are all around us but we can’t detect them, sense them, without a radio receiver. Similarly, we can’ t sense radioactivity without a radiation detector. But unlike common radio waves, nuclear radiation is not harmless to human beings and other living things. At very high levels, radiation can kill an animal or human being outright by killing masses of cells in vital organs. But even the lowest level of radiation can do serious damage. There is no level of radiation that is completely safe. If the radiation does not hit anything important, the damage may not be significant. This is the case when only a few cells are hit, and if they are killed outright. Your body will replace the dead cells with healthy ones. But if the few cells are only damaged, and if they reproduce themselves, you may be in trouble. They reproduce themselves in a deformed way. They can grow into cancer. Sometimes this does not show up for many years. This is another reason for some of the mystery about nuclear radiation. Serious damage can be done without the victim being aware at the time that damage has occurred. A person can be irradiated and feel fine, then die of cancer five, ten, or twenty years later as a result. Or a child can be born weak or liable to serious illness as a result of radiation absorbed by its grandparents. Radiation can hurt us. We must know the truth.

They had only a vague idea where the place was. imprecise concise unpolished elementary

Even in a highly modernized country, manual work is still needed. expressive physical exaggerated dubious

Early booking is advisable. possible profitable easy wise

The great changes of the city astonished every visitor to it. attacked surprised attracted interested

We have abundant evidence to prove his guilt. steady plentiful extra meager

They all agreed that the changes that have taken place are substantial. significant superficial inadequate inevitable

The Fat Problem That Men Face It is a pleasure to see men of a certain age worrying about their weight. Listening to them is not such a pleasure. Because the men are new at the game, they don’t hesitate to discuss the fat problem incessantly. However, women of the same age do not discuss the fat problem, especially not in mixed company. They prefer to face the problem with quiet dignity. Discussing the problem might only draw attention to some stray body part that may be successfully tucked away under an article of clothing. The age at which a man begins to explore the fat problem can vary. The actual problem can manifest itself in the early 30’ s, but broad-range discussion usually starts later. There are early nonverbal symptoms. I’ve watched the rugged journalist who shares my apartment sneak by with a Diet Coke. His shirts are no longer neatly tucked in to display a trim waist. Recently he has begun to verbalize his anxiety. He tells me, with a sheepish grin, that he is taking his suits to Chinatown to have them “tailored“. Still older men have lost their dignity and rattle on unabashedly. Often wives and children play important roles in their fat-inspection rituals. Take my oldest brother, a former college football player, as an example. His daughter says that several times a day he will stand at attention and call out, “Fat, medium or thin?“ She knows the correct answer;medium. Thin would be an obvious stretch, and fat may not get her that new video. According to his wife, he stands in front of the mirror in the morning(before the day’ s meals take their toll), puts his hands behind his head and lurches into a side bend, then clutches the roll that has developed and says, “Am I getting fatter?“His wife is expected to answer, “You look like you may have lost a few pounds. “ And then there are the ex-husbands a pitiful group. They are extremely vocal. When I go to the movies with one, he confides that he is suffering from great hunger because he is dieting. He hasn’ t eaten since the pancakes and sausages he wolfed down that morning. He pauses in his monologue while he buys his popcorn. After the movie, we sprint to a restaurant, where he again pauses to devour a basket of bread. Before he orders his chaste salad and soup, he grows plaintive. Do I think he’s fat?

The Greatest Show on Earth The Olympic Games are the greatest festival of sport in the world. Every four years, a hundred or more countries send their best sportsmen to compete for the highest honors in sport. As many as 6, 000 people take part in over twenty sports. For the winners, there are gold medals and glory. But there is honor, too, for all who compete, win or lose. That is the spirit of the Olympics—to take part is what matters. The Olympic Games always start in a bright color and action. The teams of all the nations parade in the opening ceremony and march round the track. The custom is for the Greek team to march in first. For it was in Greece that the Olympics began. The team of the country where the Games are being held—the host country—marches in last. The runner with the Olympic torch then enters the stadium and lights the flame. A sportsman from the host country takes the Olympic oath on behalf of all the competitors. The judges and officials also take an oath. After the sportsmen march out of the stadium, the host country puts on a wonderful display. The competitions begin the next day. There are usually more than twenty sports in the Games. The rule is that there must be at least fifteen. The main events are in track and field, but it is a few days before these sports start. Each day the competitors take part in a different sport—riding, shooting, swimming, and cross-country running. Points are gained for each event. Medals are awarded for the individual winners and for national teams. More and more women are taking part in the Games. They first competed in 1900, in tennis and golf, which are no longer held in the Olympics. Women’ s swimming events were introduced in 1912. But it was not until 1928 that there were any track and field events for women. Now, they compete in all but half a dozen of the sports. In horse riding, shooting, and boat racing, they may compete in the same events as the men.

When Fear Takes Control of the Mind A panic attack is a sudden feeling of terror. Usually it does not last long, but it may feel like forever. The cause can be something as normally uneventful as driving over a bridge or flying in an airplane. And it can happen even if the person has driven over many bridges or flown many times before. A fast heart beat. Sweaty hands. Difficulty in breathing. A light-headed feeling. At first a person may have no idea what is wrong. But these can all be signs of what is known as panic disorder. The first appearance usually is between the ages of 18 and 25. In some cases it develops after a tragedy, like the death of a loved one, or some other difficult situation. In the United States, the National Institute of Mental Health says more than two million people are affected in any one-year period. The American Psychological Association says panic disorder is twice more likely in women than men. And it can last anywhere from a few months to a lifetime. Panic attacks can be dangerous—for example, if a person is driving at the time. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge in the state of Maryland is so long and so high over the water, and it is famous for scaring motorists. There is even a driver assistance program to help people get across. Some people who suffer a panic attack develop a phobia, a deep fear of ever repeating the activity that brought on the attack. But experts say panic disorder can be treated. Doctors might suggest anti-anxiety or anti-depressant medicines. Talking to a counselor could help a person learn to deal with or avoid a panic attack. There are breathing methods, for example, that might help a person calm down. Panic disorder is included among what mental health professionals call anxiety disorders. A study published last week reported a link between anxiety disorders and several physical diseases. It says these include thyroid disease, lung and stomach problems, arthritis, migraine headaches and allergic conditions. Researchers at the University of Manitoba in Canada say that in most cases the physical condition follows the anxiety disorder. However, they say, exactly how the two are connected remains unknown. The report in the Archives of Internal Medicine came from a German health study of more than 4, 000 adults.

I remember seeing her somewhere previously. before ahead seldom secretly

Only his relatives knew he had a fatal illness. strange deadly serious unknown

You can mock, but at least I am willing to have a try. smile at look down on belittle laugh at

Growing levels of pollution represent a serious health hazard to the local population. protection indication immunity danger

Only those over 70 are eligible for the special payment. competitive diligent qualified adopted

A. by social and economic changes B. guided self-study and correspondence courses C. by studying together with children D. what they did not manage to learn earlier E. dates back to the eighteenth century F. mass production

The Dangers of Second-hand Smoke Most people know that cigarette smoking is harmful to their health. Scientific research shows that it causes many kinds of diseases. In fact, many people who smoke get lung cancer. However, Edward Gilson has lung cancer, and he has never smoked cigarettes. He lives with his wife Evelyn, who has smoked about a pack of cigarettes a day throughout their marriage.【B1】______ No one knows for sure why Mr. Gilson has lung cancer. Nevertheless, doctors believe that second-hand smoke may cause lung cancer in people who do not smoke because nonsmokers often breathe in the smoke from other people’ s cigarettes.【B2】______The US Environmental Protection Agency reports that about 53 , 000 people die in the United States each year as a result of exposure to second-hand smoke. The smoke that comes from a lit cigarette contains many different poisonous chemicals. In the past, scientists did not think that these chemicals could harm a nonsmoker’ s health.【B3】______They discovered that even nonsmokers had unhealthy amounts of these toxic chemicals in their bodies. As a matter of fact, almost all of us breathe tobacco smoke at times, whether we realize it or not. For example, we can not avoid second-hand smoke in restaurants, hotels and other public places. Even though many public places have nonsmoking areas, smoke flows in from the areas where smoking is permitted. It is even harder for children to avoid second-hand smoke.【B4】______Research shows that children who are exposed to second-hand smoke are sick more often than children who live in homes where no one smokes and that the children of smokers are more than twice as likely to develop lung cancer when they are adults as are children of nonsmokers. The risk is even higher for children who live in homes where both parents smoke. People are becoming very aware of the dangers of second-hand smoke.【B5】______ A. Recently, though, scientists changed their opinion after they studied a large group of nonsmokers. B. The Gilsons have been married for 35 years. C. This smoke is called second-hand smoke. D. However, second-hand smoke is dangerous to all people, old or young. E. As a result, they have passed laws which prohibit people from smoking in many public places. F. In the United States, nine million children under the age of five live in homes with at least one smoker.

The doctors have abandoned the hope to rescue the old man. left given up turned down refused

The operation could prolong his life by two or three years. broaden worsen extend accelerate

They are unwilling to invest any more money in the project. unable indecisive ready reluctant

The hotel staff are friendly and courteous. efficient respectable well-informed respectful

According to the passage, the danger of nuclear power lies in______.

Radiation can cause serious consequences even at the lowest level______

The underlined word “significant“ in Paragraph 3 most probably means______

Radiation can hurt us in the way that it can ______.

Which of the following can be best inferred from the passage?