閱讀理解

What Will Future Be like?

我們的未來會怎么樣?

    提到人類未來的生活將會怎樣，我想一千個人對此會有一千種不同的看法，但不外乎就是兩種態度——樂觀的或是悲觀的。地球的未來究竟會怎樣?科學家們的猜測也許是這樣的……

  　Some experts are pessimistic when they think about the future. They say that，by then the population of the world will have doubled. We will have run out of many essential resources like oil and coal．We may have even run out of water to drink．Some experts believe that there will be no land left，because of the overcrowding．

    Others are far more optimistic．They say that life will be better than it is today．We may be living in better buildings and leading better lives than we are today．Life will certainly have become more mechanized．Machines will be doing many jobs that people do today．People will no longer be able to learn only one job in their life time．They will have to learn several．Perhaps a station will be built on the moon．People will be able to visit the moon as travelers. They may even spend their holidays in space，traveling by spaceship．

    Many people never think about the future．“I don't care．I'll be dead．”they say．But it is our duty to care because the world of that time will be the one of our children's children and their children after them.

    Notes

    pessimistic  adj．悲觀的　　　　　　    double v．翻一番；增倍

essential adj．必要的；不可缺的　　　　 overcrowding n．擁擠

optimistic adj．樂觀的；有信心的　　　　　　    mechanize v．機械化

    Comprehension questions

1．Some people are pessimistic about the future；others have a different idea about it．That is to say，they are _________．

2．Oil，coal，water and forest are essential _________．

3．The _________of the world will be so large that we will have to use all the land for housing．

What Will Future Be like?

我們的未來會怎么樣?

    提到人類未來的生活將會怎樣，我想一千個人對此會有一千種不同的看法，但不外乎就是兩種態度——樂觀的或是悲觀的。地球的未來究竟會怎樣?科學家們的猜測也許是這樣的……

  　Some experts are pessimistic when they think about the future. They say that，by then the population of the world will have doubled. We will have run out of many essential resources like oil and coal．We may have even run out of water to drink．Some experts believe that there will be no land left，because of the overcrowding．

    Others are far more optimistic．They say that life will be better than it is today．We may be living in better buildings and leading better lives than we are today．Life will certainly have become more mechanized．Machines will be doing many jobs that people do today．People will no longer be able to learn only one job in their life time．They will have to learn several．Perhaps a station will be built on the moon．People will be able to visit the moon as travelers. They may even spend their holidays in space，traveling by spaceship．

    Many people never think about the future．“I don't care．I'll be dead．”they say．But it is our duty to care because the world of that time will be the one of our children's children and their children after them.

    Notes

    pessimistic  adj．悲觀的　　　　　　    double v．翻一番；增倍

essential adj．必要的；不可缺的　　　　 overcrowding n．擁擠

optimistic adj．樂觀的；有信心的　　　　　　    mechanize v．機械化

    Comprehension questions

1．Some people are pessimistic about the future；others have a different idea about it．That is to say，”she said．

    Comprehension question：

    In what way has Dr．Gao Yaojie helped the orphans with AIDS?

2．Oil，coal，water and forest are essential _________．

3．The _________of the world will be so large that we will have to use all the land for housing．

BEIJING, Nov. 25, 2005（Reuters）— China’s home-grown human bird flu vaccine① is at least a year away from hitting the market but tests on humans have been approved by the government, head of the research drug company said on Friday.

       Development of the vaccine started last year after bird flu outbreaks in Thailand and Vietnam and animal trials have already been completed, said Yin Wei-dong, managing director of Sinovac Biotech.

       “It is not a virus that is spreading from human to human，so we are very optimistic②,” Yin told Reuters in an interview.

       The deadly H5N1 made its first known jump to humans in Hong Kong in 1997, killing six people. The virus appeared again in late 2003 and is known to have infected 130 people in several parts of Asia, killing 68 of them.

       “It is not decided yet when the human trials will begin. We just got approval on November 22 by the State Food and Drug Administration,” Yin said.

Oregon, Nov. 26, 2005（AP）— The deadly strain of bird flu that appeared in Asia and has already spread to other parts of the world has not affected the Oregon poultry③ industry or consumers, according to Oregon State University researchers.

       There are many strains of bird flu that do not usually infect humans. But one strain, called H5N1, has jumped from chickens to humans and is blamed for more than 60 deaths in Asia.

       International disease control experts are worried about a worldwide outbreak of bird flu, raising concerns such as whether it is safe to eat poultry.

       But Oregon State University researchers say there is no proof that the virus can jump to humans by eating cooked poultry products.

       “Consumers needn’t be overly concerned about bird flu,” said Jim Hermes, OSU Extension Service poultry specialist. But he urged consumers to follow standard food safety practices in preparing poultry — including washing hands while preparing food, and proper cooking of poultry meat and eggs.

       He noted that a 2003 outbreak of bird virus caused much damage to commercial poultry operations in California but did not get into Oregon because of industry safeguards.

Notes:

vaccine  n. 疫苗

optimistic  adj. 樂觀的

poultry  n. 家禽

Choose the best answers according to the above:

 Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the first news report?

A. Human trials have already started but not yet successful.

B. Bird flu killed 68 Asian people in its second outbreak.

C. The bird flu virus is not one that spreads from human to human.

D. The government has agreed to have the vaccine tried on humans.

What does the first news report mainly talk about?

A. The new outbreak of the bird flu.

B. How the development of the bird flu vaccine is going on.

C. How many people died of bird flu.

D. What measures the government has taken to stop the spreading of bird flu.

What does the underlined word “strains” probably mean?

A. signs.         B. symbols.          C. kinds.               D. diseases.

What can we know from the second news report?

A. Because of the safety guards, Oregon poultry industry didn’t suffer any loss in the 2003 outbreak of bird flu.

B. People in Oregon are not concerned about bird flu.

C. People will develop bird flu even if they eat well-cooked poultry products.

D. H5N1 has caused more than 60 deaths worldwide.

BEIJING, Nov. 25, 2005（Reuters）— China’s home-grown human bird flu vaccine① is at least a year away from hitting the market but tests on humans have been approved by the government, head of the research drug company said on Friday.
Development of the vaccine started last year after bird flu outbreaks in Thailand and Vietnam and animal trials have already been completed, said Yin Wei-dong, managing director of Sinovac Biotech.
“It is not a virus that is spreading from human to human，so we are very optimistic②,” Yin told Reuters in an interview.
The deadly H5N1 made its first known jump to humans in Hong Kong in 1997, killing six people. The virus appeared again in late 2003 and is known to have infected 130 people in several parts of Asia, killing 68 of them.
“It is not decided yet when the human trials will begin. We just got approval on November 22 by the State Food and Drug Administration,” Yin said.
Oregon, Nov. 26, 2005（AP）— The deadly strain of bird flu that appeared in Asia and has already spread to other parts of the world has not affected the Oregon poultry③ industry or consumers, according to Oregon State University researchers.
There are many strains of bird flu that do not usually infect humans. But one strain, called H5N1, has jumped from chickens to humans and is blamed for more than 60 deaths in Asia.
International disease control experts are worried about a worldwide outbreak of bird flu, raising concerns such as whether it is safe to eat poultry.
But Oregon State University researchers say there is no proof that the virus can jump to humans by eating cooked poultry products.
“Consumers needn’t be overly concerned about bird flu,” said Jim Hermes, OSU Extension Service poultry specialist. But he urged consumers to follow standard food safety practices in preparing poultry —including washing hands while preparing food, and proper cooking of poultry meat and eggs.
He noted that a 2003 outbreak of bird virus caused much damage to commercial poultry operations in California but did not get into Oregon because of industry safeguards.
Notes:
vaccine  n. 疫苗
optimistic  adj. 樂觀的
poultry  n. 家禽
Choose the best answers according to the above:

1. 1.

    Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the first news report?

   1. A.
      Human trials have already started but not yet successful.
   2. B.
      Bird flu killed 68 Asian people in its second outbreak.
   3. C.
      The bird flu virus is not one that spreads from human to human.
   4. D.
      The government has agreed to have the vaccine tried on humans.
2. 2.

   What does the first news report mainly talk about?

   1. A.
      The new outbreak of the bird flu.
   2. B.
      How the development of the bird flu vaccine is going on.
   3. C.
      How many people died of bird flu.
   4. D.
      What measures the government has taken to stop the spreading of bird flu.
3. 3.

   What does the underlined word “strains” probably mean?

   1. A.
      signs.
   2. B.
      symbols.
   3. C.
      kinds.
   4. D.
      diseases.
4. 4.

   What can we know from the second news report?

   1. A.
      Because of the safety guards, Oregon poultry industry didn’t suffer any loss in the 2003 outbreak of bird flu.
   2. B.
      People in Oregon are not concerned about bird flu.
   3. C.
      People will develop bird flu even if they eat well-cooked poultry products.
   4. D.
      H5N1 has caused more than 60 deaths worldwide.