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Directions: Write an essay of 160～200 words based on the following drawings. In you should: 1) desc...
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Directions:Inthispartyouaretowriteanessayof160—200
Directions: Studythepictureabovecarefullyandwrite
PartB Directions: Youarerequiredtowriteanessayont
Directions:Studythepictureabovecarefullyandwritean
Directions:Writeanessayof160-200wordsbasedonthefo
Directions:Studythepictureabovecarefullyandwritean
Directions: Writeanessayof160-200wordsbasedonthef
Directions: Studythepicturesabovecarefullyandwrit
Directions:Studythepicturesabovecarefullyandwritea
Directions:Studythepictureabovecarefullyandwritean
Directions: Studythepictureabovecarefullyandwrite
Directions:Studythepictureabovecarefullyandwritean
Directions: Studythepictureabovecarefullyandwrite
Directions:Writeanessayof160-200wordsbasedonthefo
Directions: Youarerequiredtowriteanessayoffthetop
Directions:Writeanessayof160-200wordsbasedonthefo
Directions:Studythetwopicturesabovecarefullyandwri
Directions:Studythepictureabovecarefullyandwritean
Directions:Writeanessayof160-200wordsbasedonthefol
Directions:Studythepictureabovecarefullyandwritean
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"We’reusingthewrongword"saysSeanDrysdaleadesperatedoctorfromaruralhospitalatHlabisainnorthernKwaZulu-Natal."Thisisn’tanepidemicit’sadisaster."ArecentUNIEFreportwhichstatesthatalmostone-thirdofSwaziland’s900000peopleareinfectedwithHIVthevirusthatcausesAIDSsupportsthisdiagnosis.HIVisspreadingfasterinsouthernAfricathananywhereelseintheworld. ButisanyonepayingattentionDespitethefactthatmostoftheworld’s33.5millionHIV/AIDScasesareinsub-SaharanAfrica—withanadditional4millioninfectedeachyear—theprioritiesatlastweek’sOrganizationofAfricanUnitysummitwereconflictresolutionandeconomiesdevelopment.Yettheepidemiccouldhaveagreatereffectoneconomicdevelopment—orratherthelackofit—thanmanypoliticianssuspect. Whilebusinessleadersaremoreconcernedaboutthe2Kmillenniumbugthanthelong-termeffectofAIDSstatisticsshowthattheworkfareinSouthAfricaforinstanceislikelytobe20%HIVpositivebynextyear.Medicalofficialsandresearcherswarnthatnotasinglecountryintheregionhasacohesivegovernmentstrategytotacklethecrisis. ThewaymanagersaddressAIDSintheworkplacewilldeterminewhethertheircompaniessurvivethefirstdecadeofthe21stcenturysaysDeaneMooreanactuaryforSouthAfrica’sMetropolitanLifeInsuranceCompany.MooreestimatesthatinSouthAfricatherewillbe580000newAIDScasesayearandalifeexpectancyofjust38by2010."We’llbebacktotheMiddleAges"saysDrysdalewhosehospitalisinoneoftheareasinSouthAfricawiththehighestratesofHIVinfection."Thegraphisheadingtowardthevertical.Andyetpeoplearestillnottakingitseriously." MostsouthernAfricancountriesaresimplytoopoortosupplymorethanbasichealthservicesletalonemedicinestoconfrontthecrisis.PatientsinsomegovernmenthospitalsinHararehavetosupplytheirownbeddingfooddrugsandinsomecaseseventheirownnurses.Zimbabwe’sfraildomesticeconomydependstoalargeextentoninformalenterprisesandsmallbusinessesmanyofwhicharegoingbankruptasAIDStakesitstollonownersandemployees."Therippleeffectisdevastating"saysHarareAIDSresearcherReneLoewenson. MoreominousaretheimplicationsforSouthAfricawithasophisticatedindustrialinfrastructureaswellasawidespreadinformalsector.WhiletheSouthAfricangovernmentisactiveinpromotingAIDSeducationithasn’tthemoneymanpowerormaterialtocopewiththeattackofAIDS. BysayingThegraphisheadingtowardtheverticalPara.4Drysdalewantstotellpeople
WhatdoyouthinkofAmericanhealthcaresystemMostpeoplewouldbe1bythehighqualityofmedicine2tomostAmericans.Thereisalotofspecializationagreatdealof3totheindividuala4amountofadvancedtechnicalequipmentand5effortnottomakemistakesbecauseofthefinancialriskwhichdoctorsandhospitalsmust6inthecourtsifthey7thingsbadly. ButtheAmericansareinamess.Totheproblemisthewayin8healthcareisorganizedand9.10topubicbeliefitisnotjustafreecompetitionsystem.Totheprivatesystemhasbeenjoinedalargepublicsystembecauseprivatecarewassimplynot11thelessfortunateandtheelderly. Butevenwiththishugepublicpartofthesystem12thisyearwilleatup84.5billiondollars—morethan10percentoftheU.S.Budget—alargenumberofAmericansareleft13.Theseincludeabouthalfthe11millionunemployedandthosewhofailtomeetthestrictlimits14incomefixedbyagovernmenttryingtomakesavingswhereitcan. Thebasicproblemhoweveristhatthereisnocentralcontrol15thehealthsystem.Thereisno16towhatdoctorsandhospitalschargefortheirservicesotherthanwhatthepublicisabletopay.Thenumberofdoctorshasshotupandpriceshaveclimbed.Whenfacedwithtoothacheasickchildoraheartattackalltheunfortunatepersonsconcernedcandoistopay17.Twothirdsofthepopulationare18bymedicalinsurance.Doctorschargeasmuchastheywant19thattheinsurancecompanywillpaythebill. TherisingcostofmedicineintheU.S.A.isamongthemostworryingproblemsfacingthecountry.In1981thecountry’shealthbillclimbed15.9percent—abouttwiceasfastasprices20general. 4
CurrentGroupaGermantown-basedtechnologyfirmhastakenoveranordinarylookinghouseinBethesdaandturneditintoalaboratoryforsmart-gridtechnologythesystemthecompanybelieveswillbringthenation’selectricitygridsintothedigitalage. Inthefrontyardstandsautilitypolehookeduptoaspecialtransformerthatconnectsthepowerlinestohigh-speedInternet.Hundredsofsensorsattachedtothelinesmonitorhowpowerflowsthroughthehome.Thatinformationisthensentbacktotheutilitycompany. Theprocessletsautilitymoreefficientlymanagethedistributionofelectricitybyallowingtwo-waycommunicationbetweenconsumersandenergysuppliersviathebroadbandnetworkonthepowerlines.Basedondatatheyreceivefromhundredsofhomesutilitiescanmonitorusageandadjustoutputandpricinginresponsetodemand.Consumerscanberewardedwithreducedratesbycuttingbackonconsumptionduringpeakperiods.Andcomputerizedsubstationscantalktoeachothersooverloadedcircuitshandoffelectricitytothosethathavenotfullyloadedhelpingtopreventblackouts. Someutilitycompanieshavelaunchedinitiativestogiveconsumersdataabouttheirenergyconsumptionhabitsinanefforttolowerenergybills.Smart-gridtechnologytakessuchprogramsfurtherbyautomatingelectricitydistributionwhichwouldmakegridsmorereliableandefficient. Bypartneringwithutilitiesthecompanyhopestotapinto$4.5billioninstimulusgrantsintendedtoencouragesmart-griddevelopment.WhenheannouncedthefundingPresidentObamapointedtoaprojectinBoulderColo.asanexampleofasuccessfulsmart-gridexperiment.Currentisoneofthecompaniesworkingontheproject. Current’schiefexecutiveTomCaseybelievesthetechnologywillhelputilitycompaniesbetterdistributeelectricityproducedbyrenewableresourcessuchassolarpanelsorwindfarms."Asmartgrid’ssystemcanbepairedupwiththerenewableresourcessothatwhentherenewablesourceisvaryingtheoverallloadcanbevariedaswell"CaseytoldtheHouseSelectCommitteeonEnergyIndependenceandGlobalWarming."Thiswillreduceoreliminatetheneedforbackupcoalorgas-basedpowergenerationplants. Whatbenefitcanthesmart-gridtechnologybring
Directions: Writeanessayofabout160-200wordsbasedonthefollowingdrawing.Inthisessayyoushould: 1describethepicturesbriefly 2interpretthemeaningand 3giveyourcomment.
Inmostpartsoftheworldclimatechangeisaworryingsubject.NotsoinCalifornia.Atarecentgatheringofgreenluminaries--inafilmstar’shousenaturallyforthatishowseriousnessisoftenestablishedinLosAngeles--thedominantnotewasself-satisfactionatwhatthestatehasalreadyachieved.AndperhapsnobodyismorecomplacentthanArnoldSchwarzenegger.UnlikeA1GoreapresidentialcandidateturnedprophetofenvironmentaldoomCalifornia’sgovernorsoundscheerfulwhentalkingaboutclimatechange.Aswellhemight:ithasmadehispoliticalcareer. AlthoughCaliforniahaslongbeenanenvironmentally-consciousstateuntilrecentlygreenswereconcernedaboveallwithsmogandredwoodtrees."CoastofDreams"KevinStarr’sauthoritativehistoryofcontemporaryCaliforniapublishedin2004doesnotmentionclimatechange.Inthatyearthoughthenewly-electedMr.Schwarzeneggermadehisfirsttentativecallforwesternstatestoseekalternativestofossilfuels.Graduallyhenoticedthathiseffortstotackleclimatechangemetwithlessresistanceandmoreacclaimthanjustaboutallhisotherpolicies.Thesedaysitcanseemasthoughheworksonnothingelse. Mr.Schwarzenegger’stransformationfromscreenwarriortoeco-warriorwascompletedlastyearwhenhesignedabillimposinglegally-enforceablelimitsongreenhouse--gasemissions--afirstforAmerica.ThanksmostlytoitslackofcoalandheavyindustryCaliforniaisarelativelycleanstate.Ifitwereacountryitwouldbetheworld’seighth-biggesteconomybutonlyits16th-biggestpolluter.Itsbigproblemistransport--meaningmostlycarsandtruckswhichaccountformorethan40%ofitsgreenhouse-gasemissionscomparedwith32%inAmericaasawhole.Thestatewantstoratchetdownemissionslimitsonnewvehiclesbeginningin2009.Mr.Schwarzeneggerhasalsoorderedthatby2020vehiclefuelmustproduce10%lesscarbon:intheproductionaswellastheburningsoasimpleswitchtocorn-basedethanolisprobablyout. ThanksinparttoCalifornia’sexamplemostofthewesternstateshaveadoptedclimateactionplans.WhenitcomestosettingemissiontargetsthescenecanresembleaposedownataMr.Olympiacontest.Arizona’sclimate-changescholarsdecidedtosetatargetofcuttingthestate’semissionsto2000levelsby2020.ButJanetNapolitanothegovernorwasdeterminednottobeout-muscledbyCalifornia.ShehasdeclaredthatArizonawilltrytoreturnto2000emissionlevelsby2012. Californiahasnotjustinspiredotherstates;ithascreatedavanguardthatoughttobeabletoprodthefederalgovernmentintostrongernationalstandardsthanitwouldotherwiseconsider.ButCaliforniaisfindingiteasiertoexportitspoliciesthantoputthemintopracticeathome.InonewayCalifornia’sself-confidenceisfullyjustified.Ithasdonemorethananyotherstate--letalonethefederalgovernment--tofixAmerica’sattentiononclimatechange.Ithasalsomadeitseemasthoughtheproblemcanbesolved.Whichiswhyfailurewouldbesuchbadnews.AtthemomentCaliforniaisabeacontootherstates.Ifitfailsitwillbecomeanexcuseforinaction. WhydidMr.Schwarzeneggerseemtobeworkingonnothingelse
WhatdoyouthinkofAmericanhealthcaresystemMostpeoplewouldbe1bythehighqualityofmedicine2tomostAmericans.Thereisalotofspecializationagreatdealof3totheindividuala4amountofadvancedtechnicalequipmentand5effortnottomakemistakesbecauseofthefinancialriskwhichdoctorsandhospitalsmust6inthecourtsifthey7thingsbadly. ButtheAmericansareinamess.Totheproblemisthewayin8healthcareisorganizedand9.10topubicbeliefitisnotjustafreecompetitionsystem.Totheprivatesystemhasbeenjoinedalargepublicsystembecauseprivatecarewassimplynot11thelessfortunateandtheelderly. Butevenwiththishugepublicpartofthesystem12thisyearwilleatup84.5billiondollars—morethan10percentoftheU.S.Budget—alargenumberofAmericansareleft13.Theseincludeabouthalfthe11millionunemployedandthosewhofailtomeetthestrictlimits14incomefixedbyagovernmenttryingtomakesavingswhereitcan. Thebasicproblemhoweveristhatthereisnocentralcontrol15thehealthsystem.Thereisno16towhatdoctorsandhospitalschargefortheirservicesotherthanwhatthepublicisabletopay.Thenumberofdoctorshasshotupandpriceshaveclimbed.Whenfacedwithtoothacheasickchildoraheartattackalltheunfortunatepersonsconcernedcandoistopay17.Twothirdsofthepopulationare18bymedicalinsurance.Doctorschargeasmuchastheywant19thattheinsurancecompanywillpaythebill. TherisingcostofmedicineintheU.S.A.isamongthemostworryingproblemsfacingthecountry.In1981thecountry’shealthbillclimbed15.9percent—abouttwiceasfastasprices20general. 18
[A]Extensiveapplicationsofhaptictechnology. [B]Possibilitiesrenderedbyhapticmechanisms. [C]Thefeasibilityofextendingoursensesandexploringabstractuniverses. [D]Anexampleoftheprogressinscienceofhaptics. [E]Bringingthepotentialofoursensesintofullplay. [F]Willhapticsstepintoabrightfuture "OOOF!"Usingyourmouseyouheaveadatafileacrossthescreen--acoupleofgigabytesofdataweighalot.Itsroughsurfacetellsyouthatitisagraphicsfile.Havingtippedthishugepileofdataintoahopperthatsendsittotherightprogramyouexamineascreenimageoftheforesttrailyou’llbehikingonyourvacation.Thenusingaglovedhandyoumasteritsdetailsbyrunningyourfingersoveritsforksandbendsitssharprisesandfalls.LateryousendanE-mailtoyourbelovedbendingtothedeskpadtoattachakiss. 41.__________. ThescienceofhapticsfromtheGreekhaptesthai"totouch"ismakingthesefantasiesreal.Afewprimitivedevicesareextendinghuman-machinecommunicationbeyondvisionandsound.Hapticjoysticksandsteeringwheelsforcomputergamesarealreadygivinghappyplayerssomeofthesensationsofpilotingaspaceshipdrivingaracingcarorfiringweapons.Intimehapticinterfacesmayallowustomanipulatesinglemoleculesfeelcloudsandgalaxiesevenreachintohigherdimensionstograspthesubtlestructuresofmathematics. 42.__________. Mostofoursensestirepassive.Inhearingandvisionforexamplethesoundorlightissimplyreceivedandanalyzed.Buttouchisdifferent:weactivelyexploreandalterrealitywithourhandssothesameactionthatgathersinformationcanalsochangetheworld--tomodelapieceofclayorpressabuttonforexample.Inprovidingdirectcontactbetweenpeopletouchcarriesemotionalimpact.Andinprovidingdirectcontactwiththeworlditisthesuresignofrealityasin"pinchme--amIdreaming" 43.__________. Somesmallstepshaveevenbeentakentowardswhole-bodyhaptics.TouchTechnologyofNovaScotiaCanadahasbuiltahapticchair.Itlookslikeafull-lengthloungechairinafamilydenbutitssurfaceisstuddedwith72"tactors"-pneumaticpistonrodscoveredwithroundedbuttonsthatcanextendaboutaninchandcanbedrivenundercomputercontrolinanydesiredsequenceandpattern.Itcouldbeprogrammedtoimitatearealmassageortofunctionintimetomusic.Accordingtothemanufacturerthatprovidesapowerfulblendingofsen-sations--along-termgoalofvirtualreality. 44.__________. Evenatitspresentcrudelevelhoweverhapticscanmaketangiblewhatoncecouldnotbetouchedorevenpictured.ToinvestigatetheworldoftheverysmallresearchersattheUniversityofNorthCarolinaChapelHillhavedevelopedthenanoManipulator.Thisaddstouchtothetechniqueofscanningprobemicroscopywhichcanimageasingleatombymonitoringeithertheelectricalcurrentflowingbetweenanextremelyfineprobeandasurfaceortheforcebetweenthem.WiththenanoManipulatorresearcherscanseeandmanipulateauniverseamilliontimessmallerthantheirowntostudyvirusesandtinysemiconductingdevices.Iftheforcefeedbackcanbemadesensitiveenoughitmaybepossibletopushmolecularkeysintospecificmolecularlockstocustom-designdrugsorassemblesiliconpartsintointricatenanomachines.Withotherinterfacesthereisnoreasonweshouldn’talsobeabletotouchtheverylarge-cloudsoceancurrentsmantleflowsmountainsgalaxyclusters.Ortheverystrong--withasuitableforcescalingnewceramicsoralloyscouldbesqueezedandtwangedtotesttheirengineeringproperties.Orthephysicallyextremeandinaccessible--suchasultrahotplasmaflowsinfusionmachines. 45.__________. Haptictechnologycouldevenmakeabstractideastangible.Manyscientificconceptsoccupyspacesofmorethanthreedimensionsstringtheoryfor’exampleassertsthatweliveina10or11-dimensionalUniverse.Asitisimpossibletovisualisesuchaspaceweexploretheseideas’throughmathematicalexpressionsortwodimensionalsketchesonpaper.Butprobingtheseunfamiliargeometrieswithtouchmaybemoreeffective.Andforblindpeoplehapticsoffersanewwaytograspinformationeveninthreedimensions.AgroupattheUniversityofDelawarehasdevelopedanenvironmentwhereapersoncanfeelamathematicalfunction.UsingaPHAN-TOMtheuser"walks"alongthesurfaceofthefigure.Likeahikerfollowingmountainousterraintheuserfeelswherethefunctionissteepwhereitislevelandwhereitspeaksandvalleyslie.OtherhapticsystemscouldhelpblindpeopletobrowsetheInternetfeelingimagesaswellaswords. Thefutureofhapticsisbrightbuttheonlysensualrelationshipitwillbesustaininganytimesoonisbetweenyouandyourcomputer. 42
CurrentGroupaGermantown-basedtechnologyfirmhastakenoveranordinarylookinghouseinBethesdaandturneditintoalaboratoryforsmart-gridtechnologythesystemthecompanybelieveswillbringthenation’selectricitygridsintothedigitalage. Inthefrontyardstandsautilitypolehookeduptoaspecialtransformerthatconnectsthepowerlinestohigh-speedInternet.Hundredsofsensorsattachedtothelinesmonitorhowpowerflowsthroughthehome.Thatinformationisthensentbacktotheutilitycompany. Theprocessletsautilitymoreefficientlymanagethedistributionofelectricitybyallowingtwo-waycommunicationbetweenconsumersandenergysuppliersviathebroadbandnetworkonthepowerlines.Basedondatatheyreceivefromhundredsofhomesutilitiescanmonitorusageandadjustoutputandpricinginresponsetodemand.Consumerscanberewardedwithreducedratesbycuttingbackonconsumptionduringpeakperiods.Andcomputerizedsubstationscantalktoeachothersooverloadedcircuitshandoffelectricitytothosethathavenotfullyloadedhelpingtopreventblackouts. Someutilitycompanieshavelaunchedinitiativestogiveconsumersdataabouttheirenergyconsumptionhabitsinanefforttolowerenergybills.Smart-gridtechnologytakessuchprogramsfurtherbyautomatingelectricitydistributionwhichwouldmakegridsmorereliableandefficient. Bypartneringwithutilitiesthecompanyhopestotapinto$4.5billioninstimulusgrantsintendedtoencouragesmart-griddevelopment.WhenheannouncedthefundingPresidentObamapointedtoaprojectinBoulderColo.asanexampleofasuccessfulsmart-gridexperiment.Currentisoneofthecompaniesworkingontheproject. Current’schiefexecutiveTomCaseybelievesthetechnologywillhelputilitycompaniesbetterdistributeelectricityproducedbyrenewableresourcessuchassolarpanelsorwindfarms."Asmartgrid’ssystemcanbepairedupwiththerenewableresourcessothatwhentherenewablesourceisvaryingtheoverallloadcanbevariedaswell"CaseytoldtheHouseSelectCommitteeonEnergyIndependenceandGlobalWarming."Thiswillreduceoreliminatetheneedforbackupcoalorgas-basedpowergenerationplants. WhatdoesthephrasetapintoLine1.Para.5mean
InthecurrentimmigrationwavesomethingmarkedlydifferentishappeninghereinthemiddleofthegreatAmerican"meltingpot."46ThereisasensethatespeciallyasimmigrantpopulationsreachacriticalmassinmanycommunitiesitisnolongerthemeltingpotthatistransformingthembuttheywhoaretransformingAmericansociety. Americancultureremainsapowerfulforce—forbetterorworse—thatinfluencespeoplebothhereandaroundtheworldincountlessways.ButseveralfactorshavecombinedinrecentyearstoallowimmigrantstoresistiftheychoosetheAmericanizationthathadoncebeenconsideredirresistible. Infacttheveryconceptofassimilationisbeingcalledintoquestionasneverbefore.47Somesociologistsarguethatthemeltingpotoftenmeanslittlemorethan"Angloconformity"andthatassimilationisnotalwaysapositiveexperience—foreithersocietyortheimmigrantsthemselves.Andwithtoday’semphasisondiversityandethnicityithasbecomeeasierthaneverforimmigrantstoavoidthemeltingpotentirely.Eventhemetaphoritselfischanginghavingfallenoutoffashioncompletelywithmanyimmigrationadvocacyandethnicgroups.Theyprefersuchtermsasthe"saladbowl"andthe"mosaic"metaphorsthatconveymoreofasenseofseparatenessindescribingthisnationofimmigrants. 48AmongsociallyconservativefamiliessuchastheJacintoswhoinitiallymovedtoCaliforniafromtheirvillageinMexico’sGuanajuatostatethenmigratedherein1988tofindjobsinthemeatpackingindustrybadinfluencesareaconstantconcern.TheyseetheirchildrenassimilatingbutoftentotheworstaspectsofAmericanculture. Theirconcernsreflectsomeofthecomplexitiesandambivalencethatmarktheassimilationprocessthesedays.ImmigrantssuchastheJacintosareheretostaybutremainwaryoftheiradoptivecountry.Accordingtosociologiststheyarerighttobeconcerned. "Ifassimilationisalearningprocessitinvolveslearninggoodthingsandbadthings"saidRubenG.RumbautasociologyprofessoratMichiganStateUniversity."Itdoesn’talwaysleadtosomethingbetter." Theambivalenceofassimilationcancutbothways.Manynative-bornAmericansalsoseemtoharbormixedfeelingsabouttheprocess.49AsanationtheUnitedStatesincreasinglypromotesdiversitybutthereareunderlyingconcernsthatthemoreemphasisthereisonthefactorsthatsetpeopleapartthemorelikelythatsocietywillendupdivided. WithHispanicsespeciallyMexicansaccountingforanincreasingproportionofU.S.populationgrowthitisthisgroupmorethananyotherthatisredefiningthemeltingpot. HispanicsnowhaveovertakenblacksasthelargestminoritygroupinNebraskaandwillbecomethebiggestminorityinthecountrywithinthenextsevenyearsaccordingtoCensusBureauprojections.50Thenation’s29millionHispanicsthegreatmajorityofthemfromMexicohavethusbecomethemainfocusforquestionsabouthowtheUnitedStatestodayisassimilatingimmigrantsorhowitisbeingtransformed. 50Thenation’s29millionHispanicsthegreatmajorityofthemfromMexicohavethusbecomethemainfocusforquestionsabouthowtheUnitedStatestodayisassimilatingimmigrantsorhowitisbeingtransformed.
WhatdoyouthinkofAmericanhealthcaresystemMostpeoplewouldbe1bythehighqualityofmedicine2tomostAmericans.Thereisalotofspecializationagreatdealof3totheindividuala4amountofadvancedtechnicalequipmentand5effortnottomakemistakesbecauseofthefinancialriskwhichdoctorsandhospitalsmust6inthecourtsifthey7thingsbadly. ButtheAmericansareinamess.Totheproblemisthewayin8healthcareisorganizedand9.10topubicbeliefitisnotjustafreecompetitionsystem.Totheprivatesystemhasbeenjoinedalargepublicsystembecauseprivatecarewassimplynot11thelessfortunateandtheelderly. Butevenwiththishugepublicpartofthesystem12thisyearwilleatup84.5billiondollars—morethan10percentoftheU.S.Budget—alargenumberofAmericansareleft13.Theseincludeabouthalfthe11millionunemployedandthosewhofailtomeetthestrictlimits14incomefixedbyagovernmenttryingtomakesavingswhereitcan. Thebasicproblemhoweveristhatthereisnocentralcontrol15thehealthsystem.Thereisno16towhatdoctorsandhospitalschargefortheirservicesotherthanwhatthepublicisabletopay.Thenumberofdoctorshasshotupandpriceshaveclimbed.Whenfacedwithtoothacheasickchildoraheartattackalltheunfortunatepersonsconcernedcandoistopay17.Twothirdsofthepopulationare18bymedicalinsurance.Doctorschargeasmuchastheywant19thattheinsurancecompanywillpaythebill. TherisingcostofmedicineintheU.S.A.isamongthemostworryingproblemsfacingthecountry.In1981thecountry’shealthbillclimbed15.9percent—abouttwiceasfastasprices20general. 2
There’snothingsimpleaboutguncontrolatangleoflegalpoliticalandpublic-healthissuescomplicatedbyculturalpreferencesandregionalbiases.Passionsrunhighonallsides.Lifelonghunterswho grewupwithfirearmsurbanvictimsofgunviolenceSecondAmendmentscholarsNRAlobbyistschiefsofpolice—they’veallgotcasestomakeandtheymakethemwelloftencontentiously. Forthepast15yearsmuchofthedebatehascenteredontheeffectivenessoftheBradyHandgunViolencePreventionActthefederalgun-controlbillthatwaspassedin1993.Criticssaythefocusonlaw-abidinggunbuyersdoesn’taddresstherealissue—badguyswhoacquiretheirweaponsillegally.Supporterssaythatthebillstopsthousandsofillegalgunpurchasesanddeterscrimeandviolence.Nowmedicalresearchhascometotherescuesiftingthroughthedatatofigureoutwhichlegalmeasuresworkbesttoreducefirearmsuicidesandhomicides. InapaperpublishedintheMayissueoftheAmericanJournalofPreventiveMedicineStevenSumnerathird-yearmedstudentandDr.PeterLaydecodirectoroftheInjuryResearchCenterattheMedicalCollegeofWisconsinfoundthatlocalbackgroundcheckswhichareoptionalandusedbyjustahandfulofstatesweremoreeffectivethanthefederalbackgroundchecksmandatedbytheBradylaw.Thereportcomparedthehomicideandsuicideratesinstatesthatperformonlyfederalcheckswithstatesthatdostate-levelchecksandthosethatperformlocal-levelchecks.Thelocal-levelcheckswereassociatedwitha27percentlowerfirearmsuiciderateanda22percentlowerhomiciderateamongadults21andolderthelegalagetopurchaseagun. Whyarelocalcheckssomuchbetter"Wehypothesizethatit’sduetoaccesstoadditionalinformationthat’snotavailableatthefederalchecks"saysLayde"particularlyrelatedtomental-healthissuesanddomestic-violenceissues."All50statesusetheNationalInstantCriminalBackgroundCheckSystemNICStheminimumrequiredunderBradywhile17statesalsoperformstate-levelchecksand12doadditionallocal-levelchecks. "Thisisthefirststudythat’slookedatthisissue"saysLayde."Ifthemagnitudeofimpactwefoundwereinfacttoapplytoall50statesyouwouldexpectaverysubstantialreductioninsuicidesandhomicideslinkedtofirearmsmanythousands."Howeverbackgroundcheckscanbebothanadministrativeandacostburdenforstrappedandstretchedlocalauthorities.Thereisanotherwaytogetthesameresults.improvetheflowoflocalinformationtotheNICSdatabases."Inanidealworld"saysLayde"youmightnothavetohavethelocalagenciesinvolvedifyoujustreliablygotallthedatatheyhaduptothefederallevel. WecaninferfromthetextthatLayde’sstudy
WhatdoyouthinkofAmericanhealthcaresystemMostpeoplewouldbe1bythehighqualityofmedicine2tomostAmericans.Thereisalotofspecializationagreatdealof3totheindividuala4amountofadvancedtechnicalequipmentand5effortnottomakemistakesbecauseofthefinancialriskwhichdoctorsandhospitalsmust6inthecourtsifthey7thingsbadly. ButtheAmericansareinamess.Totheproblemisthewayin8healthcareisorganizedand9.10topubicbeliefitisnotjustafreecompetitionsystem.Totheprivatesystemhasbeenjoinedalargepublicsystembecauseprivatecarewassimplynot11thelessfortunateandtheelderly. Butevenwiththishugepublicpartofthesystem12thisyearwilleatup84.5billiondollars—morethan10percentoftheU.S.Budget—alargenumberofAmericansareleft13.Theseincludeabouthalfthe11millionunemployedandthosewhofailtomeetthestrictlimits14incomefixedbyagovernmenttryingtomakesavingswhereitcan. Thebasicproblemhoweveristhatthereisnocentralcontrol15thehealthsystem.Thereisno16towhatdoctorsandhospitalschargefortheirservicesotherthanwhatthepublicisabletopay.Thenumberofdoctorshasshotupandpriceshaveclimbed.Whenfacedwithtoothacheasickchildoraheartattackalltheunfortunatepersonsconcernedcandoistopay17.Twothirdsofthepopulationare18bymedicalinsurance.Doctorschargeasmuchastheywant19thattheinsurancecompanywillpaythebill. TherisingcostofmedicineintheU.S.A.isamongthemostworryingproblemsfacingthecountry.In1981thecountry’shealthbillclimbed15.9percent—abouttwiceasfastasprices20general. 12
"We’reusingthewrongword"saysSeanDrysdaleadesperatedoctorfromaruralhospitalatHlabisainnorthernKwaZulu-Natal."Thisisn’tanepidemicit’sadisaster."ArecentUNIEFreportwhichstatesthatalmostone-thirdofSwaziland’s900000peopleareinfectedwithHIVthevirusthatcausesAIDSsupportsthisdiagnosis.HIVisspreadingfasterinsouthernAfricathananywhereelseintheworld. ButisanyonepayingattentionDespitethefactthatmostoftheworld’s33.5millionHIV/AIDScasesareinsub-SaharanAfrica—withanadditional4millioninfectedeachyear—theprioritiesatlastweek’sOrganizationofAfricanUnitysummitwereconflictresolutionandeconomiesdevelopment.Yettheepidemiccouldhaveagreatereffectoneconomicdevelopment—orratherthelackofit—thanmanypoliticianssuspect. Whilebusinessleadersaremoreconcernedaboutthe2Kmillenniumbugthanthelong-termeffectofAIDSstatisticsshowthattheworkfareinSouthAfricaforinstanceislikelytobe20%HIVpositivebynextyear.Medicalofficialsandresearcherswarnthatnotasinglecountryintheregionhasacohesivegovernmentstrategytotacklethecrisis. ThewaymanagersaddressAIDSintheworkplacewilldeterminewhethertheircompaniessurvivethefirstdecadeofthe21stcenturysaysDeaneMooreanactuaryforSouthAfrica’sMetropolitanLifeInsuranceCompany.MooreestimatesthatinSouthAfricatherewillbe580000newAIDScasesayearandalifeexpectancyofjust38by2010."We’llbebacktotheMiddleAges"saysDrysdalewhosehospitalisinoneoftheareasinSouthAfricawiththehighestratesofHIVinfection."Thegraphisheadingtowardthevertical.Andyetpeoplearestillnottakingitseriously." MostsouthernAfricancountriesaresimplytoopoortosupplymorethanbasichealthservicesletalonemedicinestoconfrontthecrisis.PatientsinsomegovernmenthospitalsinHararehavetosupplytheirownbeddingfooddrugsandinsomecaseseventheirownnurses.Zimbabwe’sfraildomesticeconomydependstoalargeextentoninformalenterprisesandsmallbusinessesmanyofwhicharegoingbankruptasAIDStakesitstollonownersandemployees."Therippleeffectisdevastating"saysHarareAIDSresearcherReneLoewenson. MoreominousaretheimplicationsforSouthAfricawithasophisticatedindustrialinfrastructureaswellasawidespreadinformalsector.WhiletheSouthAfricangovernmentisactiveinpromotingAIDSeducationithasn’tthemoneymanpowerormaterialtocopewiththeattackofAIDS. Whatcanweinferfromthepassage
Directions:Writeanessayof160～200wordsbasedonthefollowingdrawings.Inyoushould: 1describethedrawingbriefly 2interpretthephenomenonreflectedbyitandthen 3giveyourcomments. YoushouldwriteneatlyonANSWERSHEET2.
There’snothingsimpleaboutguncontrolatangleoflegalpoliticalandpublic-healthissuescomplicatedbyculturalpreferencesandregionalbiases.Passionsrunhighonallsides.Lifelonghunterswho grewupwithfirearmsurbanvictimsofgunviolenceSecondAmendmentscholarsNRAlobbyistschiefsofpolice—they’veallgotcasestomakeandtheymakethemwelloftencontentiously. Forthepast15yearsmuchofthedebatehascenteredontheeffectivenessoftheBradyHandgunViolencePreventionActthefederalgun-controlbillthatwaspassedin1993.Criticssaythefocusonlaw-abidinggunbuyersdoesn’taddresstherealissue—badguyswhoacquiretheirweaponsillegally.Supporterssaythatthebillstopsthousandsofillegalgunpurchasesanddeterscrimeandviolence.Nowmedicalresearchhascometotherescuesiftingthroughthedatatofigureoutwhichlegalmeasuresworkbesttoreducefirearmsuicidesandhomicides. InapaperpublishedintheMayissueoftheAmericanJournalofPreventiveMedicineStevenSumnerathird-yearmedstudentandDr.PeterLaydecodirectoroftheInjuryResearchCenterattheMedicalCollegeofWisconsinfoundthatlocalbackgroundcheckswhichareoptionalandusedbyjustahandfulofstatesweremoreeffectivethanthefederalbackgroundchecksmandatedbytheBradylaw.Thereportcomparedthehomicideandsuicideratesinstatesthatperformonlyfederalcheckswithstatesthatdostate-levelchecksandthosethatperformlocal-levelchecks.Thelocal-levelcheckswereassociatedwitha27percentlowerfirearmsuiciderateanda22percentlowerhomiciderateamongadults21andolderthelegalagetopurchaseagun. Whyarelocalcheckssomuchbetter"Wehypothesizethatit’sduetoaccesstoadditionalinformationthat’snotavailableatthefederalchecks"saysLayde"particularlyrelatedtomental-healthissuesanddomestic-violenceissues."All50statesusetheNationalInstantCriminalBackgroundCheckSystemNICStheminimumrequiredunderBradywhile17statesalsoperformstate-levelchecksand12doadditionallocal-levelchecks. "Thisisthefirststudythat’slookedatthisissue"saysLayde."Ifthemagnitudeofimpactwefoundwereinfacttoapplytoall50statesyouwouldexpectaverysubstantialreductioninsuicidesandhomicideslinkedtofirearmsmanythousands."Howeverbackgroundcheckscanbebothanadministrativeandacostburdenforstrappedandstretchedlocalauthorities.Thereisanotherwaytogetthesameresults.improvetheflowoflocalinformationtotheNICSdatabases."Inanidealworld"saysLayde"youmightnothavetohavethelocalagenciesinvolvedifyoujustreliablygotallthedatatheyhaduptothefederallevel. WelearnfromthesecondparagraphthattheBradyAct
Anawkward-lookingcharactersuchasCyranodeBergeracmightsniffatthesuggestionbutrecentscientificresearchshowsbeautybrainsandbrawnmayinfactallbealliedwritesDrRajPersaud. 46Psychologistshaveconcludedthatwemaybedrawntothestereotypicallyattractivebecauseofwhattheirfacesrevealabouttheirintelligenceandsuccessinlaterlife.InAmericanresearchledbyProfessorLeslieZebrowitzofBrandeisUniversityhasshownanassociationbetweenfacialattractiveandIQ.Strangersbrieflyexposedtoatarget’sfacewereabletocorrectlyjudgeintelligenceatlevelssignificantlybetterthanchance. Thesameteamalsoresearchedhowaperson’sattractivenessmightbearrelationtotheirintelligence.Theyfoundthatgood-lookingpeopledidbetterinIQtestsastheyaged.47Theirresearchsoughttoprovethathowapersonperceivedhimselfandwasperceivedbyotherspredictedhowintelligentheapparentlybecamemoreaccuratelythanhispastintelligence.48Perhapsbecausethemoreattractivepeopleweretreatedasmoreintelligenttheyendeduphavingmorestimulatingandthereforeintelligence-enhancinglives. DoesthismeanthatyourfacereallycouldbeyourdestinySociologistsDrUlrichMuellerandDrAllanMazuroftheUniversityofMarburginGermanyrecentlyanalyzedthefinalyearphotographsofthe1950graduatesofWestPointintheUnitedStates.Dominantfacialappearancesturnedouttobeaconsistentpredictoroflater-rankattainment: Againtheybelievedtherecouldbeaself-fulfillingeffect.49Becausesomemenlookedmoreauthoritativetheynaturallydrewrespectandobediencefromotherswhichinturnassistedtheirrisethroughtheranks. AteamattheRoyalCollegeofSurgeonsinDublinhasbeeninvestigatingthesensitivesubjectoflinksbetweenphysicalandmentalabnormalities.LedbyDoctorsRobinHennessyandJohnWaddingtontheteamusedanewlasersurface-scanningtechniquetomakea3-Danalysisofhowfacialshapemightvarywithbrainstructure.Theirfindingsshowedthatinearlyfetallifebrainandfacedevelopmentareintimatelyconnected.Fromthistheyconcludedthatabnormalitiesinbrainelaborationprobablyalsoaffectfacedevelopment. ThisaccordingtothemexplainsthestrikingfacialfeaturesofsomeonewithDown’ssyndrome.50Usingsimilartechniquestheteamalsodemonstratedhowotherdisorderslinkedtobrainaberrationscouldbeassociatedwithfacialalterations. Sotheverylatestscientificresearchsuggeststhatnobodyshouldtrytolooktooobviouslydifferentfromaverage. 50Usingsimilartechniquestheteamalsodemonstratedhowotherdisorderslinkedtobrainaberrationscouldbeassociatedwithfacialalterations.
Anawkward-lookingcharactersuchasCyranodeBergeracmightsniffatthesuggestionbutrecentscientificresearchshowsbeautybrainsandbrawnmayinfactallbealliedwritesDrRajPersaud. 46Psychologistshaveconcludedthatwemaybedrawntothestereotypicallyattractivebecauseofwhattheirfacesrevealabouttheirintelligenceandsuccessinlaterlife.InAmericanresearchledbyProfessorLeslieZebrowitzofBrandeisUniversityhasshownanassociationbetweenfacialattractiveandIQ.Strangersbrieflyexposedtoatarget’sfacewereabletocorrectlyjudgeintelligenceatlevelssignificantlybetterthanchance. Thesameteamalsoresearchedhowaperson’sattractivenessmightbearrelationtotheirintelligence.Theyfoundthatgood-lookingpeopledidbetterinIQtestsastheyaged.47Theirresearchsoughttoprovethathowapersonperceivedhimselfandwasperceivedbyotherspredictedhowintelligentheapparentlybecamemoreaccuratelythanhispastintelligence.48Perhapsbecausethemoreattractivepeopleweretreatedasmoreintelligenttheyendeduphavingmorestimulatingandthereforeintelligence-enhancinglives. DoesthismeanthatyourfacereallycouldbeyourdestinySociologistsDrUlrichMuellerandDrAllanMazuroftheUniversityofMarburginGermanyrecentlyanalyzedthefinalyearphotographsofthe1950graduatesofWestPointintheUnitedStates.Dominantfacialappearancesturnedouttobeaconsistentpredictoroflater-rankattainment: Againtheybelievedtherecouldbeaself-fulfillingeffect.49Becausesomemenlookedmoreauthoritativetheynaturallydrewrespectandobediencefromotherswhichinturnassistedtheirrisethroughtheranks. AteamattheRoyalCollegeofSurgeonsinDublinhasbeeninvestigatingthesensitivesubjectoflinksbetweenphysicalandmentalabnormalities.LedbyDoctorsRobinHennessyandJohnWaddingtontheteamusedanewlasersurface-scanningtechniquetomakea3-Danalysisofhowfacialshapemightvarywithbrainstructure.Theirfindingsshowedthatinearlyfetallifebrainandfacedevelopmentareintimatelyconnected.Fromthistheyconcludedthatabnormalitiesinbrainelaborationprobablyalsoaffectfacedevelopment. ThisaccordingtothemexplainsthestrikingfacialfeaturesofsomeonewithDown’ssyndrome.50Usingsimilartechniquestheteamalsodemonstratedhowotherdisorderslinkedtobrainaberrationscouldbeassociatedwithfacialalterations. Sotheverylatestscientificresearchsuggeststhatnobodyshouldtrytolooktooobviouslydifferentfromaverage. 48Perhapsbecausethemoreattractivepeopleweretreatedasmoreintelligenttheyendeduphavingmorestimulatingandthereforeintelligence-enhancinglives.
Thetermscollegeanduniversityoriginallyhadverysimilarmeanings.Only1thepassingofcenturiesdid"university"cometo2aneducational3composedofmorethanonecollege. DuringtheMiddleAgesstudents4theuniversitiesofParisOxfordandCambridgefound5convenienttorenthousesandshareexpenses6livinginprivateapartments.Bythe13thcenturythese"housesofscholars"werebecominglegallyrecognizedcorporateinstitutions.AtOxfordtheearliestofthese7wereUniversityCollege8in1249byWilliamofDurham;BalliolCollegefoundedbyJohnBalliolin1263;andMertonCollegefoundedabout1264byWalterdeMerton.Asimilar9tookplaceatCambridge. IntheUnitedStatesthewordcollegemostcommonly10tofour-yearinstitutionsthat11studentsfromsecondaryschoolsandgrantabachelor’s12afterageneral13ofstudies. Acollegemayalsobeaschool14specializedtrainingthattakesplaceafter15thebachelor’sdegree--suchasacollegeoflawormedicine.Schools16intheologicaltrainingmaybecalledseminariesorschoolsinsteadofcolleges.Auniversitynormally17ofagroupofcolleges--onefortheliberalartsorgeneralstudiesand18forengineeringlawmedicineeducationand19.Someofthesecollegesareforadvancedstudy20thecollegeofliberalartsistheinstitutioninwhichoneearnsabachelor’sdegree. 2
InthecurrentimmigrationwavesomethingmarkedlydifferentishappeninghereinthemiddleofthegreatAmerican"meltingpot."46ThereisasensethatespeciallyasimmigrantpopulationsreachacriticalmassinmanycommunitiesitisnolongerthemeltingpotthatistransformingthembuttheywhoaretransformingAmericansociety. Americancultureremainsapowerfulforce—forbetterorworse—thatinfluencespeoplebothhereandaroundtheworldincountlessways.ButseveralfactorshavecombinedinrecentyearstoallowimmigrantstoresistiftheychoosetheAmericanizationthathadoncebeenconsideredirresistible. Infacttheveryconceptofassimilationisbeingcalledintoquestionasneverbefore.47Somesociologistsarguethatthemeltingpotoftenmeanslittlemorethan"Angloconformity"andthatassimilationisnotalwaysapositiveexperience—foreithersocietyortheimmigrantsthemselves.Andwithtoday’semphasisondiversityandethnicityithasbecomeeasierthaneverforimmigrantstoavoidthemeltingpotentirely.Eventhemetaphoritselfischanginghavingfallenoutoffashioncompletelywithmanyimmigrationadvocacyandethnicgroups.Theyprefersuchtermsasthe"saladbowl"andthe"mosaic"metaphorsthatconveymoreofasenseofseparatenessindescribingthisnationofimmigrants. 48AmongsociallyconservativefamiliessuchastheJacintoswhoinitiallymovedtoCaliforniafromtheirvillageinMexico’sGuanajuatostatethenmigratedherein1988tofindjobsinthemeatpackingindustrybadinfluencesareaconstantconcern.TheyseetheirchildrenassimilatingbutoftentotheworstaspectsofAmericanculture. Theirconcernsreflectsomeofthecomplexitiesandambivalencethatmarktheassimilationprocessthesedays.ImmigrantssuchastheJacintosareheretostaybutremainwaryoftheiradoptivecountry.Accordingtosociologiststheyarerighttobeconcerned. "Ifassimilationisalearningprocessitinvolveslearninggoodthingsandbadthings"saidRubenG.RumbautasociologyprofessoratMichiganStateUniversity."Itdoesn’talwaysleadtosomethingbetter." Theambivalenceofassimilationcancutbothways.Manynative-bornAmericansalsoseemtoharbormixedfeelingsabouttheprocess.49AsanationtheUnitedStatesincreasinglypromotesdiversitybutthereareunderlyingconcernsthatthemoreemphasisthereisonthefactorsthatsetpeopleapartthemorelikelythatsocietywillendupdivided. WithHispanicsespeciallyMexicansaccountingforanincreasingproportionofU.S.populationgrowthitisthisgroupmorethananyotherthatisredefiningthemeltingpot. HispanicsnowhaveovertakenblacksasthelargestminoritygroupinNebraskaandwillbecomethebiggestminorityinthecountrywithinthenextsevenyearsaccordingtoCensusBureauprojections.50Thenation’s29millionHispanicsthegreatmajorityofthemfromMexicohavethusbecomethemainfocusforquestionsabouthowtheUnitedStatestodayisassimilatingimmigrantsorhowitisbeingtransformed. 48AmongsociallyconservativefamiliessuchastheJacintoswhoinitiallymovedtoCaliforniafromtheirvillageinMexico’sGuanajuatostatethenmigratedherein1988tofindjobsinthemeatpackingindustrybadinfluencesareaconstantconcern.
WhatdoyouthinkofAmericanhealthcaresystemMostpeoplewouldbe1bythehighqualityofmedicine2tomostAmericans.Thereisalotofspecializationagreatdealof3totheindividuala4amountofadvancedtechnicalequipmentand5effortnottomakemistakesbecauseofthefinancialriskwhichdoctorsandhospitalsmust6inthecourtsifthey7thingsbadly. ButtheAmericansareinamess.Totheproblemisthewayin8healthcareisorganizedand9.10topubicbeliefitisnotjustafreecompetitionsystem.Totheprivatesystemhasbeenjoinedalargepublicsystembecauseprivatecarewassimplynot11thelessfortunateandtheelderly. Butevenwiththishugepublicpartofthesystem12thisyearwilleatup84.5billiondollars—morethan10percentoftheU.S.Budget—alargenumberofAmericansareleft13.Theseincludeabouthalfthe11millionunemployedandthosewhofailtomeetthestrictlimits14incomefixedbyagovernmenttryingtomakesavingswhereitcan. Thebasicproblemhoweveristhatthereisnocentralcontrol15thehealthsystem.Thereisno16towhatdoctorsandhospitalschargefortheirservicesotherthanwhatthepublicisabletopay.Thenumberofdoctorshasshotupandpriceshaveclimbed.Whenfacedwithtoothacheasickchildoraheartattackalltheunfortunatepersonsconcernedcandoistopay17.Twothirdsofthepopulationare18bymedicalinsurance.Doctorschargeasmuchastheywant19thattheinsurancecompanywillpaythebill. TherisingcostofmedicineintheU.S.A.isamongthemostworryingproblemsfacingthecountry.In1981thecountry’shealthbillclimbed15.9percent—abouttwiceasfastasprices20general. 8
"We’reusingthewrongword"saysSeanDrysdaleadesperatedoctorfromaruralhospitalatHlabisainnorthernKwaZulu-Natal."Thisisn’tanepidemicit’sadisaster."ArecentUNIEFreportwhichstatesthatalmostone-thirdofSwaziland’s900000peopleareinfectedwithHIVthevirusthatcausesAIDSsupportsthisdiagnosis.HIVisspreadingfasterinsouthernAfricathananywhereelseintheworld. ButisanyonepayingattentionDespitethefactthatmostoftheworld’s33.5millionHIV/AIDScasesareinsub-SaharanAfrica—withanadditional4millioninfectedeachyear—theprioritiesatlastweek’sOrganizationofAfricanUnitysummitwereconflictresolutionandeconomiesdevelopment.Yettheepidemiccouldhaveagreatereffectoneconomicdevelopment—orratherthelackofit—thanmanypoliticianssuspect. Whilebusinessleadersaremoreconcernedaboutthe2Kmillenniumbugthanthelong-termeffectofAIDSstatisticsshowthattheworkfareinSouthAfricaforinstanceislikelytobe20%HIVpositivebynextyear.Medicalofficialsandresearcherswarnthatnotasinglecountryintheregionhasacohesivegovernmentstrategytotacklethecrisis. ThewaymanagersaddressAIDSintheworkplacewilldeterminewhethertheircompaniessurvivethefirstdecadeofthe21stcenturysaysDeaneMooreanactuaryforSouthAfrica’sMetropolitanLifeInsuranceCompany.MooreestimatesthatinSouthAfricatherewillbe580000newAIDScasesayearandalifeexpectancyofjust38by2010."We’llbebacktotheMiddleAges"saysDrysdalewhosehospitalisinoneoftheareasinSouthAfricawiththehighestratesofHIVinfection."Thegraphisheadingtowardthevertical.Andyetpeoplearestillnottakingitseriously." MostsouthernAfricancountriesaresimplytoopoortosupplymorethanbasichealthservicesletalonemedicinestoconfrontthecrisis.PatientsinsomegovernmenthospitalsinHararehavetosupplytheirownbeddingfooddrugsandinsomecaseseventheirownnurses.Zimbabwe’sfraildomesticeconomydependstoalargeextentoninformalenterprisesandsmallbusinessesmanyofwhicharegoingbankruptasAIDStakesitstollonownersandemployees."Therippleeffectisdevastating"saysHarareAIDSresearcherReneLoewenson. MoreominousaretheimplicationsforSouthAfricawithasophisticatedindustrialinfrastructureaswellasawidespreadinformalsector.WhiletheSouthAfricangovernmentisactiveinpromotingAIDSeducationithasn’tthemoneymanpowerormaterialtocopewiththeattackofAIDS. WhatdoesthesentenceWe’reusingthewrongwordinParagraph1mean
Inmostpartsoftheworldclimatechangeisaworryingsubject.NotsoinCalifornia.Atarecentgatheringofgreenluminaries--inafilmstar’shousenaturallyforthatishowseriousnessisoftenestablishedinLosAngeles--thedominantnotewasself-satisfactionatwhatthestatehasalreadyachieved.AndperhapsnobodyismorecomplacentthanArnoldSchwarzenegger.UnlikeA1GoreapresidentialcandidateturnedprophetofenvironmentaldoomCalifornia’sgovernorsoundscheerfulwhentalkingaboutclimatechange.Aswellhemight:ithasmadehispoliticalcareer. AlthoughCaliforniahaslongbeenanenvironmentally-consciousstateuntilrecentlygreenswereconcernedaboveallwithsmogandredwoodtrees."CoastofDreams"KevinStarr’sauthoritativehistoryofcontemporaryCaliforniapublishedin2004doesnotmentionclimatechange.Inthatyearthoughthenewly-electedMr.Schwarzeneggermadehisfirsttentativecallforwesternstatestoseekalternativestofossilfuels.Graduallyhenoticedthathiseffortstotackleclimatechangemetwithlessresistanceandmoreacclaimthanjustaboutallhisotherpolicies.Thesedaysitcanseemasthoughheworksonnothingelse. Mr.Schwarzenegger’stransformationfromscreenwarriortoeco-warriorwascompletedlastyearwhenhesignedabillimposinglegally-enforceablelimitsongreenhouse--gasemissions--afirstforAmerica.ThanksmostlytoitslackofcoalandheavyindustryCaliforniaisarelativelycleanstate.Ifitwereacountryitwouldbetheworld’seighth-biggesteconomybutonlyits16th-biggestpolluter.Itsbigproblemistransport--meaningmostlycarsandtruckswhichaccountformorethan40%ofitsgreenhouse-gasemissionscomparedwith32%inAmericaasawhole.Thestatewantstoratchetdownemissionslimitsonnewvehiclesbeginningin2009.Mr.Schwarzeneggerhasalsoorderedthatby2020vehiclefuelmustproduce10%lesscarbon:intheproductionaswellastheburningsoasimpleswitchtocorn-basedethanolisprobablyout. ThanksinparttoCalifornia’sexamplemostofthewesternstateshaveadoptedclimateactionplans.WhenitcomestosettingemissiontargetsthescenecanresembleaposedownataMr.Olympiacontest.Arizona’sclimate-changescholarsdecidedtosetatargetofcuttingthestate’semissionsto2000levelsby2020.ButJanetNapolitanothegovernorwasdeterminednottobeout-muscledbyCalifornia.ShehasdeclaredthatArizonawilltrytoreturnto2000emissionlevelsby2012. Californiahasnotjustinspiredotherstates;ithascreatedavanguardthatoughttobeabletoprodthefederalgovernmentintostrongernationalstandardsthanitwouldotherwiseconsider.ButCaliforniaisfindingiteasiertoexportitspoliciesthantoputthemintopracticeathome.InonewayCalifornia’sself-confidenceisfullyjustified.Ithasdonemorethananyotherstate--letalonethefederalgovernment--tofixAmerica’sattentiononclimatechange.Ithasalsomadeitseemasthoughtheproblemcanbesolved.Whichiswhyfailurewouldbesuchbadnews.AtthemomentCaliforniaisabeacontootherstates.Ifitfailsitwillbecomeanexcuseforinaction. JanetNapolitanoismentionedinthepassagetoshowthat
WhatdoyouthinkofAmericanhealthcaresystemMostpeoplewouldbe1bythehighqualityofmedicine2tomostAmericans.Thereisalotofspecializationagreatdealof3totheindividuala4amountofadvancedtechnicalequipmentand5effortnottomakemistakesbecauseofthefinancialriskwhichdoctorsandhospitalsmust6inthecourtsifthey7thingsbadly. ButtheAmericansareinamess.Totheproblemisthewayin8healthcareisorganizedand9.10topubicbeliefitisnotjustafreecompetitionsystem.Totheprivatesystemhasbeenjoinedalargepublicsystembecauseprivatecarewassimplynot11thelessfortunateandtheelderly. Butevenwiththishugepublicpartofthesystem12thisyearwilleatup84.5billiondollars—morethan10percentoftheU.S.Budget—alargenumberofAmericansareleft13.Theseincludeabouthalfthe11millionunemployedandthosewhofailtomeetthestrictlimits14incomefixedbyagovernmenttryingtomakesavingswhereitcan. Thebasicproblemhoweveristhatthereisnocentralcontrol15thehealthsystem.Thereisno16towhatdoctorsandhospitalschargefortheirservicesotherthanwhatthepublicisabletopay.Thenumberofdoctorshasshotupandpriceshaveclimbed.Whenfacedwithtoothacheasickchildoraheartattackalltheunfortunatepersonsconcernedcandoistopay17.Twothirdsofthepopulationare18bymedicalinsurance.Doctorschargeasmuchastheywant19thattheinsurancecompanywillpaythebill. TherisingcostofmedicineintheU.S.A.isamongthemostworryingproblemsfacingthecountry.In1981thecountry’shealthbillclimbed15.9percent—abouttwiceasfastasprices20general. 16
WhatdoyouthinkofAmericanhealthcaresystemMostpeoplewouldbe1bythehighqualityofmedicine2tomostAmericans.Thereisalotofspecializationagreatdealof3totheindividuala4amountofadvancedtechnicalequipmentand5effortnottomakemistakesbecauseofthefinancialriskwhichdoctorsandhospitalsmust6inthecourtsifthey7thingsbadly. ButtheAmericansareinamess.Totheproblemisthewayin8healthcareisorganizedand9.10topubicbeliefitisnotjustafreecompetitionsystem.Totheprivatesystemhasbeenjoinedalargepublicsystembecauseprivatecarewassimplynot11thelessfortunateandtheelderly. Butevenwiththishugepublicpartofthesystem12thisyearwilleatup84.5billiondollars—morethan10percentoftheU.S.Budget—alargenumberofAmericansareleft13.Theseincludeabouthalfthe11millionunemployedandthosewhofailtomeetthestrictlimits14incomefixedbyagovernmenttryingtomakesavingswhereitcan. Thebasicproblemhoweveristhatthereisnocentralcontrol15thehealthsystem.Thereisno16towhatdoctorsandhospitalschargefortheirservicesotherthanwhatthepublicisabletopay.Thenumberofdoctorshasshotupandpriceshaveclimbed.Whenfacedwithtoothacheasickchildoraheartattackalltheunfortunatepersonsconcernedcandoistopay17.Twothirdsofthepopulationare18bymedicalinsurance.Doctorschargeasmuchastheywant19thattheinsurancecompanywillpaythebill. TherisingcostofmedicineintheU.S.A.isamongthemostworryingproblemsfacingthecountry.In1981thecountry’shealthbillclimbed15.9percent—abouttwiceasfastasprices20general. 14
WhatdoyouthinkofAmericanhealthcaresystemMostpeoplewouldbe1bythehighqualityofmedicine2tomostAmericans.Thereisalotofspecializationagreatdealof3totheindividuala4amountofadvancedtechnicalequipmentand5effortnottomakemistakesbecauseofthefinancialriskwhichdoctorsandhospitalsmust6inthecourtsifthey7thingsbadly. ButtheAmericansareinamess.Totheproblemisthewayin8healthcareisorganizedand9.10topubicbeliefitisnotjustafreecompetitionsystem.Totheprivatesystemhasbeenjoinedalargepublicsystembecauseprivatecarewassimplynot11thelessfortunateandtheelderly. Butevenwiththishugepublicpartofthesystem12thisyearwilleatup84.5billiondollars—morethan10percentoftheU.S.Budget—alargenumberofAmericansareleft13.Theseincludeabouthalfthe11millionunemployedandthosewhofailtomeetthestrictlimits14incomefixedbyagovernmenttryingtomakesavingswhereitcan. Thebasicproblemhoweveristhatthereisnocentralcontrol15thehealthsystem.Thereisno16towhatdoctorsandhospitalschargefortheirservicesotherthanwhatthepublicisabletopay.Thenumberofdoctorshasshotupandpriceshaveclimbed.Whenfacedwithtoothacheasickchildoraheartattackalltheunfortunatepersonsconcernedcandoistopay17.Twothirdsofthepopulationare18bymedicalinsurance.Doctorschargeasmuchastheywant19thattheinsurancecompanywillpaythebill. TherisingcostofmedicineintheU.S.A.isamongthemostworryingproblemsfacingthecountry.In1981thecountry’shealthbillclimbed15.9percent—abouttwiceasfastasprices20general. 20
[A]Extensiveapplicationsofhaptictechnology. [B]Possibilitiesrenderedbyhapticmechanisms. [C]Thefeasibilityofextendingoursensesandexploringabstractuniverses. [D]Anexampleoftheprogressinscienceofhaptics. [E]Bringingthepotentialofoursensesintofullplay. [F]Willhapticsstepintoabrightfuture "OOOF!"Usingyourmouseyouheaveadatafileacrossthescreen--acoupleofgigabytesofdataweighalot.Itsroughsurfacetellsyouthatitisagraphicsfile.Havingtippedthishugepileofdataintoahopperthatsendsittotherightprogramyouexamineascreenimageoftheforesttrailyou’llbehikingonyourvacation.Thenusingaglovedhandyoumasteritsdetailsbyrunningyourfingersoveritsforksandbendsitssharprisesandfalls.LateryousendanE-mailtoyourbelovedbendingtothedeskpadtoattachakiss. 41.__________. ThescienceofhapticsfromtheGreekhaptesthai"totouch"ismakingthesefantasiesreal.Afewprimitivedevicesareextendinghuman-machinecommunicationbeyondvisionandsound.Hapticjoysticksandsteeringwheelsforcomputergamesarealreadygivinghappyplayerssomeofthesensationsofpilotingaspaceshipdrivingaracingcarorfiringweapons.Intimehapticinterfacesmayallowustomanipulatesinglemoleculesfeelcloudsandgalaxiesevenreachintohigherdimensionstograspthesubtlestructuresofmathematics. 42.__________. Mostofoursensestirepassive.Inhearingandvisionforexamplethesoundorlightissimplyreceivedandanalyzed.Buttouchisdifferent:weactivelyexploreandalterrealitywithourhandssothesameactionthatgathersinformationcanalsochangetheworld--tomodelapieceofclayorpressabuttonforexample.Inprovidingdirectcontactbetweenpeopletouchcarriesemotionalimpact.Andinprovidingdirectcontactwiththeworlditisthesuresignofrealityasin"pinchme--amIdreaming" 43.__________. Somesmallstepshaveevenbeentakentowardswhole-bodyhaptics.TouchTechnologyofNovaScotiaCanadahasbuiltahapticchair.Itlookslikeafull-lengthloungechairinafamilydenbutitssurfaceisstuddedwith72"tactors"-pneumaticpistonrodscoveredwithroundedbuttonsthatcanextendaboutaninchandcanbedrivenundercomputercontrolinanydesiredsequenceandpattern.Itcouldbeprogrammedtoimitatearealmassageortofunctionintimetomusic.Accordingtothemanufacturerthatprovidesapowerfulblendingofsen-sations--along-termgoalofvirtualreality. 44.__________. Evenatitspresentcrudelevelhoweverhapticscanmaketangiblewhatoncecouldnotbetouchedorevenpictured.ToinvestigatetheworldoftheverysmallresearchersattheUniversityofNorthCarolinaChapelHillhavedevelopedthenanoManipulator.Thisaddstouchtothetechniqueofscanningprobemicroscopywhichcanimageasingleatombymonitoringeithertheelectricalcurrentflowingbetweenanextremelyfineprobeandasurfaceortheforcebetweenthem.WiththenanoManipulatorresearcherscanseeandmanipulateauniverseamilliontimessmallerthantheirowntostudyvirusesandtinysemiconductingdevices.Iftheforcefeedbackcanbemadesensitiveenoughitmaybepossibletopushmolecularkeysintospecificmolecularlockstocustom-designdrugsorassemblesiliconpartsintointricatenanomachines.Withotherinterfacesthereisnoreasonweshouldn’talsobeabletotouchtheverylarge-cloudsoceancurrentsmantleflowsmountainsgalaxyclusters.Ortheverystrong--withasuitableforcescalingnewceramicsoralloyscouldbesqueezedandtwangedtotesttheirengineeringproperties.Orthephysicallyextremeandinaccessible--suchasultrahotplasmaflowsinfusionmachines. 45.__________. Haptictechnologycouldevenmakeabstractideastangible.Manyscientificconceptsoccupyspacesofmorethanthreedimensionsstringtheoryfor’exampleassertsthatweliveina10or11-dimensionalUniverse.Asitisimpossibletovisualisesuchaspaceweexploretheseideas’throughmathematicalexpressionsortwodimensionalsketchesonpaper.Butprobingtheseunfamiliargeometrieswithtouchmaybemoreeffective.Andforblindpeoplehapticsoffersanewwaytograspinformationeveninthreedimensions.AgroupattheUniversityofDelawarehasdevelopedanenvironmentwhereapersoncanfeelamathematicalfunction.UsingaPHAN-TOMtheuser"walks"alongthesurfaceofthefigure.Likeahikerfollowingmountainousterraintheuserfeelswherethefunctionissteepwhereitislevelandwhereitspeaksandvalleyslie.OtherhapticsystemscouldhelpblindpeopletobrowsetheInternetfeelingimagesaswellaswords. Thefutureofhapticsisbrightbuttheonlysensualrelationshipitwillbesustaininganytimesoonisbetweenyouandyourcomputer. 44
InthecurrentimmigrationwavesomethingmarkedlydifferentishappeninghereinthemiddleofthegreatAmerican"meltingpot."46ThereisasensethatespeciallyasimmigrantpopulationsreachacriticalmassinmanycommunitiesitisnolongerthemeltingpotthatistransformingthembuttheywhoaretransformingAmericansociety. Americancultureremainsapowerfulforce—forbetterorworse—thatinfluencespeoplebothhereandaroundtheworldincountlessways.ButseveralfactorshavecombinedinrecentyearstoallowimmigrantstoresistiftheychoosetheAmericanizationthathadoncebeenconsideredirresistible. Infacttheveryconceptofassimilationisbeingcalledintoquestionasneverbefore.47Somesociologistsarguethatthemeltingpotoftenmeanslittlemorethan"Angloconformity"andthatassimilationisnotalwaysapositiveexperience—foreithersocietyortheimmigrantsthemselves.Andwithtoday’semphasisondiversityandethnicityithasbecomeeasierthaneverforimmigrantstoavoidthemeltingpotentirely.Eventhemetaphoritselfischanginghavingfallenoutoffashioncompletelywithmanyimmigrationadvocacyandethnicgroups.Theyprefersuchtermsasthe"saladbowl"andthe"mosaic"metaphorsthatconveymoreofasenseofseparatenessindescribingthisnationofimmigrants. 48AmongsociallyconservativefamiliessuchastheJacintoswhoinitiallymovedtoCaliforniafromtheirvillageinMexico’sGuanajuatostatethenmigratedherein1988tofindjobsinthemeatpackingindustrybadinfluencesareaconstantconcern.TheyseetheirchildrenassimilatingbutoftentotheworstaspectsofAmericanculture. Theirconcernsreflectsomeofthecomplexitiesandambivalencethatmarktheassimilationprocessthesedays.ImmigrantssuchastheJacintosareheretostaybutremainwaryoftheiradoptivecountry.Accordingtosociologiststheyarerighttobeconcerned. "Ifassimilationisalearningprocessitinvolveslearninggoodthingsandbadthings"saidRubenG.RumbautasociologyprofessoratMichiganStateUniversity."Itdoesn’talwaysleadtosomethingbetter." Theambivalenceofassimilationcancutbothways.Manynative-bornAmericansalsoseemtoharbormixedfeelingsabouttheprocess.49AsanationtheUnitedStatesincreasinglypromotesdiversitybutthereareunderlyingconcernsthatthemoreemphasisthereisonthefactorsthatsetpeopleapartthemorelikelythatsocietywillendupdivided. WithHispanicsespeciallyMexicansaccountingforanincreasingproportionofU.S.populationgrowthitisthisgroupmorethananyotherthatisredefiningthemeltingpot. HispanicsnowhaveovertakenblacksasthelargestminoritygroupinNebraskaandwillbecomethebiggestminorityinthecountrywithinthenextsevenyearsaccordingtoCensusBureauprojections.50Thenation’s29millionHispanicsthegreatmajorityofthemfromMexicohavethusbecomethemainfocusforquestionsabouthowtheUnitedStatestodayisassimilatingimmigrantsorhowitisbeingtransformed. 46ThereisasensethatespeciallyasimmigrantpopulationsreachacriticalmassinmanycommunitiesitisnolongerthemeltingpotthatistransformingthembuttheywhoaretransformingAmericansociety.
WhatdoyouthinkofAmericanhealthcaresystemMostpeoplewouldbe1bythehighqualityofmedicine2tomostAmericans.Thereisalotofspecializationagreatdealof3totheindividuala4amountofadvancedtechnicalequipmentand5effortnottomakemistakesbecauseofthefinancialriskwhichdoctorsandhospitalsmust6inthecourtsifthey7thingsbadly. ButtheAmericansareinamess.Totheproblemisthewayin8healthcareisorganizedand9.10topubicbeliefitisnotjustafreecompetitionsystem.Totheprivatesystemhasbeenjoinedalargepublicsystembecauseprivatecarewassimplynot11thelessfortunateandtheelderly. Butevenwiththishugepublicpartofthesystem12thisyearwilleatup84.5billiondollars—morethan10percentoftheU.S.Budget—alargenumberofAmericansareleft13.Theseincludeabouthalfthe11millionunemployedandthosewhofailtomeetthestrictlimits14incomefixedbyagovernmenttryingtomakesavingswhereitcan. Thebasicproblemhoweveristhatthereisnocentralcontrol15thehealthsystem.Thereisno16towhatdoctorsandhospitalschargefortheirservicesotherthanwhatthepublicisabletopay.Thenumberofdoctorshasshotupandpriceshaveclimbed.Whenfacedwithtoothacheasickchildoraheartattackalltheunfortunatepersonsconcernedcandoistopay17.Twothirdsofthepopulationare18bymedicalinsurance.Doctorschargeasmuchastheywant19thattheinsurancecompanywillpaythebill. TherisingcostofmedicineintheU.S.A.isamongthemostworryingproblemsfacingthecountry.In1981thecountry’shealthbillclimbed15.9percent—abouttwiceasfastasprices20general. 6
WhatdoyouthinkofAmericanhealthcaresystemMostpeoplewouldbe1bythehighqualityofmedicine2tomostAmericans.Thereisalotofspecializationagreatdealof3totheindividuala4amountofadvancedtechnicalequipmentand5effortnottomakemistakesbecauseofthefinancialriskwhichdoctorsandhospitalsmust6inthecourtsifthey7thingsbadly. ButtheAmericansareinamess.Totheproblemisthewayin8healthcareisorganizedand9.10topubicbeliefitisnotjustafreecompetitionsystem.Totheprivatesystemhasbeenjoinedalargepublicsystembecauseprivatecarewassimplynot11thelessfortunateandtheelderly. Butevenwiththishugepublicpartofthesystem12thisyearwilleatup84.5billiondollars—morethan10percentoftheU.S.Budget—alargenumberofAmericansareleft13.Theseincludeabouthalfthe11millionunemployedandthosewhofailtomeetthestrictlimits14incomefixedbyagovernmenttryingtomakesavingswhereitcan. Thebasicproblemhoweveristhatthereisnocentralcontrol15thehealthsystem.Thereisno16towhatdoctorsandhospitalschargefortheirservicesotherthanwhatthepublicisabletopay.Thenumberofdoctorshasshotupandpriceshaveclimbed.Whenfacedwithtoothacheasickchildoraheartattackalltheunfortunatepersonsconcernedcandoistopay17.Twothirdsofthepopulationare18bymedicalinsurance.Doctorschargeasmuchastheywant19thattheinsurancecompanywillpaythebill. TherisingcostofmedicineintheU.S.A.isamongthemostworryingproblemsfacingthecountry.In1981thecountry’shealthbillclimbed15.9percent—abouttwiceasfastasprices20general. 10
There’snothingsimpleaboutguncontrolatangleoflegalpoliticalandpublic-healthissuescomplicatedbyculturalpreferencesandregionalbiases.Passionsrunhighonallsides.Lifelonghunterswho grewupwithfirearmsurbanvictimsofgunviolenceSecondAmendmentscholarsNRAlobbyistschiefsofpolice—they’veallgotcasestomakeandtheymakethemwelloftencontentiously. Forthepast15yearsmuchofthedebatehascenteredontheeffectivenessoftheBradyHandgunViolencePreventionActthefederalgun-controlbillthatwaspassedin1993.Criticssaythefocusonlaw-abidinggunbuyersdoesn’taddresstherealissue—badguyswhoacquiretheirweaponsillegally.Supporterssaythatthebillstopsthousandsofillegalgunpurchasesanddeterscrimeandviolence.Nowmedicalresearchhascometotherescuesiftingthroughthedatatofigureoutwhichlegalmeasuresworkbesttoreducefirearmsuicidesandhomicides. InapaperpublishedintheMayissueoftheAmericanJournalofPreventiveMedicineStevenSumnerathird-yearmedstudentandDr.PeterLaydecodirectoroftheInjuryResearchCenterattheMedicalCollegeofWisconsinfoundthatlocalbackgroundcheckswhichareoptionalandusedbyjustahandfulofstatesweremoreeffectivethanthefederalbackgroundchecksmandatedbytheBradylaw.Thereportcomparedthehomicideandsuicideratesinstatesthatperformonlyfederalcheckswithstatesthatdostate-levelchecksandthosethatperformlocal-levelchecks.Thelocal-levelcheckswereassociatedwitha27percentlowerfirearmsuiciderateanda22percentlowerhomiciderateamongadults21andolderthelegalagetopurchaseagun. Whyarelocalcheckssomuchbetter"Wehypothesizethatit’sduetoaccesstoadditionalinformationthat’snotavailableatthefederalchecks"saysLayde"particularlyrelatedtomental-healthissuesanddomestic-violenceissues."All50statesusetheNationalInstantCriminalBackgroundCheckSystemNICStheminimumrequiredunderBradywhile17statesalsoperformstate-levelchecksand12doadditionallocal-levelchecks. "Thisisthefirststudythat’slookedatthisissue"saysLayde."Ifthemagnitudeofimpactwefoundwereinfacttoapplytoall50statesyouwouldexpectaverysubstantialreductioninsuicidesandhomicideslinkedtofirearmsmanythousands."Howeverbackgroundcheckscanbebothanadministrativeandacostburdenforstrappedandstretchedlocalauthorities.Thereisanotherwaytogetthesameresults.improvetheflowoflocalinformationtotheNICSdatabases."Inanidealworld"saysLayde"youmightnothavetohavethelocalagenciesinvolvedifyoujustreliablygotallthedatatheyhaduptothefederallevel. TheBradyActrequiresthat
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