AIDS’ Threat to Asia Grows

NEW DELHI----Just a few years ago, Mala was a typical middle-class Indian housewife. She cooked, cleaned and looked after her two small children.

Last year, her life took a tragic turn. Her husband died of AIDS; she was found out HIV-positive and her mother-in-law took her children away from her, saying they would get the disease. “When friends dropped for a visit, she would introduce me, saying, ‘She is my son’s widow. She has AIDS,’” said Mala. AIDS is now described as “explosive(炸药)” around the world. A study of a hospital in the port city of Durban in South Africa, where the world’s biggest and Africa’s second AIDS conference opened last Sunday, found that almost half the beds in medical wards (病房) were occupied by AIDS patients.

South Africa has one of the world’s fastest growing HIV infections, with 1,700 people infected daily, adding to the 4.3 million, or 10 percent of its population, living with HIV. Until now, Asia has been more successful in holding the AIDS virus than Africa, where the disease has killed about 12 million people.

AIDS is now threatening to surround many of Asia’s poverty-stricken countries. Countries in Asia, such as Cambodia, and Thailand, have HIV infection speeds over 1 percent. But the low speeds hide huge numbers of infected people, because of the population base.

In India, for example, 3.7 million are infected, more than in any other country except South Africa. In China, an estimated 860,000 people (the actual number may be a little larger), mainly drug users, live with HIV/AIDS. Gordon Alexander, a senior advisor for UN AIDS in India, estimates that the number hit by AIDS in Asia will climb about eight million over the next five years from about six million.

In many Asian countries, the battle against HIV is a social and cultural one against public discussion of sexual health put a nationwide media campaign into action to limit the speed of HIV through unsafe sex. Brenton Wong, an official for Singapore’s Action for AIDS, says the actual HIV incidence in the city state of 3.9 million people is at least eight times higher than official data. “Shame and deny is still very, very common so people are afraid to get tested and many times won’t even tell their families if they test positive,” said Wong.

We can conclude from the underlined sentence in the last paragraph that ______.

    A. The official data always tell lies and cheat people to hide the truth.      

    B. 3.9 million people in Singapore suffered from AIDS.     

    C. Singapore has a population of 3.9 million  

    D. The number of people infected with HIV is at least eight times larger than that of the AIDS patients in Singapore.

It is judged that there are ______ people hit by AIDS in Asia or so.

    A. 4.3 million      B. 6 million   C. 8 million   D. 3.7 million

According to the passage, the main reasons that AIDS spread in Asia is through_______. 

    A. blood    B. unsafe sex       C. love     D. drugs

Which of the following statements is not right?     

    A. The battle against Aids in many Asian countries is against their culture and

social customs. 

    B. Though the HIV infection in Asia develops with low speed, the infected number

is still quite large compared to other continents.     

    C. India has the second largest number of HIV infected people.  

    D. Aids might affect the poverty-stricken countries more severely.

AIDS’ Threat to Asia Grows

NEW DELHI----Just a few years ago, Mala was a typical middle-class Indian housewife. She cooked, cleaned and looked after her two small children.

Last year, her life took a tragic turn. Her husband died of AIDS; she was found out HIV-positive and her mother-in-law took her children away from her, saying they would get the disease. “When friends dropped for a visit, she would introduce me, saying, ‘She is my son’s widow. She has AIDS,’” said Mala. AIDS is now described as “explosive(炸药)” around the world. A study of a hospital in the port city of Durban in South Africa, where the world’s biggest and Africa’s second AIDS conference opened last Sunday, found that almost half the beds in medical wards (病房) were occupied by AIDS patients.

South Africa has one of the world’s fastest growing HIV infections, with 1,700 people infected daily, adding to the 4.3 million, or 10 percent of its population, living with HIV. Until now, Asia has been more successful in holding the AIDS virus than Africa, where the disease has killed about 12 million people.

AIDS is now threatening to surround many of Asia’s poverty-stricken countries. Countries in Asia, such as Cambodia, and Thailand, have HIV infection speeds over 1 percent. But the low speeds hide huge numbers of infected people, because of the population base.

In India, for example, 3.7 million are infected, more than in any other country except South Africa. In China, an estimated 860,000 people (the actual number may be a little larger), mainly drug users, live with HIV/AIDS. Gordon Alexander, a senior advisor for UN AIDS in India, estimates that the number hit by AIDS in Asia will climb about eight million over the next five years from about six million.

In many Asian countries, the battle against HIV is a social and cultural one against public discussion of sexual health put a nationwide media campaign into action to limit the speed of HIV through unsafe sex. Brenton Wong, an official for Singapore’s Action for AIDS, says the actual HIV incidence in the city state of 3.9 million people is at least eight times higher than official data. “Shame and deny is still very, very common so people are afraid to get tested and many times won’t even tell their families if they test positive,” said Wong.

 

1. We can conclude from the underlined sentence in the last paragraph that ______.

   A. The official data always tell lies and cheat people to hide the truth.       

   B. 3.9 million people in Singapore suffered from AIDS.    

   C. Singapore has a population of 3.9 million              

   D. The number of people infected with HIV is at least eight times larger than that of the AIDS patients in Singapore.

2. It is judged that there are ______ people hit by AIDS in Asia or so.

   A. 4.3 million       B. 6 million        C. 8 million       D. 3.7 million

3. According to the passage, the main reasons that AIDS spread in Asia is through_______. 

   A. blood             B. unsafe sex       C. love            D. drugs

4.Which of the following statements is not right?     

   A. The battle against Aids in many Asian countries is against their culture and

social customs. 

   B. Though the HIV infection in Asia develops with low speed, the infected number

is still quite large compared to other continents.       

   C. India has the second largest number of HIV infected people.  

   D. Aids might affect the poverty-stricken countries more severely.

 

 

AIDS’ Threat to Asia Grows

NEW DELHI----Just a few years ago, Mala was a typical middle-class Indian housewife. She cooked, cleaned and looked after her two small children.

Last year, her life took a tragic turn. Her husband died of AIDS; she was found out HIV-positive and her mother-in-law took her children away from her, saying they would get the disease. “When friends dropped for a visit, she would introduce me, saying, ‘She is my son’s widow. She has AIDS,’” said Mala. AIDS is now described as “explosive(炸药)” around the world. A study of a hospital in the port city of Durban in South Africa, where the world’s biggest and Africa’s second AIDS conference opened last Sunday, found that almost half the beds in medical wards (病房) were occupied by AIDS patients.

South Africa has one of the world’s fastest growing HIV infections, with 1,700 people infected daily, adding to the 4.3 million, or 10 percent of its population, living with HIV. Until now, Asia has been more successful in holding the AIDS virus than Africa, where the disease has killed about 12 million people.

AIDS is now threatening to surround many of Asia’s poverty-stricken countries. Countries in Asia, such as Cambodia, and Thailand, have HIV infection speeds over 1 percent. But the low speeds hide huge numbers of infected people, because of the population base.

In India, for example, 3.7 million are infected, more than in any other country except South Africa. In China, an estimated 860,000 people (the actual number may be a little larger), mainly drug users, live with HIV/AIDS. Gordon Alexander, a senior advisor for UN AIDS in India, estimates that the number hit by AIDS in Asia will climb about eight million over the next five years from about six million.

In many Asian countries, the battle against HIV is a social and cultural one against public discussion of sexual health put a nationwide media campaign into action to limit the speed of HIV through unsafe sex. Brenton Wong, an official for Singapore’s Action for AIDS, says the actual HIV incidence in the city state of 3.9 million people is at least eight times higher than official data. “Shame and deny is still very, very common so people are afraid to get tested and many times won’t even tell their families if they test positive,” said Wong.

We can conclude from the underlined sentence in the last paragraph that ______.

       A. The official data always tell lies and cheat people to hide the truth.       

       B. 3.9 million people in Singapore suffered from AIDS.        

       C. Singapore has a population of 3.9 million    

       D. The number of people infected with HIV is at least eight times larger than that of the AIDS patients in Singapore.

It is judged that there are ______ people hit by AIDS in Asia or so.

       A. 4.3 million      B. 6 million         C. 8 million         D. 3.7 million

According to the passage, the main reasons that AIDS spread in Asia is through_______. 

       A. blood       B. unsafe sex       C. love         D. drugs

Which of the following statements is not right?     

       A. The battle against Aids in many Asian countries is against their culture and

social customs. 

       B. Though the HIV infection in Asia develops with low speed, the infected number

is still quite large compared to other continents.      

       C. India has the second largest number of HIV infected people.  

       D. Aids might affect the poverty-stricken countries more severely.

June 26, 2000 — the Human Genome(基因组) Project, a great $3 billion, 15-year task aimed at drawing the genetic(遗传的) map of humans, is now more than 90 percent completed. The scientific and medical communities(团体) are very excited about the chances genetic research provides for getting rid of diseases and prolonging(延长) human life. But those communities and policy(政策) makers also are careful about the scientific door they are opening as the project uncovers the mysteries of life.

For the last few years, the genetic advances in the developing field of biotechnology(生物技术) have provides material for all kinds of work, but the developments of modern science in unlocking the secrets of the human genetic code(密码) have opened a world of possibilities for human health, as well as for the popular imagination.

While European and Japanese researchers are making rapid progress in decoding(解码) human DNA, the leading organization for genetic research is in the United States, which began in 1990, is “unlocking the code” of the human body to learn how to defeat fatal(致命的)diseases. Already, the Human Genome Project has become widely known and praised for finding the genes(基因) connected with terrible diseases as yet(迄今), and making progress toward separating the genes that show a sign of breast cancer or AIDS.

Once these genes are found and studied, researchers can develop new ways to attack infections(传染), and genetic diseases. Medical companies are very interested in mapping the human genome, as they expect to develop a lot of new drugs for these illnesses.

1. Why did the scientists work hard at mapping the human genome?

A. Because the human genome can destroy many illnesses.

B. Because the human genome's completion can help them get rid of many diseases.

C. Because they wanted to be better known than others.

D. Because the human genome can provide a lot of chances of work.

2. Which country studied the genes most rapidly in the world?

A. Japan.        B. Germany.          C. The United States.     D. China.

3. Which of the following is NOT true?

A. If the genes can be found, scientists can study many new ways to cure illnesses.

B. The scientists have made great progress in connecting the genes with the cancers.

C. Many medical companies show great interest in drawing the human genome map.

D. The United States began the Genes Study early in the 19th century.

4. The author suggests that the Human Genome Project can cause _______.

A. the policy makers to feel very worried and careful

B. the scientists to work harder

C. many people to find work easily

D. a lot of companies to produce many new drugs

5. The main idea of this article is about _______.

A. unlocking genetic code

B. the genes' discovery

C. the great human genome

D. the genes and the scientists

Blind photography sounds strange．But a striking exhibition of photographs in California argues that it develops as a result of the contemporary art．The show "Sight Unseen", at the California Museum of Photography until Aug．29, includes everything: underwater scenes, landscapes, abstracts and everything else you might expect from a "sighted" photographer．

How do the blind take their photographs? Some rely on assistants to set up and then describe the shots （镜头） , and others just point and shoot in the right place．"Just like any good artists," says McCulloh．"They have their unique ways of operating．" One participating photographer is Pete Eckert, an artist with multiple degrees in design and sculpture who only turned to photography after losing his vision in the mid-1990s．He opens the shutter （快门） on his camera and then uses flashlights, lights, and candles to paint his scene on film．A former fashion photographer in Chicago, Weston, lost his vision due to AIDS in 1996 and focuses on images of destruction and disability．His photos are also a star of the show．

What do gallery-goers say? "I was very impressed by it．The technique and experience was amazingly different," says John Hesketh, a printmaker in Anaheim．"You never have a sense of feeling sorry for these people because they've worked very hard to prove their value．"

Beyond the praise, however, the exhibition also makes a great example for disabled people everywhere．That point was explained in early May during a discussion on the TV show．At the very end of the talk, one attendee expressed his opinion．"This exhibition is extraordinary and revolutionary for many reasons．I think that by being an artist with a disability, you are continuing the work of those people who fought for basic civil rights to gain access and to have a voice．In that way, it's so wonderful that your photographs say it all．"

1.From the passage we know that some blind people take photos by     .

A．describing the things to their assistants.

B．holding the camera and shooting randomly.

C．opening the shutter with the help of others.

D．using special equipment designed for them.

2.We can learn from the passage that blind photographers ______.

A．were not born blind.

B．do jobs related to art.

C．focus on different subjects.

D．like photos of destruction.

3.What is people's reaction to the blind photography show?

A．They admire the blind photographers' hard work．

B．They feel really sorry for those blind photographers．

C．They think some have good techniques while others not．

D．They can understand the real meaning of each photograph．

4.The significance of the exhibition lies in the fact that ______．

A．the California Museum of Photography receives praises for holding the show.

B．the public have a chance to know what the blind people are concerned about.

C．the blind photographers have a good place to show their works.

D．the exhibition can be very inspiring to the blind in the world.