阅读理解

　　Inventors have developed a new way to identify people, using a machine that scans their eyeballs． Developed by IriScan, this new technology takes advantage of the fact that the iris(虹膜)of each person's eye is unique, and remains unchanged throughout a life time．

　　The process will replace an older technology called retina(网腊)identification, which compared the pattern of veins(血管)in the back of the eye．Used to control access to nuclear weapons, retina identification has never caught on with the public because it requires the user to put their eyeball right up against a lens．Iris scanning, on the other hand, works from a distance．

　　The iris of the eye is photographed from up to one meter away．The patterns of the iris are translated into digital code, and stored in a PC database, along with personal information．Glasses and contact lenses do not interfere with the scanning process, and it takes only a brief moment．

　　The new technology will be useful for banking and police work, as well as for the Internet economy．Before long, your computer monitor may be equipped with an iris scanner that can identify you when you shop online, thus preventing fraud．

　　There will be no ID cards to carry in your pocket, and no long numbers to memorize．And eyes will be very difficult to counterfeit(仿造)．

　　Did you lose your ID card?No, you didn't．It's still right up there beside your nose．

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　　Many women in Western society, aware of the power of names to influence identity, are aware that choosing how to identify themselves after marriage can be a significant decision．They may follow the tradition of taking their husband's last name, hyphenate(用连字符连接)their own name and their husband's, or keep their birth name．One fascinating survey revealed that a woman's choice is likely to reveal a great deal about herself and her relationship with her husband．Women who took their husband's name placed the most importance on relationships, with social expectations of how they should behave rated second and issues of self coming last．On the other hand, women who kept their birth names put their personal concerns ahead of relationships and social expectations．Women with hyphenated names fell somewhere between the two other groups, valuing self and relationships equally．

　　Female forms of address influence others' perceptions(观念)as well as shape the self-concept and behavior of the women who choose them．Research conducted in the late 1980s showed that women who choose the title Ms give the impression of being more achievement oriented, socially assertive, and dynamic－but less interpersonally warm than counterparts who prefer the more traditional forms Miss or Mrs．

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　　Daniel Kunkle spent most of his time in graduate school playing with a colorful puzzle called a Rubik's Cube(魔方)．He wasn't just goofing off．With clever computer programming, Kunkle figured out that any Rubik's Cube can be solved in 26 moves or fewer．

　　◆Cracking the cube

　　Each side of a Rubik's Cube is divided into nine squares．When the puzzle is solved, all nine squares on each side are the same color as one another．Hinges(铰链)allow rows of squares to rotate．The squares of a Rubik's Cube can be arranged in about 43 quintillion(that's 43 with 18 zeros after it)possible ways．By hand, it can take a long time to find a solution．Even the world's fastest computer would need a long time to solve the problem．

　　To save time, Kunkle and computer scientist Gene Cooperman of Northeastern University in Boston, Mass．, looked for strategies to break the problem into smaller pieces．First, they calculated how many steps would be required to solve the puzzle using only half-turns, which send a square to the opposite side of the cube．Their study showed that only 600,000 possible configurations(结构)can be solved this way．Using a desktop computer, Kunkle discovered that all these arrangements could be solved in 13 moves or less．

　　◆Puzzle pieces

　　Next, the researchers wanted to calculate how many steps would be necessary to turn any other configuration into one of the special 600,000 pre-solved arrangements．Results showed that it could be done in 16 moves or fewer．Remember that it took a maximum of 13 steps to solve one of these special configurations．In sum, the researchers concluded, any configuration could be solved in a maximum of 29 steps．

　　Kunkle and Cooperman noticed, however, that only about 80 million configurations(far less than 1 percent of all possibilities)actually needed more than 26 steps to reach a solution．So, the pair focused on the few, hardest arrangements．This time, they searched through every possible way of solving each one in 26 steps and at the end they did it．The strategies that Kunkle and Cooperman used to solve the cube can be applied to other complicated problems, especially ones that require searching through lots of possibilities．Scheduling airplane flights to carry millions of people to a variety of destinations as quickly as possible is one example．

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　　A Chinese satellite is expected to orbit Mars in 2009, thanks to an agreement the country signed with Russia on Monday．

　　During President Hu Jintao's visit to Moscow, the two countries agreed to carry out an unmanned project together to the red planet and one of its moons in two years, the China National Space Administration said yesterday in Beijing．

　　The agreement represents a“milestone”in the history of space cooperation between the two neighbors, the agency said in a statement．

　　According to the agreement, a micro-satellite developed by China will be sent up along with“Phobos Explorer”, the Russia spacecraft, on top of a Russian rocket in 2009．

　　The timetable was not mentioned, but earlier Russian reports said the launch window for the 10-11 month voyage to Phobos, a Martian moon, will be October 2009．

　　After entering Mars' orbit, the Chinese micro-satellite will be removed from the Russian spacecraft, and probe the Martian space environment．

　　The“Phobos Explorer”spacecraft, with some equipment developed by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, will land on the Martian moon and return to Earth with soil samples(样本)．

　　Last year, the Russian space chief told that his country would work“closely”with China on moon exploration．

　　Youriy Nosenko, chief of the Russian space agency, told a press conference in Beijing last November that Russia regards China as a“partner”in space exploration, and the two sides have shown interest in a moon project．

　　China has started a three-stage moon exploration project, including sending a moon orbiter some time this year, followed by a soft landing in 2012 and the return of moon samples in another five years．

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　　Pollution in Asia is changing global climate patterns by making the chemistry of the atmosphere different, scientists say．

　　Research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this week shows how increasing pollution creates more intense storms in the north Pacific region, affecting how global temperatures are regulated．

　　Renyi Zhang and colleagues from the Texas A＆M University studied satellite cloud measurements from 1984 to 2005．They found that the number of a particular type of cloud－deep convective(对流)clouds－had increased by 20 to 50 per cent between 1994 and 2005, compared with the previous decade．

　　Deep convective clouds play a role in regulating the Earth's temperature．Their formation and duration and the amount of rainfall they produce can be influenced by aerosols(气雾剂)－particles suspended in the atmosphere．The burning of coal results in human-made aerosols such as sulphate and soot．

　　Zhang found that the activity of the Pacific storm track－a weather phenomenon which plays an important role in regulating the Earth's temperature－is enhanced in the winter months, most likely due to the rise in deep convective clouds due to air pollution in Asia at this time．

　　According to the study, pollution tends to increase in Asia in winter as coal-burning is still the main source of heat and energy．

　　Zhang says that further air pollution from Asia, caused by rapid industrialisation and urbanisation, will continue to greatly influence storms over the Pacific, contributing to global warming．

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　　The United Automobile Workers Union reached a tentative agreement with the Ford Motor Company early this morning after a 41-hour marathon bargaining session, completing a series of new contracts with the American auto companies．

　　No details were released, but it is expected to resemble contracts reached earlier this fall for General Motors and Chrysler LLC．

　　Unlike the G．M．and Chrysler contracts, the agreement at Ford was reached without a strike．Analysts say that Ford, which lost 12.6 billion last year, is the weakest of the Detroit auto companies．

　　“Our bargaining committee came through for our active and retired members,”the U.A.W.'s president, Ron Gettelfinger, said in a statement．He said that its bargaining team had“encouraged Ford to invest in product and people while addressing the economic needs of our active and retired members．”

　　“We face enormous challenges－and we also have enormous potential,”said U.A.W.Vice President Bob King, who directs the union's National Ford Department．“Our goals for this contract were to win new product and investment, to enhance(增强)job security and protect seniority－and we made progress in all these areas．”

　　Any job guarantees will be closely examined by union members at Ford, who have watched G..M.and Chrysler cut jobs since their new contracts were reached．

　　Ford had no immediate comment．Union leaders will review the contract next week, before it is presented to members for a vote．

　　Bargainers began the latest round of talks at 10 a.m．Eastern time Thursday．The deal was reached at 3∶20 a.m.today, about two hours after most of the negotiators had been sent home．That left a small group to finalize the terms, people briefed on the negotiations said．The U.A.W.'s president, Ron Gettelfinger, participated in most of the final session．

　　Ford shares rose more than 5 percent Friday, to 8.95, on news that a deal was close．

　　Ford was the last of the three Detroit automakers without a new four-year labor contract．The previous deal expired Sept．14, but the company and the union had agreed to an indefinite extension．

　　Some workers expressed hope that several of the plants whose future is in doubt can be saved by the new U.A.W.contract．But analysts say that if anything, Ford needs to cut costs faster．Ford has mortgaged most of its United States assets to raise cash, and executives say they do not expect the company to be profitable in North America until 2009．

　　Ford's declining sales have raised expectations that the company will announce further job and spending cuts in the near future．Ford officials held off making the cuts while they completed negotiations with the U.A.W., but the company could make an announcement before the end of the year, a person involved in the planning said．

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　　China is planning to readjust its public holidays to relieve the increasingly heavier burden placed on its hot tourist attractions during the“Golden Weeks”, officials from the China National Tourism Administration was quoted as saying by Hong Kong-based Wen Wei Po．

　　The newspaper on Monday said that the administration had drafted a proposal suggesting several adjustment strategies．The proposal is expected to be submitted to the National People's Congress for discussion．

　　At the close of the nation's National Day holidays, also the 21st“Golden Week”since the system was introduced in 1999, golden weeks over the past eight years have brought about huge returns for the nation's tourism industry．However, voices calling for cancellation of the nationwide holidays are becoming ever stronger as such travels have posed big pressures on nationwide transportation, accommodation and environmental protection．

　　According to a survey launched by a mainland media outlet, 61.46 percent of a total of 3,071 participants in the survey are in favor of making changes to such public holidays．

　　Experts also say that current week-long holidays that fall on every May 1 and October 1 are not an ideal way for people to take a break．Holiday makers blindly follow the overwhelming push of the tourism administration to rush between different sightseeing spots without even taking enough rest．Moreover, these travelers have also caused a big headache to accommodation and transportation services in tourist locations, said Wang Jianmin, a researcher from the Tourism Research Centre of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences．

　　The survey also finds that there is an increasing number of advocates who suggest the prolonging of rest days over traditional Chinese festivals, such as the Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival．

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阅读理解

　　When you arrive in London, there are many ways to travel about, but be prepared for some aching feet too!

　　Travelcards give you unlimited travel on the Underground(also known as the Tube), buses and trains．Buy them for a day, a week or a month from train or Underground stations and at newsagents displaying a red“pass agent”sign．You will need a photograph for the week and month passes．

　　If you take a London Transport bus for your destination, check that you are going in the right direction and try not to pay with a large note．Ask the driver or conductor to help you if you are not sure at which stop you need to get off．

　　Black(newer ones could be a different colour)taxi cabs can be stopped in the street when they have a yellow“For Hire”sign lit up．Other taxis(minicabs)should only be used if you book them－do not take one in the street．

　　The Underground is easy to use as long as you know your exact destination－just study the Tube maps and follow the signs in the station．Zones 1 and 2 cover the centre of London with services operating every few minutes from about 05∶30 to midnight on most routes．

　　A good way of seeing much of London from a different perspective is by taking a boat trip along the Thames．There are many places(piers)to boards from and there are several companies offering their services．“City Cruises”provide return trips from Westminster Bridge, Tower Bridge and Greenwich．A special unlimited daily travel ticket can be bought for a very reasonable price(see advert)．Ring 02077 400 400 for details or go to www.citycruises.com．

　　After London, many visitors want to see more of Britain．There are many interesting and beautiful places and areas from which to choose, such as Oxford, Cambridge, York, Stratford-up-on-Avon(speak to your social organizer)．Scotland is for many a“ must see”destination and MacBackpackers(see advert)is a company specializing in the provision of guided tours for young travelers．Tours depart from Edinburgh every day and prices are very reasonable．Call 0131 5589900 for details or visit www. macbackpackers.com．You can also book holidays and flights at the travel office of International Students House(see advert)．Call 020 7631 8300．

　　The main coach terminal in London is at Victoria Coach Station(see map)．You can get coaches to the airports and all over the country from here．National Express Services go from here．For only ￡9 you can buy a Student Discount Coachcard which with give you up to 33％ discount．

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Drug Reactions－A Major Cause of Death

　　Adverse(不良的)drug reactions may cause the deaths of over 100,000 US hospital patients each year, making them a leading cause of death nationwide, according to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association．

　　“The incidence(发生率)of serious and fatal adverse drug reactions(ADRs)in US hospital was found to be extremely high,”say researchers at the University of Toronto in Ontario, Canada．

　　They carried on an analysis of 39 ADR-related studies at US hospitals over the past 30 years and defined an ADR as“any harmful, unintended, and undesired effect of a drug which occurs at doses used in humans for prevention, diagnosis, or therapy(治疗)．”

　　An average 6.7％ of all hospitalized patients experience an ADR every year, according to the researchers．They estimate that“in 1994, overall 2,216,000 hospitalized patients had serious ADRs, and 106,000 had fatal ADRs．”This means that ADRs may rank as the fourth single largest cause of death in America．

　　And these incidence figures are probably conservative, the researchers add, since their ADR definition did not include outcomes linked to problems in drug administration, overdoses, drug abuse, and therapeutic failures．

　　The control of ADRs also means spending more money．One US study estimated the overall cost of treating ADRs at up to 4 billion per year．

　　Dr David Bates of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, believes that healthcare workers need to pay more attention to the problem, especially since many ADRs are easily preventable．“When a patient develops an allergy or sensitivity, it is often not recorded,”Bates notes,“and patients receive drugs to which they have known allergies or sensitivities with disturbing frequency．”He believes computerized surveillance(监视)systems－still works-in-progress at many of the nation's hospitals－should help cut down the frequency of these types of errors．

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　　One of the qualities that most people admire in others is the willingness to admit one's mistakes．It is extremely hard sometimes to say a simple thing like“I was wrong about that,”and it is even harder to say,“I was wrong, and you were right about that．”

　　I had an experience recently with someone admitting to me that he had made a mistake fifteen years ago．He told me he had been the manager of a certain grocery store in the neighborhood where I grew up, and he asked me if I remembered the egg cartons．Then he related an incident and I began to remember vaguely the incident he was describing．

　　I was about eight years old at the time, and I had gone into the store with my mother to do the weekly grocery shopping．On that particular day, I must have found my way to the dairy food department where the incident took place．

　　There must have been a special sale on eggs that day because there was an impressive display of eggs in dozen and half-dozen cartons．The cartons were stacked three or four feet high．I must have stopped in front of a display to admire the stacks．Just then a woman came by pushing her grocery cart and knocked off the stacks of cartons．For some reason, I decided it was up to me to put the display back together, so I went to work．

　　The manager heard the noise and came rushing over to see what had happened．When he appeared, I was on my knees inspecting some of the cartons to see if any of the eggs were broken, but to him it looked as though I was the culprit(犯错者)．He severely criticized me and wanted me to pay for any broken eggs．I protested my innocence and tried to explain, but it did no good．Even though I quickly forgot all about the incident, apparently the manager did not．

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