
Paper--More than Meets the Eye
A) We are surrounded by so much paper and card that it is easy to forget just how complex it is. There are many varieties and grades of paper materials, and whilst it is fairly easy to spot the varieties, it is far more difficult to spot the grades.
B) It needs to be understood that most paper and card is manufactured for a specific purpose, so that whilst the corn-flake packet may look smart, it is clearly not something destined for the archives. It is made to look good, but only needs a limited life span. It is also much cheaper to manufacture than high grade card.
C) Paper can be made from an almost endless variety of cellulose-based material which will include many woods, cottons and grasses or which papyrus is an example and from where we get the word "paper". Many of these are very specialized, but thepreponderance of paper making has been from soft wood and cotton or rags, with the bulk being wood-based.
Paper from Wood
D) In order to make wood into paper it needs to be broken down into fine strands. Firstly by powerful machinery and then boiled with strong alkalies such as caustic soda, until a fine pulp of cellulose fibers is produced. It is from this pulp that the final product is made, relying on the bonding together of the cellulose into layers. That, in a very small nutshell, is the essence of paper making from wood. However, the reality is rather more complicated. In order to give us our white paper and card, the makers will add bleach and other materials such as china clay and additional chemicals.
E) A further problem with wood is that it contains a material that is not cellulose. Something called lignin. This is essential for the tree since it holds the cellulose fibres together, but if it is incorporated into the manufactured paper it presents archivists with a problem. Lignin eventually breaks down and releases acid products into the paper. This will weaken the bond between the cellulose fibers and the paper will become brittle and look rather brown and careworn. We have all seen this in old newspapers and cheap paperback books. It has been estimated that most paper back books will have a life of not greater than fifty years. Not what we need for our archives.
F) Since the lignin can be removed from the paper pulp during manufacture, the obvious question is "why is it left in the paper?" The answer lies in the fact that lignin makes up a considerable part of the tree. By leaving the lignin in the pulp a papermaker can increase his paper yield from a tree to some 95%. Removing it means a yield of only 35%. It is clearly uneconomic to remove the lignin for many paper and card applications.
G) It also means, of course, that lignin-free paper is going to be more expensive, but that is nevertheless what the archivist must look for in his supplies. There is no point whatsoever in carefully placing our valuable artifacts in paper or card that is going tohasten their demise. Acid is particularly harmful to photographic materials, causing them to fade and is some cases simply vanish!
H) So, how do we tell a piece of suitable paper or card from one that is unsuitable? You cannot do it by simply looking, and rather disappointingly, you cannot always rely on the label. "Acid-free" might be true inasmuch as a test on the paper may indicate that it is a neutral material at this time. But lignin can take years before it starts the inevitable process of breaking down, and in the right conditions it will speed up enormously.
I) Added to this, as I have indicated earlier, paper may also contain other materials added during manufacture such as bleach, china clay, chemical whiteners and size. This looks like a bleak picture, and it would be but for the fact that there are suppliers who will guarantee the material that they sell. If you want to be absolutely sure that you are storing in, or printing on, the correct material then this is probably the only way.
J) Incidentally, acids can migrate from material to material. Lining old shoe boxes with good quality acid-free paper will do little to guard the contents. The acid will get there in the end.
Paper from Rag
K) Paper is also commonly made from cotton and rag waste. This has the advantage of being lignin-free, but because there is much less cotton and rag than trees, it also tends to be much more expensive than wood pulp paper. You will still need to purchase from a reliable source though, since even rag paper and card can contain undesirable additives.
L) A reliable source for quality rag papers is a recognized art stockiest. Many water color artists insist on using only fine quality rag paper and board.
M) The main lesson to learn from this information is that you cannot rely on purchasing archival materials from the high street. The only safe solution is to purchase from specialist suppliers. It may cost rather more, but in the end you will know that your important and valuable data and images have the best home possible.
1. The corn-flake packet is cheaper than high grade card.
2. Many paper producers will preserve lignin during manufacture, because leaving the lignin will make more paper from a tree.
3. During the whole manufacturing process, the final product is made from a pulp of cellulose fibres.
4. If the lignin is removed from the paper, the paper will be more expensive.
5. Liguin is essential for the tree but it will make paper easy to break.
6. There are a lot of materials which can be used for making paper, but the superiority ones are soft wood, cotton and rags.
7. Although free of lignin, paper made from cotton and rag waste can also cost more money than wood pulp paper because there is much less cotton and rag than trees.
8. In order to make white paper and card, the makers will add bleach.
9. Acid is particularly harmful to photographic materials.
10. What we can learn from "Paper from Rag" is that you had better buy archival materials from specialist suppliers.
文章精要:
本文主要介绍了我们平常所见所用的纸的复杂性,通过介绍用木头和破布料造纸的过程,使我们对纸的类别、属性有了更深入的了解。
答案参考:
1. B 根据题干中的信息提示词corn—flake packet,high grade card,可定位到文章第二段,该部分最后提到corn-flake packet在制造过程中比高等级的纸(high grade card)便宜.
2. F 根据题干中的信息提示词lignin,可将答案定位到F段,该部分最后提到许多纸张生产者在生产过程中会保留木质素,主要是因为它会增加树木的造纸产量。
3. D 根据题干中的信息提示词final product,可将答案定位到D段,第二、三句提到最后的产品来源于纤维素纸浆。
4. F 根据题干中的信息提示词lignin和paper可定位到文章的F段,因为该段提到,如果在纸张的生产中去除木质素,将会降低树木出产纸张的量,由此可以知道,去除了木质素的纸张价格必定会更加昂贵。
5. E 根据题干中的信息提示词essential for the tree,可将答案定位到E段,该部分提到木质素是木头的主要组成物,其作用是凝聚纤维素,但它会使纸张变得易碎。
6. C 根据题干中的信息提示词soft wood,cotton and rags,可定位到文章第三段最后一句。
7. K 根据题干中的信息提示词cotton and rag waste可定位到文章的K段,该部分告诉我们,尽管用棉花和破布料造的纸里没有木质素,但它们要比木制的纸贵很多,这是因为棉花和破布料的数量比树木少得多,由此可以得出答案。
8. D 根据题干中的信息提示词white paper and card,可将答案定位到D段,该部分最后提到为了得到白纸,纸张生产者在制造过程中添加了漂白粉和其他化学物质。
9. G 根据题干中的信息提示词acid,可将答案定位到G段,该部分最后提到酸对相纸的原料尤其不利。
10. M 根据题干中的信息提示词Paper from Ra9可定位到文章的最后一段,该部分提出最好到专业的供应商那里去买档案材料,由此可以得出答案。
第二篇
Definitions of Obesity
A) How does one define when a person is considered to be obese and not just somewhat overweight? Height-weight tables give an approximate guideline as to whether one is simply overweight or has passed into the obese stage.
B) The World Health Organization recommends using a formula that takes into account a person's height and weight. The "Body Mass Index" (BMI) is calculated by dividing the person's weight in kilograms by the square of their height in meters, and is thus given in units of kg/m2. A BMI of 18.5-24.9 is considered to be the healthiest. A BMI of between 25 and 29.9 is considered to be overweight, while a BMI of over 30 is considered to be obese.
C) However, it is recognized that this definition is limited as it does not take into account such variables as age, gender and ethnic origin, the latter being important as different ethnic groups have very different fat distributions. Another shortcoming is that it is not applicable to certain very muscular people such as athletes and bodybuilders, who can also have artificially high BMIs. Agencies such as the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) in the USA and the International Diabetes Foundation (IDF) are starting to define obesity in adults simply in terms of waist circumference.
Health Effects of Obesity
D) Over 2000 years ago, the Greek physician Hippocrates wrote that "persons who are naturally very fat are apt to die earlier than those who are slender". This observation remains very true today. Obesity has a major impact on a person's physical, social and emotional well-being. It increases the risk of developing diabetes mellitus type 2 ("mature onset diabetes") and also makes Type 2 diabetes more difficult to control. Thus weight loss improves the levels of blood glucose and blood fats, and reduces blood pressure. The association between obesity and coronary heart disease is also well-known.
Cancer
E) Furthermore, in 2001 medical researchers established a link between being overweight and certain forms of cancer, and estimated that nearly 10,000 Britons per year develop cancer as a result of being overweight. This figure was made up of 5,3 women and 3,220 men, with the strongest associations being with breast and colon cancers. However, it is thought that being overweight may also increase the risk of cancer in the reproductive organs for women and in the prostate gland for men.
F) The link between breast cancer and nutritional status is thought to be due to the steroid hormones oestrogen and progesterone, which are produced by the ovaries, and govern a woman's menstrual cycle. Researchers have found that the more a woman eats, or the more sedentary her lifestyle, the higher are the concentrations of progesterone. This link could explain why women from less affluent countries have lower rates of breast cancer. Women from less affluent nations tend to eat less food and to lead lifestyles which involve more daily movement. This lowers their progesterone level, resulting in lower predisposition to breast cancer.
G) The Times newspaper, in 2002 reported that obesity was the main avoidable cause of cancer among non-smokers in the Western world!
Aging
H) Research published by St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK in 2005 showed a correlation between body fat and aging, to the extent that being obese added 8.8 years to a woman's biological age. The effect was exacerbated by smoking, and a non-overweight woman who smokes 20 cigarettes a day for 20 years added 7.4 years to their biological age. The combination of being obese and a smoker added at least ten years to a woman’s biological age, and although the study only involved women, the lead researcher Professor Tim Spector believes the finding would also apply to men.
I) The aging effect was determined by measuring the length of telomeres, tiny "caps" on the ends of chromosomes, which help protect the DNA from the ageing process. Indeed, telomeres have been dubbed the "chromosomal clock" because, as an organism ages, they become progressively shorter, and can be used to determine the age of the organism. Beyond a certain point, the telomere becomes so short that it is no longer able to prevent the DNA of the chromosome from falling apart. It is believed that excess body fat, and the chemicals present in tobacco smoke release free radicals which trigger inflammation. Inflammation causes the production of white blood cells which increases the rate of erosion of telomeres.
Dementia
J) Recent research (2005) conducted in the USA shows that obesity in middle age is linked to an increased risk of dementia, with obese people in their 40s being 74% more likely to develop dementia compared to those of normal weight. For those who are merely overweight, the lifetime risk of dementia risk was 35% higher.
K) Scientists from the Aging Research Centre at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden have been able to take information such as age, number of years in education, gender, body mass index, blood pressure level, physical activity and genetic factors, assigning each a risk score. They then used this information to devise a predictive test for dementia. This test will enable people at risk, for the first time, to be able to affect lifestyle changes which will reduce their risk of contracting dementia.
Other Problems
L) The world-wide upsurge in obesity, particularly in children, is of major economic concern, liable to drain economies. Of further concern is that research conducted in Australia and published in 2006, shows that up to one third of breech pregnancies were undetected by the traditional "palpation" examination, the danger being greatest for those women who are overweight or obese—a growing proportion of mothers. This means that such women are not getting the treatment required to turn the baby around in time for the birth, and in many cases require an emergency Caesarean section.
M) This is a true health-care crisis, far bigger than Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and ultimately, even bigger than AIDS.
对应题目:
1. You can judge whether one is simply overweight or has passed into the obese stage according to the height-weight table.
2. Using the "Body Mass Index"to define a person's weight ideal is limited, because it does not takes into account many variables such as age, gender and ethnic origin.
3. Women from less affluent nations tend to have much less breast cancer.
4. The excess body fat, like the chemicals present in tobacco smoke, can lead to inflammation.
5. A person's emotional well-being would be affected by obesity.
6. A non-overweight woman who smokes 20 cigarettes a day for 20 years added 7.4 years to her biological age.
7. Obesity has something to do with cancer in the prostate gland for man.
8. The world-wide upsurge in obesity, particularly in children, will possibly drain economies.
9. The predictive test for dementia will help people to affect lifestyle changes that will reduce their risk of contracting dementia.
10. Obese people in middle age run an increased risk of dementia .
参:
1. A 2. C 3. F 4. I 5. D 6. H 7. E 8. L 9. K
10. J
第三篇
Preparing for Computer Disasters
A) Summary: When home office computers go down, many small businesses grind to a halt. Fortunately, taking steps to recover from disasters and minimize their effects is quite straightforward.
B) Fires, power surges, and floods, they're all facts of life. We read about them in the morning paper and see them on the evening news. We sympathize with the victims and commiserate over their bad luck. We also shake our heads at the digital consequences—melted computers, system failures, destroyed data. Yet, somehow, many of us continue to live by that old mantra of denial: "It won't happen to me." Well, the truth is, at some point you'll probably have to deal with at least one disaster. That's just how it goes, and in most aspects of our lives we do something about it. We buy insurance. We stow awayprovisions. We even make disaster plans and run drills. But for some reason, computer disaster recovery is a blind spot for many of us. It shouldn't be. Home computers contain some of our most important information, both business and personal, and making certain our data survives a disaster should be a priority. Moreover, even the smallest disaster can be a serious disruption. Personal computers have become an integral part of the smooth-running household. We use them to communicate, shop, and do homework, and they're even more vital to home office users. When home office computers go down, many small businesses grind to a halt. Fortunately, taking steps to recover from disasters and minimize their effects is quite straightforward. With a good offsite storage plan and the right tools, you can bounce back quickly and easily from minor computer disasters. And, should a major calamity strike, you can rest assured your data is safe.
Offsite Storage: Major Disasters
C) House fires and floods are among the most devastating causes of personal computer destruction. That's why a solid offsite backup and recovery plan is essential. Although many home users faithfully back up their hard drives, many would still lose all their data should their house flood our burn. That's because they keep their backups in relatively close to their computers. Their backup disks might not be in the same room as their computers—tucked away in a closet or even the garage—but they're not nearly far enough away should a serious disaster strike. So, it's important to back up your system to a removable medium and to store it elsewhere.
D) There are many ways to approach offsite storage. It starts with choice of backup tools and storage medium. Disaster situations are stressful, and your recovery tools shouldn't add to that stress. They must be dependable and intuitive, making it easy to schedule regular backups and to retrieve files in a pinch. They must also be compatible with your choice of backup medium. Depending on your tools, you can back up to a variety of durable disk types—from CDs to Jaz drives to remote network servers. Although many of these storage media have high capacity, a backup tool with compression capabilities is a big plus, eliminating the inconvenience of multiple disks or large uploads.
E) Once you select your tools and a suitable medium, you need to find a remote place to store your backups. The options are endless. However, no matter where you choose, be sure the site is secure, easily accessible, and a good distance away from your home. You may also want to consider using an Internet-based backup service. More and more service providers are offering storage space on their servers, and uploading files to a remote location has become an attractive alternative to conventional offsite storage. Of course, before using one of these services, make certain you completely trust the service provider and its security methods. Whatever you do, schedule backups regularly and store them far away from your home.
Come What May: Handling the Garden Variety Computer Crisis
F) Not all home computer damage results from physical disaster. Many less menacing problems can also hobble your PC or destroy your information. Systems crash, kids "rearrange" data, adults inadvertently delete files. Although these events might not seemcalamitous, they can have serious implications. So, once again, it's important to be prepared. As with physical disasters, regular backups are essential. However, some of these smaller issues require a response that's more nuanced than wholesale backup and restoration. To deal with less-than-total disaster, your tool set must be both powerful and agile. For example, when a small number of files are compromised, you may want to retrieve those files alone. Meanwhile, if just your settings are affected, you'll want a simple way to roll back to your preferred setup. Yet, should your operating system fail, you'll need a way to boot your computer and perform large-scale recovery. Computer crises come in all shapes and sizes, and your backup and recovery tools must be flexible enough to meet each challenge.
The Right Tools for the Right Job: Gearing up for Disaster
G) When disaster strikes, the quality of your backup tools can make the difference between utter frustration and peace of mind. Symantec understands this and offers a range of top quality backup and recovery solutions. Norton GoBack is the perfect tool for random system crashes, failed installations, and inadvertent deletions. With this powerful and convenient solution, it's simple to retrieve overwritten files or to bring your system back to its pre-crash state. Norton Ghost is a time-tested home office solution. Equipped to handle full-scale backups, it's also handy for cloning hard drives and facilitating system upgrades. A favorite choice for IT professionals, it's the ideal tool for the burgeoning home office. You can buy Norton Ghost and Norton GoBack separately, or get them both when you purchase Norton System Works.
H) Life's disasters, large and small, often catch us by surprise. However, with a little planning and the right tools, you can reduce those disasters to bumps in the road. So, don't wait another day. Buy a good set of disaster recovery tools, set up an automatic backup schedule, and perform a dry run every now and again. Then, rest easy.
对应题目:
1. The backup and recovery tools must be flexible enough to deal with various computer crises.
2. For some reason, computer disaster recovery is always ignored by many of us.
3. You should take steps to recover from computer disasters so as to minimize their effects.
4. The most devastating causes of personal computer destruction includes house fires and floods.
5. You should prepare for your computer disasters now and again.
6. You should find a distant place to store your backups after selecting your tools and a suitable medium.
7. Not only physical disaster can damage your computer.
8. You can bounce back quickly and easily minor computer disasters with the help of a good offsite storage plan and the right tools.
9. It's necessary for us to back up our systems to some transferable medium and to put it somewhere else.
10. The quality of your backup tools determines whether you are frustrated or have a peaceful mind when disaster strikes.
答案参考:
1. F 根据题干中的信息词backup and recovery tools及computer crises定位到第二个小标题下的最后一句话。
2. B 根据题干中的信息词computer disaster recovery和many of us定位到本文的第二段第11句话,computer disaster recovery is a blind spot for many of us。
3. A 根据题干中的信息词recover from computer disasters定位到本文的第一段。
4. C 根据题干中的信息词most devastating causes定位到第一个小标题下第一段的第一句话可知原文提到了家庭火灾和水灾是个人电脑危机的最具毁灭性的根源。
5. H 根据题干中的信息词prepare for your computer,总结文章最后一段大意即可找到答案。
6. E 根据题干中的信息词find a remote place to store your backups定位到第一个小标题下第三段的第一句话。
7. F 根据题干中的信息词physical disaster定位到第二个小标题下的前两句话。
8. B 根据题干中的信息词offsite storage plan and the right tools定位到本文的第二段倒数第二句话。
9. C 根据题干中的信息词back up our system及medium定位到第一个小标题下第一段的最后一句话。
10. G 根据题干中的信息词The quality of your backup tools和frustrated定位到第三个小标题下第一段的第一句话。
