Silent and Deadly

    Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs)，or ministrokes，result from temporary interruptions of blood flow to the brain.¹ Unlike full strokes，they present symptoms lasting anywhere from a few seconds to 24 hours². Rarely do they cause permanent neurological damage, but they are often precursors of a major stroke.

    “Our message is quite clear," says Dr. Robert Adams, professor of neurology at the Medical College of Georgia in August. “ TIAs，while less severe than strokes in the short term，are quite dangerous and need a quick diagnosis and treatment as well as appropriate follow-up to prevent future injury.”³

    Unfortunately, ministrokes are greatly underdiagnosed. A study conducted for the 丨National Stroke Association indicates that 2.5% of all adults aged 18 or older (about 4.9 million people in the U. S. ) have experienced a confirmed TIA⁴. An additional 1.2 million Americans over the age of 45，the study showed, have most likely suffered a ministroke without realizing it. These findings suggest that if the public knew how to spot the symptoms of stroke, especially ministrokes，and sought prompt medical treatment, thousands of lives could be saved and major disability could be avoided.

     The problem is that the symptoms of a ministroke are often subtle and passing. Nonetheless, there are signs you can look out for：

    ▲ Numbness or weakness in the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body.

    ▲ Trouble seeing in one or both eyes.

    ▲ Confusion and difficulty speaking or understanding.

    ▲ Difficulty walking, dizziness or loss of coordination.

    ▲ Severe headache with no known cause.

       Along with these symptoms，researchers have identified some key indicators that increase your chances of having a full-blown stroke after a TIA： if you"re over 60，have experienced symptoms lasting longer than 10 minutes，feel weak and have a history of diabetes.

    As with many diseases，you can help yourself by changing your lifestyle. The first things you should do are quit smoking，limit your intake of alcohol to no more than a drink or two a day and increase your physical activity. Even those who suffer from high blood pressure or diabetes can improve their odds—and minimize complications if they do have a stroke—by keeping their illness under control.

    If you experience any of the symptoms，your first call should be to your doctor. It could be the call that saves your life.⁵

 

词汇：

transient/"trænzɪənt/adj.短暂的，转瞬即逝的        .
ischemic / ɪs"ki:mɪk/adj.局部缺血的，局部 贫血的
ministroke 小卒中

anywhere / ˈeniweə(r)/adv.在（限定范围内的）,任何一点上；在（或往）任何地方
precursor / [英]pri:ˈkɜ:sə(r)/n..前兆，先兆

follow-up / "fɒləʊ ʌp/n.随访，随访病人，随访病例
underdiagnose/["ʌndədaɪəg"nəʊsɪs]vt. (对疾病）未能做出全面诊断
disability ./ ˌdɪsə"bɪlətɪ/n.残疾，伤残;无能力，无力
dizziness / "dɪzɪnəs/n.头晕，弦晕

indicator / ˈɪndɪkeɪtə(r)/n.指示者，指示物
full-blown / ˈfʊlˈbləʊn/adj.充分发展的，完善的；（花）盛开的；完全成熟的
minimize / "mɪnɪmaɪz/vt.使减少最第限度；把……说成极不重要，对……做最低估计
complication ./ ˌkɒmplɪˈkeɪʃn/n.并发症，并发病

 

注释：

1.Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), or ministrokes, result from temporary interruptions of blood flow to the brain.短暂性局部缺血发作，亦称小卒中，是由于流向大脑的血液暂时被中断而引发的。
2. ... anywhere from a few seconds to 24 hours：此处的 anywhere 不指地方，而是指在(P艮定范 围内的）任何一点上，即几秒钟至24小时不等。
3."TIAs, while less severe than strokes in the short term, are quite dangerous and need a quick diagnosis and treatment as well as appropriate follow-up to prevent future injury. ”“ 尽管从短期 结果看小卒中不如中风那样严重，但也是十分危险的，必须及时做出诊断与治疗，并进行适 当的随访，以避免将来造成伤害。”
4.... have experienced a confirmed TIA.被证实确实经历过小卒中。
5.It could be the call that saves your life.及时打电话给医生有可能会挽救你的生命。

To prevent ministrokes from turning into major strokes, it is impbrtant to____

A:save thousands of lives B:avoid major disability C:seek prompt medical treatment D:prevent future injury

Text 2
One of the odd things about some business organizations is that they spend so much money to lure new customers and spend so little to keep them after they’ve been landed. It just doesn’t make sense. Taking customers for granted is routine in some larger organizations, where mere bigness generates an attitude of indifference.
Loyal customers are an organization’s only protection against bankruptcy, and losing them because of neglect or indifference is downright sinful. Not only do satisfied customers continue to fatten the till, they often encourage others to buy. This is advertising that doesn’t cost a penny. And although there are always problems in giving good service to customers, maintaining their patronage (光顾) isn’t all that difficult. It’s a matter of attitude, of believing that everyone who buys from you is entitled to the best treatment you can deliver. Plus giving just a little morethan you have to.
We said there are always problems in giving good service to customers. The reason, of course, is that no organization is perfect, and there’s many a slip: unreasonable delays in filling orders, shipping the wrong merchandise, failing to answer letters promptly, and so on.
Sometimes these errors or failures can’t be helped. For example, if you can’t get parts because of material shortages or a transportation strike, customers may be denied the goods they’veordered. And not infrequently the customer is to blame--for example, failing to clearly identify the article or servjce required.
Yet no matter who is at fault, customers whom you value highly should generally be given the benefit of the doubt. Note that we said "customers whom you value highly." The old saying (格言) goes that all customers should be treated alike is a myth. Customers who repeatedly place large orders and pay for them will naturally, get more attention than those who buy infrequently and have to be badgered to pay what they owe. However, you have to make the assumption that all customers are good unless proved otherwise.

The main idea of the passage is best expressed by which of the following（）

A:Business organizations should not spend so much money to attract new customers B:Maintaining customers' patronage is the most important to business organizations' C:Customers are kings D:Organizations should pay more attention to the benefit of their customers

Text 1
Americans are now flying the crowded, cranky skies. Flight delays in January were the worst for that month since 1999. Weather is always the primary cause of delays. Add to that the US Airways Christmas baggage meltdown and Comair’s computer failure, the combination of which left hundreds of thousands of fliers stranded at airports.
But airline employees see a deeper reason for both the increase in delays and passenger complaints: a demoralized and frustrated workforce that’s being asked to do more even as it’s getting paid less.
The airlines and unions are quick to praise their workers for rising to the challenge during these very difficult times, as well as for carrying the brunt of the cost cutting. But unease is growing within the ranks. And passengers have noticed. For instance, some of the so-called older carriers now require gate agents to clean the planes as well as check people in. So some passengers have found themselves without a customer-service agent to talk to until just before the plane leaves. Pilots find themselves stuck at the gate because their crew of. flight attendants has already worked as long as the FAA would allow them to. "They’ve cut employees to such a degree that they don’t have enough employees to do the job and serve the customers properly," says one pilot.
The major airlines contend that’s not the case at all. Jeff Green, a spokesman for United Airlines, says the major carriers have shrunk significantly since 9/11. While there are far fewer employees, the airline also has far fewer flights. He also notes that United has had its best on-time performance in the past two years and that fraternal gauges of customer satisfaction are up. "What our employees are going through is not having an effect on our customer service," says Mr. Green. Employees on the front line tell a different story. "They’re just closing the doors and releasing the brake so they can report an on time departure, when in reality they may still be loading cargo for 30 minutes."
Aviation experts contend that if that’s the case, the major airlines may find even more challenges ahead. As their fare structures and prices come closer to those of the successful low-cost carriers, customer service will become even more crucial in determining which airlines succeed. "The way you’re treated on the plane speaks a lot as to whether you’ll fly that airline again," says Helane Becket, an airline analyst. "It’s not the be-all and end-all. It’s not going to put an airline out of business. But it’s not going to help it a lot either if they’re already in trouble."

The example mentioned in paragraph 3 shows that（）

A:A．largely reducing staff is not wise. B:B．cost cutting is not necessary. C:C．customers are not taken seriously. D:D．flight attendants are overloaded by FA

Americans are now flying the crowded, cranky skies. Flight delays in January were the worst for that month since 1999. Weather is always the primary cause of delays. Add to that the US Airways Christmas baggage meltdown and Comair’s computer failure, the combination of which left hundreds of thousands of fliers stranded at airports.
But airline employees see a deeper reason for both the increase in delays and passenger complaints: a demoralized and frustrated workforce that’s being asked to do more even as it’s getting paid lass.
The airlines and unions are quick to praise their workers for rising to the challenge during these very difficult times, as well as for carrying the brunt of the cost cutting. But unease is growing within the ranks. And passengers have noticed. For instance, some of the so-called older carriers now require gate agents to clean the planes as well as check people in. So some passengers have found themselves without a customer-service agent to talk to until just before the plane leaves. Pilots find themselves stuck at the gate because their Crew of flight attendants has already worked as long as the FAA would allow them to. "They’ve cut employees to such a degree that they don’t have enough employees to do the job and serve the customers properly," says one pilot.
The major airlines contend that’s not the case at all. Jeff Green, a spokesman for United Airlines, says the major carriers have shrunk significantly since 9/11. While there are far fewer employees, the airline also has far fewer flights. He also notes that United has had its best on-time performance in the past two years and that internal gauges of customer satisfaction are up. "What our employees are going through is not having an effect on our customer service," says Mr. Green. Employees on the front line tell a different story. "They’re just closing the doors and releasing the brake so they can report an on- time departure, when in reality they may still be loading cargo for 30 minutes."
Aviation experts contend that if that’s the case, the major airlines may find even more challenges ahead. As their fare structures and prices come closer to those of the successful low-cost carriers, customer service will become even more crucial in determining which airlines succeed. "The way you’re treated on the plane speaks a lot as to whether you’ll fly that airline again," says Helane Becker, an airline analyst. "It’s not the be-all and end-all. It’s not going to put an airline out of business. But it’s not going to help it a lot either if they’re already in trouble./
The example mentioned in paragraph 3 shows that

A:A．largely reducing staff is not wise. B:B．cost cutting is not necessary. C:C．customers are not taken seriously. D:D．flight attendants are overloaded by FA

In the first year or so of Web business, most of the action has revolved around efforts to tap the consumer market. More recently, as the Web proved to be more than fashion, companies have started to buy and sell products and services with one another. Such business-to-business sales make sense because business people typically know what product they’’re looking for. 　　Nonetheless, many companies still hesitate to use the Web because of doubts about its reliability. "Businesses need to feel they can trust the pathway between them and the supplier," says senior analyst Blane Erwin of Forrester Research. Some companies are limiting the risk by conducting online transactions only with established business partners who are given access to the company’’s private internet. 　　Another major shift in the model for Internet commerce concerns the technology available for marketing. Until recently, Internet marketing activities have focused on strategies to "pull" customers into sites. In the past year, however, software companies have developed tools that allow companies to "push" information directly out to consumers, transmitting marketing messages directly to targeted customers. Most notably, the Pointcast Network uses a screen saver to deliver a continually updated stream of news and advertisements to subscribers’’ computer monitors. Subscribers can customize the information they want to receive and proceed directly to a company’’s Web site. Companies such as Virtual Vineyards are already starting to use similar technologies to push messages to customers about special sales, product offerings, or other events. But push technology has earned the contempt of many Web users. Online culture thinks highly of the notion that the information flowing onto the screen comes there by specific request. Once commercial promotion begins to fill the screen uninvited, the distinction between the Web and television fades. That’’s a prospect that horrifies Net purists. 　　But it is hardly inevitable that companies on the Web will need to resort to push strategies to make money. The examples of Virtual Vineyards, Amazon. com, and other pioneers show that a Web site selling the right kind of products with the right mix of interactivity, hospitality, and security will attract online customers. And the cost of computing power continues to free fall, which is a good sign for any enterprise setting up shop in silicon. People looking back 5 or 10 years from now may well wonder why so few companies took the online plunge. We learn from the last paragraph that____________.

A:pushing information on the Web is essential to Internet commerce B:interactivity, hospitality and security are important to online customers C:leading companies began to take the online plunge decades ago D:setting up shops in silicon is independent of the cost of computing power

A huge population of red fire ants has bedeviled Texas farmers for years. By some estimates the insectscost state businesses close to $1 billion a year due to crop and machinery destruction. Killing the ants and their nests has not proven easy.
Texas A＆M researchers have discovered that the phorid fly from South America will lay eggs on the red fire ants and the maggots which are hatched eat away at the ant’s brains, eventually causing their heads to fall off. Someone at the university was willing to underwrite the work to solve a problem. That investment was almost certainly much less than the $1 billion a year that fire ants cost businesses in the state.
A recession does not stop advancements in technology. It just makes companies so frightened of risk that they choose not to make the investment in the red fire ant projects.
In the last week, the two most successful technology companies in the world, IBM and Google have announced major new products. IBM released "stream computing" applications that allow businesses to look at and analyze huge amounts of data in real time. The most important product of Google allows the company’s customers to take very large amounts of search data and organize it into spreadsheets. These are developments that will probably help the firms take business away from their competitors.
The shares of Google and IBM have handily outperformed those of all the other large tech companies based in the U. S. such as Hewlett Packard (HPQ), Microsoft (MSFT), Cisco (CSCO), and Oracle (ORCL). Each of the companies is blessed with substantial earnings and technology staffs in the tens of thousands. But the firms are not all viewed the same, at least by investors who trade tens of millions of their shares each day.
In most ways, IBM and Google are not like one another at all. IBM makes its money selling expensive hardware, client services, and software to companies, most of which are very large, and to governments. Google has millions of customers who pay nothing to use its services. It has millions of advertisers who spend money to reach people who look at search results and most of these marketers are very small.
What the companies do have in common is a willingness to take risks, probably risks with long odds in order to launch new products. These products may be failures, but they are well enough researched and designed that they have a good chance of keeping IBM and Google ahead of the competition even if that does not immediately involve significant new revenue.
The red fire ant problem never goes away. Unsolved problems in every industry cost companies money. Sometimes companies do not even know that their problems can be solved. The phorid fly is an obscure species. So is software that can analyze huge amounts of data in real time.

The author asserts that the new products of IBM and Google will（）

A:allow their customers to search for large amounts of data B:give themselves a competitive edge C:make their customers more competitive D:offer a solution to the fire ant problem

One of the odd things about some business organizations is that they spend so much money to lure new customers and spend so little to keep them after they’ve been landed. It just doesn’t make sense. Taking customers for granted is routine in some larger organizations, where mere bigness generates an attitude of indifference.
Loyal customers are an organization’s only protection against bankruptcy, and losing them because of neglect or indifference is downright sinful. Not only do satisfied customers continue to fatten the till, they often encourage others to buy. This is advertising that doesn’t cost a penny. And although there are always problems in giving good service to customers, maintaining their patronage (光顾) isn’t all that difficult. It’s a matter of attitude, of believing that everyone who buys from you is entitled to the best treatment you can deliver. Plus giving just a little morethan you have to.
We said there are always problems in giving good service to customers. The reason, of course, is that no organization is perfect, and there’s many a slip: unreasonable delays in filling orders, shipping the wrong merchandise, failing to answer letters promptly, and so on.
Sometimes these errors or failures can’t be helped. For example, if you can’t get parts because of material shortages or a transportation strike, customers may be denied the goods they’veordered. And not infrequently the customer is to blame--for example, failing to clearly identify the article or servjce required.
Yet no matter who is at fault, customers whom you value highly should generally be given the benefit of the doubt. Note that we said "customers whom you value highly." The old saying (格言) goes that all customers should be treated alike is a myth. Customers who repeatedly place large orders and pay for them will naturally, get more attention than those who buy infrequently and have to be badgered to pay what they owe. However, you have to make the assumption that all customers are good unless proved otherwise.
The main idea of the passage is best expressed by which of the following ______

A:Business organizations should not spend so much money to attract new customers B:Maintaining customers’ patronage is the most important to business organizations’ C:Customers are kings D:Organizations should pay more attention to the benefit of their customers

One of the odd things about some business organizations is that they spend so much money to lure new customers and spend so little to keep them after they’ve been landed. It just doesn’t make sense. Taking customers for granted is routine in some larger organizations, where mere bigness generates an attitude of indifference.
Loyal customers are an organization’s only protection against bankruptcy, and losing them because of neglect or indifference is downright sinful. Not only do satisfied customers continue to fatten the till, they often encourage others to buy. This is advertising that doesn’t cost a penny. And although there are always problems in giving good service to customers, maintaining their patronage (光顾) isn’t all that difficult. It’s a matter of attitude, of believing that everyone who buys from you is entitled to the best treatment you can deliver. Plus giving just a little morethan you have to.
We said there are always problems in giving good service to customers. The reason, of course, is that no organization is perfect, and there’s many a slip: unreasonable delays in filling orders, shipping the wrong merchandise, failing to answer letters promptly, and so on.
Sometimes these errors or failures can’t be helped. For example, if you can’t get parts because of material shortages or a transportation strike, customers may be denied the goods they’veordered. And not infrequently the customer is to blame--for example, failing to clearly identify the article or servjce required.
Yet no matter who is at fault, customers whom you value highly should generally be given the benefit of the doubt. Note that we said "customers whom you value highly." The old saying (格言) goes that all customers should be treated alike is a myth. Customers who repeatedly place large orders and pay for them will naturally, get more attention than those who buy infrequently and have to be badgered to pay what they owe. However, you have to make the assumption that all customers are good unless proved otherwise.

Which of the following conclusions can be drawn from the second paragraph （）

A:Customers should always be well serviced B:Without loyal customers an organization might go bankrupt C:Companies can employ custofners to advertise their products D:It is difficult for large organizations to provide their customers with good service

Americans are now flying the crowded, cranky skies. Flight delays in January were the worst for that month since 1999. Weather is always the primary cause of delays. Add to that the US Airways Christmas baggage meltdown and Comair’s computer failure, the combination of which left hundreds of thousands of fliers stranded at airports.
But airline employees see a deeper reason for both the increase in delays and passenger complaints: a demoralized and frustrated workforce that’s being asked to do more even as it’s getting paid lass.
The airlines and unions are quick to praise their workers for rising to the challenge during these very difficult times, as well as for carrying the brunt of the cost cutting. But unease is growing within the ranks. And passengers have noticed. For instance, some of the so-called older carriers now require gate agents to clean the planes as well as check people in. So some passengers have found themselves without a customer-service agent to talk to until just before the plane leaves. Pilots find themselves stuck at the gate because their Crew of flight attendants has already worked as long as the FAA would allow them to. "They’ve cut employees to such a degree that they don’t have enough employees to do the job and serve the customers properly," says one pilot.
The major airlines contend that’s not the case at all. Jeff Green, a spokesman for United Airlines, says the major carriers have shrunk significantly since 9/11. While there are far fewer employees, the airline also has far fewer flights. He also notes that United has had its best on-time performance in the past two years and that internal gauges of customer satisfaction are up. "What our employees are going through is not having an effect on our customer service," says Mr. Green. Employees on the front line tell a different story. "They’re just closing the doors and releasing the brake so they can report an on- time departure, when in reality they may still be loading cargo for 30 minutes."
Aviation experts contend that if that’s the case, the major airlines may find even more challenges ahead. As their fare structures and prices come closer to those of the successful low-cost carriers, customer service will become even more crucial in determining which airlines succeed. "The way you’re treated on the plane speaks a lot as to whether you’ll fly that airline again," says Helane Becker, an airline analyst. "It’s not the be-all and end-all. It’s not going to put an airline out of business. But it’s not going to help it a lot either if they’re already in trouble.

The example mentioned in paragraph 3 shows that（）

A:largely reducing staff is not wise B:cost cutting is not necessary C:customers are not taken seriously D:flight attendants are overloaded by FAA