tight junction (紧密连接)

Text 4
Each time you step into those faded old Jeans, you put on a piece of history. The world’ s favorite trousers are now over a hundred years old, and here’ s how they started out.
The first Jeans were made in 1850, in the California gold rush. A man named Levi Strauss realized that the gold - diggers’ normal trousers weren’ t strong enough for the work they had to do and were wearing Out quickly. Strauss had some strong canvas, which he was going to make into tents and wagon covers to sell to the workers. Instead, he made some trousers out of it and these became the first Jeans. They were brown and called the waist -high overall.
The trousers sold well, and Strauss began looking around for ways of making them even tougher. He found a material that was better than canvas-- a durable cotton that was manufactured only in the south of France. In a town called Nimes, the material was denim--the name coming from the French for from "Nimes". Strauss ordered boat loads of this material and, to keep the colour consistent, had it all dyed indigo blue. The trousers became known as blue denims or blue jeans ( the Word jean is thought to come from Genoa. Italian’ sailors from the port of Genoa wore trousers similar to jeans, on the big trading ships).
In the early days cowboys, farmers, miners and timber Jacks--all people associated with hard work--wore jeans. But there were a few design problems with the early styles--as cowboys discovered to their cost. When they crouched too close to the camp fire, the rivet (the metal button strengthening the jeans at the bottom of the fly) got too hot and became very uncomfortable. Levi didn t take much notice of the cowboys complaints until the 1940s, when a company official crouched too close to a camp fire and experienced the problem first - hand. The crotch rivet was soon removed.
In the fifties and sixties, jeans represented rebellion. Film stars like James Dean, Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe wore them, as did pop stars like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.
Fashions changed in the seventies and jeans became flared--tight at the hip and wide at the bottom. They were very, very tight--if you could get the zip up while standing up, they weren’ t tight enough. You had to lie down on the bed to do them up; for a really skin - tight fit, people would lie in a bath in their jeans and wait for them to shrink !
As the trousers became more and more successful, other jeans manufacturers started up--such as Wrengler, Pepe and Lee.
But jeans have had their opponents, in some countries--such as the old Soviet Union--jeans became a prized status symbol of the West. They suggested that a Soviet citizen had either traveled abroad or had contacts in the West. So the authorities discouraged the wearing of jeans. And in Japan,’a consumers’ association adamantly refused to sell one manufacturer’ s fashionable ripped jeans because it felt these were interior and defective product!

In the seventies, people would lie in a bath to （）

A:take a bath with their jeans on B:make the jeans more comfortable C:make the jeans more fashionable D:make the jeans smaller for a tiny skin tight fit

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My church recently staged a Sensitivity Sunday to make our congregation aware of the problems faced by people with physical handicaps. We are asked to "adopt a handicap" for several hours on Sunday morning. Some members chose to be confined to wheelchairs, others stuffed cotton in their ears, hobbled around on crutches, or wore blindfolds.
Wheelchairs had never seemed like scary objects to me before I had to sit in one. A tight knot grabbed hold in my stomach when I first took a close look at what was to be my only means of getting around for several hours. I was stuck by the irrational thought, "once I am in this wheelchair, the handicap might become real, and I might never walk again." This thought, as ridiculous as it was, frightened me so much that I needed a large dose of courage just to sit down.
After I overcame my fear of the wheelchair, I had to learn how to cope with it. I wiggled around to find a comfortable position and thought I might even enjoy being pampered and wheeled around. I glanced over my shoulder to see who would be pushing me. It was only then that I realized I would have to navigate the contraption all by myself! My palms reddened and started to sting as I tugged at the heavy metal wheels. I could not seem to keep the chair on an even course or point the wheels in direction I wanted to go. I kept bumping into doors, pews, and other people. I felt as though everyone was staring at me and commenting on my clumsiness.
When the service started, more problems cropped up to frustrate me even further. Every time the congregation stood up, my view was blocked. I could not see the minister, the choir, or the altar. Also, as the church’ s aisles were narrow, I seemed to be in the way no matter where I parked myself. For instance, the ushers had to step around me in order to pass the collection plate. This Shade me feel like a nuisance. Thanks to a new building program, our church will soon have the wide aisles and well - spaced pews that will make life easier for the handicapped. Finally, if people stopped to talk to me, I had to strain my neck to look up at them. This made me feel like a little child being talked down to and added to my sense of helplessness.
My few hours as a disabled person left a deep impression on me. Now, I no longer feel resentment at large tax expenditures for ramp equipped buses, and I wouldn’t dream of parking my car in a space marked "Handicapped Only." Although my close encounter with a handicap was short - lived, I can now understand the challenges, both physical and emotional, that wheelchair - bound people must over come.

Why did the writer say "Wheelchairs had never seemed like scary objects to me before I had to sit in one"（）

A:Because a tight knot would grabbed hold in his stomach. B:Because he would have to sit in one for several years. C:Because he would never walk again. D:Because it seemed as if the handicap might become real.

If you see a diamond ring on the fourth finger of a woman’s left hand, you probably know what it means: in America, this has long been the digit of choice for betrothal jewelry, and the lore of the trade traces the symbolism back to ancient times. But if you see a diamond ring on the fourth finger of a woman’s right hand, you may or may not know that it signifies an independent spirit, or even economic empowerment and changing gender mores. "A lot of women have disposable income," Katie Couric said recently on the "Today" show after showing viewers her Change right-hander. "Why wait for a man to give her a diamond ring"
This notion may be traced back, approximately, to September. That’s when the Diamond Information Center began a huge marketing campaign aimed at articulating the meaning of right-hand rings-and thus a rationale for buying them. "Your left hand says ’we’ ," the campaign declares. "Your right hand says ’me’ ." The positioning is brilliant: the wearer may be married or unmarried and may buy the ring herself or request it as a gift. And while it can take years for a new jewelry concept to work itself thoroughly into the mainstream, the tight-band ring already has momentum.
At the higher end of the scale, the jewelry maker Kwiat, which supplies stores like Saks, offers a line of Kwiat Spirit Rings that can retail for as much as ＄5, 000, and "we’re selling it faster than we’re manufacturing it," says Bill Gould, the company’s chief of marketing. At the other end of the stale, mass-oriented retailers that often take a wait-and-see attitude have already jumped on the bandwagon.
Firms like Kwiat were given what Gould calls "direction" from the Diamond information Center about the new ring’s attributes-multiple diamonds in a north-south orientation that distinguishes it from the look of an engagement ring, and so on. But all this is secondary to the newly minted meaning. "The idea," Morrison says, "is that beyond a trend, this could become a sort of cultural imperative."
A tall order Well, bear in mind that "a diamond is forever" is not a saying handed down from imperial Rome. It was handed down from an earlier generation of De Beers marketers. Joyce Jonas, a jewelry appraiser and historian, notes that De Beers, in the 40’s and 50’s, took advantage of a changing American class structure to turn diamond rings into an (attainable) symbol for the masses. By now, Jonans observes, the stone alone "is just a commodity" . And this, of course, is what makes its invented significance more Crucial than ever.
"Your right hand says ’me’" ( Line 4, Par

A:A．2 ) implies that______. the wearer may be married or unmarried the wearer of the right-hand ring is independent the woman has the right-hand ring as a gift the wearer of the tight-hand ring is a self-centered woman

If you see a diamond ring on the fourth finger of a woman’s left hand, you probably know what it means: in America, this has long been the digit of choice for betrothal jewelry, and the lore of the trade traces the symbolism back to ancient times. But if you see a diamond ring on the fourth finger of a woman’s right hand, you may or may not know that it signifies an independent spirit, or even economic empowerment and changing gender mores. "A lot of women have disposable income," Katie Couric said recently on the "Today" show after showing viewers her Change right-hander. "Why wait for a man to give her a diamond ring"
This notion may be traced back, approximately, to September. That’s when the Diamond Information Center began a huge marketing campaign aimed at articulating the meaning of right-hand rings-and thus a rationale for buying them. "Your left hand says ’we’ ," the campaign declares. "Your right hand says ’me’ ." The positioning is brilliant: the wearer may be married or unmarried and may buy the ring herself or request it as a gift. And while it can take years for a new jewelry concept to work itself thoroughly into the mainstream, the tight-band ring already has momentum.
At the higher end of the scale, the jewelry maker Kwiat, which supplies stores like Saks, offers a line of Kwiat Spirit Rings that can retail for as much as ＄5, 000, and "we’re selling it faster than we’re manufacturing it," says Bill Gould, the company’s chief of marketing. At the other end of the stale, mass-oriented retailers that often take a wait-and-see attitude have already jumped on the bandwagon.
Firms like Kwiat were given what Gould calls "direction" from the Diamond information Center about the new ring’s attributes-multiple diamonds in a north-south orientation that distinguishes it from the look of an engagement ring, and so on. But all this is secondary to the newly minted meaning. "The idea," Morrison says, "is that beyond a trend, this could become a sort of cultural imperative."
A tall order Well, bear in mind that "a diamond is forever" is not a saying handed down from imperial Rome. It was handed down from an earlier generation of De Beers marketers. Joyce Jonas, a jewelry appraiser and historian, notes that De Beers, in the 40’s and 50’s, took advantage of a changing American class structure to turn diamond rings into an (attainable) symbol for the masses. By now, Jonans observes, the stone alone "is just a commodity" . And this, of course, is what makes its invented significance more Crucial than ever.

"Your right hand says ’me’" ( Line 4, Para. 2 ) implies that（）

A:the wearer may be married or unmarried B:the wearer of the right-hand ring is independent C:the woman has the right-hand ring as a gift D:the wearer of the tight-hand ring is a self-centered woman

The Newhouse shelter in Kansas City has helped thousands of abused women and their children over the past 37 years. But last month, the women were forced to move out and the staff started looking for new jobs. The reason was simple. While the need was there, the money was not. Dwindling charitable contributions tied to a broad U.S. economic slowdown mean fewer resources and hard choices for charities across the country.
"People are holding tight to their money," said Newhouse President Leslie Caplan, who estimated charitable contributions were down ＄200,000 this year compared to last year. That, combined with cuts in government grants, has severely squeezed the center’s ＄1.3 million budget.
As Americans struggling with rising unemployment and home foreclosures turn to charities for help, charities themselves are running into financial difficulties as donations dwindle. They are being forced to increase their outreach, hold more fund-raising events and seek out new donors to make ends meet. "The people who used to give us small amounts, $10 or $15, that is going away. The people who have a lot of money still are able to give, but they are more selective in their giving," McIntyre said. "It’s getting bad out there. "
Philanthropic Giving Index, which measures prospects for charitable donations, has dropped to 83 on a scale of 100 from 88 in December 2007, its lowest point since 2003. Rev. Cecil Williams noticed that donations to Glide Memorial United Methodist Church in San Francisco began falling off earlier this year, forcing him to cut meals, child care, and health care to the poor by up to 15 percent. Meanwhile, the lines for help grow longer.
Melissa Perez of La Habra, California, hosted a Brazilian student last year under the auspices of the Center for Cultural Interchange, a Chicago-based nonprofit that arranges for families to house and feed foreign students. "Everything’s hard. We’re very much pinched," said Perez, who cannot afford to do it again this year because her family’s manufacturing business is in trouble. Such experiences mean the Center for Cultural Interchange has not been able to find enough volunteers.
"Business is not as good and they feel the pressure and that leads to a decline in giving," said Bridges board member Inayat Malik. "How much people give depends on’ how secure they feel," Berman said. "I think we’ll see an impact on personal giving this fall and winter, which is when most charitable organizations depend on generosity.

What does the expression "People are holding tight to their money" ( Line 1, Paragraph 2) mean（）

A:People are saving more money to donate B:People become stingy even with more money earned C:People are donating less due to their tight financial situations D:People are now more concerned about how their donations are spent

{{B}}第二篇{{/B}}

To slow down eye damage, people with diabetes should try to

A:use as many medications as they can. B:eat as little as possible. C:wear glasses as often as possible. D:keep their blood sugar under tight control.

　第二篇 Diabetes(糖屎病)and Eye Damage 　　0vet 2 million Canadians have diabetes．It is the leading cause of blindness in North Americans under 65 years of age Diabetes is a condition where the body either cannot produce enough insulin(胰岛素)or cannot respond properly to insulin．Insulin is important because it moves glucose(葡萄糖)，a simple sugar．into the body’S cells from the blood．The food people eat provides the body with glucose，which is used by the cells as a source of energy．If insulin isn’t available or doesn’t work correctly to move glucose from the blood into the cells，glucose will stay in the blood，leading to high blood sugar levels． 　　High blood sugar levels damage the blood vessels，including the tiny blood vessels in the eye．This leads to an eye disease known as diabetic retinopathy(糖尿病型视网膜病)．The retina (视网膜)is an area at the back of the eye that changes light into nerve signals．With diabetic retinopathy，some blood vessels in the retina are lost，and some of the other blood vessels begin to"leak’’blood This causes the retina to swell．and gradually cuts off its supply of oxygen and nutrients(滋养物)．Eventually，the retina starts to grow new blood vessels to replace the damaged ones．Unfortunately，these new vessels are not as strong as the old ones They are more likely to break，causing bleeding in the eye 　　At first，people with diabetic retinopathy will not notice any symptoms．As the disease gets worse，they may notice blurred(模糊的)vision，black spots or flashing lights．As time goes on，it Can progress to blindness Everyone with diabetes is at risk for diabetic retinopathy，and the risk increases the longer you’ve had diabetes 　　Fortunately，you can reduce your risk If you do not have diabetes，but think you may be at risk for this condition．visit your doctor to be screened for diabetes．If you d0 have diabetes： 　　Have frequent eye check-ups． 　　Make sure that you monitor your blood sugar frequently and use your medications as recommended by your doctor There is evidence to show that keeping your blood sugar under tight control can slow down eye damage If you have high blood pressure，follow your recommended diet and medications to keep it under control．If you are not sure whether you have high blood pressure，or whether your blood pressure is under control，discuss this with your doctor To slow down eye damage，people with diabetes should try to

A:use as many medications as they can． B:eat as little as possible． C:wear glasses as often as possible． D:keep their blood sugar under tight contr01．