阅读理解

I was sleeping soundly last night when I was awakened by someone’s groans（呻吟）.I listened , and heard it was from Sam，a student from Africa. I really wanted to go on sleeping, as I had insomnia（失眠）and had just fallen asleep, but I couldn’t because Sam groaned louder and louder，showing he was seriously ill.

At that time , Robbie，a student from China , also got up to help. We found some pills，got some water , and helped him sit up to take them, hoping this would make his pain go down a little and get over the difficult time. If only daytime would come soon, everything would become easier.

Things went contrary相反）to our wishes. Sam’s condition developed from bad to worse. We telephoned the emergency service , and in no time an ambulance stopped in front of our gate. We helped the medical（医疗）workers carry Sam to the vehicle，and then both Robbie and I got in and took Sam to the hospital.

We helped him go through many medical examinations. After all kinds of tests，we were told that the final diagnosis（诊断）was appendicitis（盲肠炎）. Luckily , Sam didn’t need an operation because we brought him to the hospital in time. He got timely treatment.

After Sam felt much better , we rushed back to prepare ourselves for the class. We were a little tired , but we had certainly done something good，something right.1.Why couldn’t the writer go on sleeping that night?

2. What does “vehicle” in the third paragraph refer to?

3. Why didn’t Sam need an operation?

4. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

Tony Buzan’s grades were going down at university. Disappointed with his low marks, he went to the library to find a book on how to use his brain. He was directed to the medical section. Confused, he said to the librarian, “I don’t want to take my brain out, I just want to learn how to use it.” Her reply was simple: “There’s no book on that.”
“I thought to myself,” says Buzan, “if I buy a little radio, I get an instruction manual (说明书). If I buy a microwave, I get an instruction manual. But for the most important machine in the world, no instruction manual?”
Fifty years later, Buzan has become the world’s leading speaker on the brain and learning. In the late 1960s, he invented the mind map, a visual representation of thought processes.
This kind of thinking has become a popular tool for planning, organizing, problem solving, and communicating across the world. He has since authored and co-authored over 100 books that have appeared in more than 30 languages.
“I think in most cases, people use less than 1 percent of their brains,” he says.
But how do you expand this 1 percent? How do you become the best student you can be?
According to Buzan, the answer is simple. You take a section of whatever it is that you are trying to learn, he says, and you read it for its essence (精髓、要素). Then you make a mind map of all the important details. For a truly effective mind map, you start with a colored image in the center of your page. Draw the first image that comes to mind on the topic you are mind mapping. Branch off from your central image and create one of your main ideas. From your main branches draw some sub-branches and from those sub-branches you can draw even more branches. He emphasizes that you should use plenty of images and colors as these help with memory recall and encourage creativity.
By using this visual format (形式), according to Buzan, your mind will begin to make associations that will help you remember more information for longer periods of time.
Buzan believes that traditional note-taking methods, such as lists and summaries, do not stimulate the brain’s recall capacity or ability in the same way. Because of this, students will often find themselves locked away in their rooms for hours, trying hard to memorize separate details. Buzan believes that for a more effective and lasting way of studying, you must first understand how your brain works.
“Everyone is born smart,” he says. “You just have to learn how to learn.”
【小题1】What is the main purpose of the first two paragraphs?

One day, I went to see my last patient(病人), an old woman. In the doorway, I saw she was struggling (挣扎) to put socks on her swollen (浮肿)feet in the bed. I stepped in, spoke quickly to the nurse, read her chart noting. I was almost in the clear that she was not in serious condition.
I asked, “Could I help put on your socks? How are you feeling? Your sugars and blood pressure were high but they’re better today. The nurse mentioned you’re anxious to see your son. He’s visiting you today. It’s nice to have a family visit. I think you really look forward to seeing him."
"Sit down, doctor. This is my story, not yours." She said with a serious voice.
I was surprised as I helped her with the socks. She told me that her only son lived around the corner from her, but she had not seen him in five years. She believed that was the main cause of her health problems. After hearing her story and putting on her socks, I asked if there was anything else I could do for her. She shook her head no and smiled. All she wanted me to do was to listen.
Each story is different. Some are detailed; others are simple. Some have a beginning, middle and end; others don’t have clear ends. Some are true; others not. Yet all those things do not really matter. What matters to the storyteller is that the story is heard — without interruption(打断) or judgment(评价).
It was that woman who taught me the importance of stopping, sitting down and truly listening. And, not long after, in an unexpected accident, I became a patient. 20 years later, I sit all the time — in a wheelchair.
For as long as I could, I continued to see patients from my chair. I believe in the power of listening.
【小题1】 How was the old woman?

When Amy wrote her first novel in secondary school, she never imagined that she would become a writer one day. Like many 16  writers on the Internet, the  17  woman got into this online world accidentally(偶然地).
Three years ago, Amy worked in a medical industry. Her job kept her busy for six months and left her almost  18  to do for the rest of the year. To fill the time, she started writing  19  on the Internet. Her first novel was about her neighbours and their life 20  she is familiar with.
Amy has been interested in writing  21  she was a child. At first, she just wanted to share her novels  22  people she knew. Then one day an editor of a famous website emailed her, asking her 23  she would like to sell the electronic copyright(授权) of one of her novels. She  24  immediately and the novel was moved to the VIP section of the website. She got $ 1,500 for that.
Now Amy is a full-time  25 . So far her eight novels have come out online, and five of them 26 .
“The Internet made me famous and brought me  27  ,” she said. “I earn much more money now— about $60,000 a year. I am 28 with my career, but there is one problem — that my talent might run out after five years and I’ll have to  29 to work in the medical industry.”
“Before that day comes, I’ll keep  30 for the readers with my light and close-to-everyday-life writing style,” said Amy with a smile.