As you climb into the hill country, the roads get dustier and rougher, and fewer cars can be seen. Phonxay is one of the poorest districts of Laos, and many of its villages are only accessible by footpath. Our destination this hot morning is a concrete water tank that can be found just off the road. A UK organization helped to build it six years ago, and in the nearby village of Thapho, where clean drinking water is scarce, it has made a big difference. The tank feeds six taps which in turn give water to over 800 people---it has improved things for almost every family, from schoolchildren to grannies.

        But lately, we were told, the clean water supply has come under pressure from new arrivals, people who have come down from the hill areas, and there are concerns that there will not be enough clean water to go round.

There are also serious worries about resources in Laos. The Chinese are building a 400km railway link, which could transform the landlocked country. About 150,000 Chinese workers will be involved. What will this do to local clean water supplies? How will the workers be fed?

The vast majority of Laotians live on farms. But with foreign investors wanting to buy up land, local people will have to be moved to make room for them. Heavily dependent on both foreign aid and foreign investment, Laos still falls well behind its neighbours, although its economy has grown at about 6% a year in the last decade. Its biggest economic problem is the lack of locally trained skilled workforce.

But there are reasons to be hopeful for the future. Laos is beautiful, and foreign tourism continues to grow: fortunately so far the fast-food chains and coffee bars common elsewhere are nowhere to be seen. Although all local media are government-run, the Internet is not controlled and the BBC and CNN are available to those with satellite dishes.

The government has also achieved impressive results in rural development, with communities benefiting not just from cleaner water but the construction of new schools and regular visits from medical teams. Poverty will not be history in Laos within the next decade, but with small steps forward and a bit of outside help, the country could find itself out of the UN’s least-developed category by 2020.

1.What is putting pressure on the local supply of clean water?

A. Dust from the road is making the water dirtier.

B. There are too many taps accessing the water.

C. The population of the area is growing fast.

D. The coming summer will dry up rivers and lakes.

2.According to the passage, which of the following is NOT a reason for Laos to be hopeful?

A. There are no fast-food restaurants in the country.

B. Laos has a variety of tourist attractions.

C. Information on the Internet is freely accessible.

D. The government owns all local media.

3.What is the most serious limitation on Laos’ economic growth?

A. The lack of local skilled workers.

B. A poor transportation system.

C. Too much foreign aid.

D. Too many foreign workers.

4.What is the best title for the passage?

A. Laos: slow-developing nations

B. Laos: small steps forward

C. Laos: least-developed land

D. Laos: landlocked country

As you climb into the hill country, the roads get dustier and rougher, and fewer cars can be seen. Phonxay is one of the poorest districts of Laos, and many of its villages are only accessible by footpath. Our destination this hot morning is a concrete water tank that can be found just off the road. A UK organization helped to build it six years ago, and in the nearby village of Thapho, where clean drinking water is scarce, it has made a big difference. The tank feeds six taps which in turn give water to over 800 people---it has improved things for almost every family, from schoolchildren to grannies.
But lately, we were told, the clean water supply has come under pressure from new arrivals, people who have come down from the hill areas, and there are concerns that there will not be enough clean water to go round.
There are also serious worries about resources in Laos. The Chinese are building a 400km railway link, which could transform the landlocked country. About 150,000 Chinese workers will be involved. What will this do to local clean water supplies? How will the workers be fed?
The vast majority of Laotians live on farms. But with foreign investors wanting to buy up land, local people will have to be moved to make room for them. Heavily dependent on both foreign aid and foreign investment, Laos still falls well behind its neighbours, although its economy has grown at about 6% a year in the last decade. Its biggest economic problem is the lack of locally trained skilled workforce.
But there are reasons to be hopeful for the future. Laos is beautiful, and foreign tourism continues to grow: fortunately so far the fast-food chains and coffee bars common elsewhere are nowhere to be seen. Although all local media are government-run, the Internet is not controlled and the BBC and CNN are available to those with satellite dishes.
The government has also achieved impressive results in rural development, with communities benefiting not just from cleaner water but the construction of new schools and regular visits from medical teams. Poverty will not be history in Laos within the next decade, but with small steps forward and a bit of outside help, the country could find itself out of the UN’s least-developed category by 2020

1. 1.

   What is putting pressure on the local supply of clean water?

   1. A.
      Dust from the road is making the water dirtier
   2. B.
      There are too many taps accessing the water
   3. C.
      The population of the area is growing fast
   4. D.
      The coming summer will dry up rivers and lakes
2. 2.

   According to the passage, which of the following is NOT a reason for Laos to be hopeful?

   1. A.
      There are no fast-food restaurants in the country
   2. B.
      Laos has a variety of tourist attractions
   3. C.
      Information on the Internet is freely accessible
   4. D.
      The government owns all local media
3. 3.

   What is the most serious limitation on Laos’ economic growth?

   1. A.
      The lack of local skilled workers
   2. B.
      A poor transportation system
   3. C.
      Too much foreign aid
   4. D.
      Too many foreign workers
4. 4.

   What is the best title for the passage?

   1. A.
      Laos: slow-developing nations
   2. B.
      Laos: small steps forward
   3. C.
      Laos: least-developed land
   4. D.
      Laos: landlocked country

Scientists have transformed men’s minds into a virtual（虚拟的）woman’s body in an experiment that could throw light upon how humans distinguish themselves form others.
In a study at Barcelona University, men wore a virtual reality headset that allowed them to see and hear the world as a female character. When they looked down, they could even see their new body and clothes.
The “body－swapping” effect was so convincing that the men’s sense of self was transferred into the virtual woman, causing them to react to events in the virtual world they were immersed（沉浸）. “This work opens up another avenue for virtual reality, which is not just to transform your sense of place, but also your sense of self,” said Mel Slater, “If you can temporarily give people the illusion that their bodies are different, then the evidence suggests it also affects their behavior and the way they think. They can have new experiences: a person who is thin can know what it is like to be fat. A man can have an experience of what it’s like to be a woman.”
During the experiment, a “female” approached and hit the face of the character another man was playing. “Their reaction was immediate,” said Slate. “They would take in a quick breath and maybe flinch（退缩）. The more people reported being in the girl’s body, the stronger physical reaction they had.” But in all cases, the feeling was temporary and lasted only as long as the study.
The study shows that our minds have a very fluid picture of our bodies. The research is expected to shed light on the puzzle of how our brain tells the difference between a part of our own body and something else in the wider world. Thus the work might improve the conditions for those who have experienced strokes by placing them in a world that helps them to use their bodies to the full again.
【小题1】How can a man’s mind get into a woman’s body?

Scientists have transformed men’s minds into a virtual（虚拟的）woman’s body in an experiment that could throw light upon how humans distinguish themselves form others.

In a study at Barcelona University, men wore a virtual reality headset that allowed them to see and hear the world as a female character. When they looked down, they could even see their new body and clothes.

The “body－swapping” effect was so convincing that the men’s sense of self was transferred into the virtual woman, causing them to react to events in the virtual world they were immersed（沉浸）. “This work opens up another avenue for virtual reality, which is not just to transform your sense of place, but also your sense of self,” said Mel Slater, “If you can temporarily give people the illusion that their bodies are different, then the evidence suggests it also affects their behavior and the way they think. They can have new experiences: a person who is thin can know what it is like to be fat. A man can have an experience of what it’s like to be a woman.”

During the experiment, a “female” approached and hit the face of the character another man was playing. “Their reaction was immediate,” said Slate. “They would take in a quick breath and maybe flinch（退缩）. The more people reported being in the girl’s body, the stronger physical reaction they had.” But in all cases, the feeling was temporary and lasted only as long as the study.

The study shows that our minds have a very fluid picture of our bodies. The research is expected to shed light on the puzzle of how our brain tells the difference between a part of our own body and something else in the wider world. Thus the work might improve the conditions for those who have experienced strokes by placing them in a world that helps them to use their bodies to the full again.

1.How can a man’s mind get into a woman’s body?

A．by distinguishing themselves from women

B．by taking part in an activity actively

C．by wearing a special device（设备）

D．by transforming his sense of place

2.Of the following statements, which we can’t infer from the passage?

A．Men in the experiment can temporarily have the wrong feeling that they are women.

B．When hit, the men in the virtual world will react angrily to it.

C．As soon as the experiment is finished, the men will return to the normal state

D．Probably, this study can be applied to medical fields and benefit humans.

3.What is the author’s intention of writing this passage?

A．to introduce an interesting and advanced study

B．to inform us of the latest development of virtual reality

C．to illustrate the importance of virtual reality

D．to build up our confidence to fight stroke

Scientists have transformed men’s minds into a virtual（虚拟的）woman’s body in an experiment that could throw light upon how humans distinguish themselves form others.
In a study at Barcelona University, men wore a virtual reality headset that allowed them to see and hear the world as a female character. When they looked down, they could even see their new body and clothes.
The “body-swapping” effect was so convincing that the men’s sense of self was transferred into the virtual woman, causing them to react to events in the virtual world they were immersed（沉浸）. “This work opens up another avenue for virtual reality, which is not just to transform your sense of place, but also your sense of self,” said Mel Slater, “If you can temporarily give people the illusion that their bodies are different, then the evidence suggests it also affects their behavior and the way they think. They can have new experiences: a person who is thin can know what it is like to be fat. A man can have an experience of what it’s like to be a woman.”
During the experiment, a “female” approached and hit the face of the character another man was playing. “Their reaction was immediate,” said Slate. “They would take in a quick breath and maybe flinch（退缩）. The more people reported being in the girl’s body, the stronger physical reaction they had.” But in all cases, the feeling was temporary and lasted only as long as the study.
The study shows that our minds have a very fluid picture of our bodies. The research is expected to shed light on the puzzle of how our brain tells the difference between a part of our own body and something else in the wider world. Thus the work might improve the conditions for those who have experienced strokes by placing them in a world that helps them to use their bodies to the full again

1. 1.

   How can a man’s mind get into a woman’s body?

   1. A.
      by distinguishing themselves from women
   2. B.
      by taking part in an activity actively
   3. C.
      by wearing a special device（设备）
   4. D.
      by transforming his sense of place
2. 2.

   Of the following statements, which we can’t infer from the passage?

   1. A.
      Men in the experiment can temporarily have the wrong feeling that they are women
   2. B.
      When hit, the men in the virtual world will react angrily to it
   3. C.
      As soon as the experiment is finished, the men will return to the normal state
   4. D.
      Probably, this study can be applied to medical fields and benefit humans
3. 3.

   What is the author’s intention of writing this passage?

   1. A.
      to introduce an interesting and advanced study
   2. B.
      to inform us of the latest development of virtual reality
   3. C.
      to illustrate the importance of virtual reality
   4. D.
      to build up our confidence to fight stroke