Questions 26–32

 The digital age is dawning, and that’s good news for Asian companies. Already, a high (26) of the world’s new digital products, such as DVD players and digital cameras, are being produced there, not only (27) manufacturing costs are lower there than in North America and Europe, but also because Asia has become a center for (28) . Japanese companies, of course, have long been admired for their ability to design (29) . manufacture consumer products that incorporate the latest technology while (30) the most-desired functions. Now other Asian countries like Korea and Taiwan are (31) . With the worldwide demand for digital products growing (32) a furious pace, the future looks bright for the Asian companies that make them.

 In modern hospitals, the most popular treatment for bacterial infection is antibiotics. While these medicines are generally highly effective in (41) the infection, one problem is that over a period of time bacteria begin to mutate—change their structure—in order to resist the antibiotics. (42) , as the human population consumes more antibiotics, the infection-producing (43) become stronger and more resistant to the drugs. Another reason for the increased consumption of antibiotics is that doctors often prescribe them to patients too (44) . Both doctors and patients prefer treatment providing fast relief, rather than (45) the body to battle the infection by itself. (46) unnecessary prescriptions are not the only source of antibiotics. They have been increasingly (47) on farms, where chickens and pigs are frequently fed antibiotics to combat disease. The (48) is that when the general public eats the meat products, they consume the animals’ antibiotic-resistant bacteria as well.

The ROC Air Force has purchased a new “Air Force One,” the popular name for the aircraft used by senior officials of the ROC, including the president and vice-president. Like the previous “Air Force One,” which was leased from China Airlines, the new aircraft is a Boeing 737-800, which is capable of carrying up to 189 passengers and costs around US$45 million. It differs from the earlier aircraft, however, in its on-board instrumentation, which includes an advanced radar system and state-of-the-art communications equipment. In the event of a crisis, these facilities will enable the president to remain in contact with armed forces commanders while he is on board “Air Force One.” Two teams of ROC air force pilots will receive training in the US in using the new equipment before flying the aircraft back to Taiwan from there via Hawaii and Guam.

 Over time, cacti literally reshaped themselves to fit their environment, by increasing their bulk and reducing the surface area they expose to the sun. Cacti stopped bearing leaves; they could no longer afford to supply broad-surfaced appendages with water. When the cacti dispensed with foliage, their stems and branches took over the leaves’ work of manufacturing food. By drawing energy from almost constant sunlight and moisture from their water-storing interior pulp, cacti can function all year round and flower even during lenghty droughts. Many other adaptations help cacti survive in a harsh environment. Their shallow, widespread root systems absorb maximum moisture in a region of brief rainstorms and thin quick-draining soil. The waxy finish on their tough skins retards moisture loss, and their armament of sharp spines affords protection from sun, wind and from the depredations of hungry, thirsty desert creatures.

 In any group of elderly people, it is common to see some women who are unable to stand completely upright. Their backs and heads are bent forward slightly, as if they were carrying a heavy load. This is usually a sign of a bone problem that has developed over a number of years, a problem called osteoporosis. Osteoporosis literally means porous bones—bones that are filled with tiny holes. Our bones are in a constant state of change, continuously broken down and rebuilt through the body’s chemical processes. Two kinds of cells are important in these processes: osteoclasts and osteoblasts. Osteoclasts renew the old bone by dissolving or reabsorbing it; this leaves an empty space. Osteoblasts then fill this empty space with new bone. When the rate of bone renewal doesn’t equal the rate of breakdown, bone loss results. When the bone loss becomes advanced, it is called osteoporosis. The bones don’t actually change shape with osteoporosis; rather, they become porous, and therefore are more likely to break. Often the first sign of osteoporosis is a bone fracture following a minor fall or accident.

 For thousands of years, Chinese artists have used a material called lacquer to prevent the surfaces of objects made of wood or other materials from being damaged. Many beautiful lacquer pieces can be found today in collections of Chinese art. The process of producing a lacquer piece, however, is both difficult and long. To begin with, the original object must be made, perhaps a wooden bowl or vase with a design carved in its surface. Meanwhile, farmers collect raw, liquid lacquer from lacquer trees, each of which can produce only a small amount. After enough lacquer has been collected, a lacquer artist must then clean it by passing it through cloth and also beat it in order to remove excess water. The original color of the lacquer is not attractive so the artist next adds some other material to change the color to red or black. Now, the artist can put the first of many layers of lacquer onto the surface of the object. After the first layer is dry, he must polish it and then apply the next layer. When the last layer has been applied, the object will not only be beautiful, but also safeguarded against damage.

One of the largest youth organizations in the world is the 4-H, an organization of clubs for young people between 9 and 19. The main purpose of 4-H is to provide young people with the practical skills and understanding they will need to become useful members of their communities. The four H’s stand for head, heart, hands, and health. When 4-H clubs first began in America in the early 1900s, members were mostly young people from rural areas. The focus was on farm projects, such as raising pigs and growing and canning food. Today over 75% of the club members come from towns, cities, and suburbs, and hundreds of projects exist, each adapted to its geographical area. While rural districts abound in conservation, forestry, and farm management projects, projects in urban areas often involve nutrition, health, automotive care, and money management. The 4-H program in America is a joint service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, state universities, and county governments. Additional funding is provided by business firms and private organizations. Members of the clubs are guided by volunteer adult leaders and their teenage assistants. In the clubs, 4-H’ers learn about and work on solving serious problems that face their communities, issues like environmental protection and community safety. In addition to the 4-H clubs in the U.S. states and territories, more than eighty countries, including Taiwan, have adapted the 4-H idea to fit their own needs. In the less developed countries, many clubs offer courses in proper nutrition and in new farming technology.

One animal which has become extinct was once probably the most numerous bird in North America: the passenger pigeon. The passenger pigeon bred in the eastern part of the U.S. and Canada and often migrated to the southern U.S. during the winter months. The bird’s name came not from the migrations but from its highly visible movements in search of food. The passenger pigeons were social birds, traveling in amazingly large numbers that ranged from the millions to one or two billion. Passing overhead on a broad front, a flock of birds could darken the sky as effectively as storm clouds for a period of hours. Passenger pigeons bred in huge colonies, and these colonies frequently covered many square miles. A hundred or more pairs of pigeons often nested in the same tree, each female laying a single egg. The birds lived mainly on wild seeds and nuts, but sometimes a flock would swoop down onto a field or a garden and eat everything in sight. While vast numbers of passenger pigeons were recorded in the late nineteenth century, the population declined rapidly, and the last wild bird was shot in 1904. The swift disappearance of the bird remains a mystery, but a partial explanation is found in its habit of nesting and moving in a large flock. Farmers, who considered them pests, found it easy to catch hundreds at a time in nets. Also, as passenger pigeons were tasty game birds, market hunters shot hundreds of thousands on their nesting grounds. By 1900 the passenger pigeon was already rare.