Passage 1 

The human brain is a remarkably complex organic computer, taking in 21 sensory experiences, processing and storing this information, and recalling and integrating selected bits at the right moments. The destruction 22 by Alzheimer's disease has been likened to the erasure of a hard drive, beginning with the most recent files and working backward. As the illness progresses, old 23 new memories gradually disappear until even loved ones are no longer recognized. Unfortunately, the computer analogy 24 ; one cannot simply reboot the human brain and reload the files and programs. The problem is that Alzheimer's disease does not only erase information; it destroys the very hardware of the brain, which 25 more than 100 billion nerve cells (neurons), with 100 trillion connections among them.

The tale of the Titanic is a story of superlatives — a ship so strong and so grand 26 in water so cold and so deep. Some people are 27 by the sheer size of the boat 28 . Others are fascinated by the stories of the 2,208 people who were 29 . It took 2 hours and 40 minutes for the Titanic to sink. After the announcement, "Women and children first," one coward tried to escape by jumping into the lifeboats dressed in women's clothing. 30 , most men were honorable and many were heroic. The captain stayed on the bridge, the band played on, the wireless radio operators continued sending their distress signals until the bitter end. One hundred years later, the stories of how the passengers spent their final moments are still compelling.

In spite of the fact that women-owned businesses have grown at twice 31 businesses in general over the last decade, today there are only 17% of startups with a female founder. It turns out men still run the world. There have been many women who have 32 in the workforce, leaving a path for other women to follow. But still women are falling behind 33 antiquated workplace policies and environments. 34 there is no magic piece of legislation or workplace policy that can be adopted to 35 the playing field overnight, there are small steps that can have a big impact.

Passage 1 

Culture is by no means a separate part of society or politics. Elizabethan era is generally known as one of the most glorious periods in English history not simply because of its political and military strength, but also because of its vigorous cultural power. For those of us in the twenty-first century, the success of William Shakespeare's plays is as well known as Queen Elizabeth's defeat of the Spanish Armada. By permitting the establishment of permanent public playhouses, Elizabethan era created the cultural conditions that nurtured theatrical creativities. "Literature is part of history," Jean E. Howard writes, just as "the literary text [is] as much a context for other aspects of cultural and material life as they are for it." Shakespeare's works, which constitute a part of the Elizabethan history, worked hand in hand with other aspects of material life at that time to shape our conceptualization of the Elizabethan era. Thus seen, a seemingly minor cultural policy that permits the building of playhouses had enormous effects on subsequent ages' impression of the era. Cultural policies are undeniably integral parts of society and politics, and they might have a lasting effect on history.

During the past 10 years, there have been many studies showing a positive association between religion and health. In general, many of the effects of religion on health are thought to be attributable to better health behavior habits and social support, although many studies have found independent effects of religiousness. Another possibility is that religiousness and religious coping are related to positive outcomes through their enhancement of self-regulation. Religions posit desirable and undesirable characteristics and encourage their adherents to develop the former and suppress the latter. Take, for example, the seven deadly sins in Christianity: pride, envy, gluttony, lust, sloth, anger, and greed. We know that gluttony, anger, and sloth lead to poor physiological regulation and poorer health. But greed for material gain, envy at the possessions or abilities of others, and overweening pride may also result in poorer emotional regulation. 

At their best, religions also provide ways of developing self-regulation. For example, Christians are enjoined to practice certain virtues to help combat the "deadly sins"—patience is the antidote to anger, liberality to greed, diligence to sloth, kindness to envy, abstinence to lust, and humility to pride. All of the world's major religions—Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Vedanta, and Taoism—at their best promote temperance, self-control, patience, and compassion. The relationship between religion and health may become a fascinating topic for discussion.

 It would be hard to find a work of science fiction with a greater real-world impact than Star Trek. The futuristic television show, created by Gene Roddenberry, debuted in the USA in 1966. While creating exciting stories about "strange new worlds and new civilizations," Roddenberry used the space drama to comment on social and ethical issues. 

The crew of the starship Enterprise was racially diverse, a landmark achievement in the 1960s. Working together, they used reason, compassion, and determination to solve problems while exploring the unknown. Of course, as the show took place hundreds of years in the future, the crew possessed an endless supply of fantastic weapons and devices. Many of these creations went on to influence real-world medical, military, communication, and other inventions. 

 The original series aired for just three seasons, but fan interest steadily grew, leading to the release of a cartoon series in the 1970s. That was followed by a number of live action movies. Then, in 1987, a brand new television series set in the Star Trek universe debuted. Even after Gene Roddenberry's death in 1991, more TV series and movies were made. Eventually, the franchise was "rebooted" with the 2009 blockbuster film simply entitled Star Trek. 

 Over the decades, the franchise has stayed true to Roddenberry's vision. Star Trek continues to address important issues such as medical ethics, disease, and war. So, despite taking place in the distant future, each Star Trek movie as well as TV show has something to say about the world we live in now.