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Two new studies have investigated why fewer women, compared to men, study and work in the so-called STEM subjects in the United States: science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The American Association of University Women(AAUW) examined existing research. Its report "Why So Few?" suggested ways to interest more girls and women in the STEM fields. The researchers found that cultural and environmental factors make a difference. Researcher Christianne Corbett says more boys than girls score very high on math tests in most countries, but Iceland and Thailand are exceptions. "This is something that we point out in our report--that cultural factors and societal factors can make a difference in who achieves at the very high levels and whether girls are achieving or not." Another study carried out by the Campos Company for the Bayer Corporation in the United States asked more than 1,000 women and minority members of the American Chemical Society about their experiences.77% said not enough women and minorities are working in STEM today, because they were not encouraged to study those subjects in school. The study, producing results similar to the AAUW research showed there's still a lot of work to be done. "They say their interest in science begins before the age of eleven. So we need programs that get in front of kids while they're young in elementary school." Increasing diversity in professions leads to better products, better science. And developing this science and engineering workforce is important to the nation's economic development. "No matter what career you go into, whether it's accounting, human resources or science career, it's important that you can think creatively, you can work in teams, you can adapt to change and that's important for everybody," says Rebecca Lucore.

[{'question': 'Which of the following is true about the situation in Iceland and Thailand?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Boys score higher in math tests than girls.', 'Girls are given more exceptional attention than boys.', 'More girls score higher in math than boys.', 'Boys are more creative than girls.']}, {'question': 'Which of the following are mentioned as important factors for women to go into the STEM fields according to the passage?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Gender and age.', 'Culture and environment.', 'Study and work experience.', 'Family background.']}, {'question': "What's the importance of having more women engaged in STEM subjects?", 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Women can help men in science and engineering work.', 'Women are wiser and more cooperative than men.', 'Women play a more important part in scientific research.', 'Having both women and men in science and engineering can produce better scientific achievement.']}]

Ben and his wife Susan were on their way to have dinner with their friends. It was a dark,windy night, and they did not know the way very well. They drove through a town until they found what they thought was the road to Dorling,where their friends lived. But it soon became clear that they were not on the road to Dorling at all. The road that they were on was getting narrower,and there were no other cars on it. The wind was blowing harder with every minute that passed. They came to a small village .They drove past a church and then two houses without lights on. There was nobody about to tell them where they were,or where the road went. Just then,Ben saw a telephone box,twenty meters or so further on. While he walked back along the road to see if there was a name outside the church,Susan telephoned their friends and told them that they were still on their way. Their friends were just saying that the dinner was already getting rather cold,when Ben came back to the telephone box,his head down against the wind. He said that there was a tree lying across the road,and that the telephone lines were down. Susan heard nothing more from their friends about the dinner.

[{'question': 'Some time later Ben and Susan found they took a wrong road because _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['their friends lived nearer than they drove', 'the road was getting narrower and their car alone was on it', 'the hard wind made them get lost', 'the road was not the same as before']}, {'question': 'Ben went to the church to see if there was a name outside because _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['he was sure to find some people who knew Dorling', 'he hoped to get help from there', 'he wanted to telephone his friends where they were', 'he wanted to stay there for the night']}, {'question': 'Susan could hear nothing more from their friends because _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['the telephone lines were broken by a tree', 'the strong wind made too much noise', 'they got angry', 'they had all left']}, {'question': 'From the passage we know _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Ben and his wife often went out for dinners', 'Ben and his wife lived in the country', 'both Ben and his wife were shortsighted', 'Ben and his wife seldom went to Dorling']}]

Hundreds of students from around the world gathered in New York City last week for the Microsoft Imagine Cup finals. They came to present their ideas for using technology to solve world problems. Microsoft education director Suzi Levine says the nine-year-old program began mainly as a competition to create technology. SUZI LEVINE: "When we realized that students really actually want to have a purpose for what they're creating, we introduced the idea of inspiring them with the UN Millennium Development Goals and suggesting that they use those for their muse . "This past year we also rolled out something called the Imagine Cup Solve This library , where IGOs, NGOs and nonprofits can submit some of the technical challenges that they would like students to consider for their solutions." Microsoft says over 350,000 high school and college students registered for this year's competition. Judges chose more than four hundred of them to attend the finals. SUZI LEVINE: "One from Thailand was called NewKrean, where they created a Windows Phone 7 application that allows you to broadcast your location to your social network of friends so that you can be more easily rescued." They named their application Terra. Suzi Levine says there were also ideas from Egypt inspired by the revolution that _ president Hosni Mubarak in February. SUZI LEVINE: "One was to use Bluetooth as sort of a Twitter equivalent so that if the government shuts down the Internet, you actually can still have a massive social distribution." Students competed in nine categories. For example, in software design the top prize of twenty-five thousand dollars went to Team Hermes from Ireland. The students developed a device for cars to collect information on road conditions, driving behavior and traffic incidents. A team from Taiwan's National Tsing Hua University won first place in the embedded development category. They developed a network of wireless devices to help plot the safest escape routes during a fire. Next year's awards ceremony will take place in Australia. Registration for Imagine Cup twenty-twelve opened Friday. Also, Microsoft announced plans for a three million dollar program to help Imagine Cup winners further develop their projects.

[{'question': 'Which of the following is true ?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['The program is sponsored by Microsoft.', 'Next year, the awards ceremony will be held in New York City.', 'Any high school or college student can attend the finals.', 'The initial purpose of the program is to solve world problems using technology.']}]

We're surrounded by chemistry in everyday life. Sometimes it is easy to see, like when your science teacher does a big experiment in class. At other times, it can be pretty hard to see everyday chemistry at work, but nearly everything you touch or use has some element of chemistry in it. Something as simple as toothpaste contains at least three chemicals, if not more. It is the mixture of them and its chemical reaction that keeps your teeth clean. Other things you use every day are created by chemistry, such as hair products, shampoo and soap. Adding detergent to water involves chemistry. Without chemistry, we would never have known that we need soap to get the oil out of clothes or skin. Chemistry not only helps us make products for use, but it also helps us understand the world around us. Chemistry helps us understand what the ozone layer is and how it protects us. Chemistry also gives us sunscreen to protect us from the sun. Thanks to chemistry, we know bleach can't be mixed with vinegar, because it can produce _ gas. Without chemistry, we wouldn't have fireworks displays on important days. Chemistry plays a big role in food preparation. Cooking food causes it to go through a chemical change. That is why cooked food often tastes different from raw food. Baking is a great example of chemistry. Too much or too little of any ingredient makes a difference to the result of baking, for example, the dough won't rise or the cake will be flat. Chemistry isn't something that just lives in a lab; it's something that you meet hundreds of times every day. Knowing how chemistry works will give you a greater understanding of the science behind some of the simplest looking things.

[{'question': 'The following actions are about chemistry EXCEPT _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['cleaning teeth with toothpaste', 'washing hair with hair products', 'using soap to get the oil out of clothes', 'washing your face with water']}, {'question': 'Which of the following would be the best title for the text?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Chemistry around the House', 'Chemistry in Science', 'Chemistry for Dinner', 'Chemistry in Everyday Life']}]

For the first time in Hong Kong's history, an entertainer has been written into middle school textbooks. He is considered one of the best actors in Hong Kong. Yes, he is Chow Yun-fat. The example of his long hard struggle for success has been used in a chapter in a Hong Kong middle school textbook. Using his experience, students can learn to make the most of their time and to grab every opportunity to succeed. On hearing about this, Chow said happily, "I really hope that my experiences can make young people understand that one should not be afraid of difficulties and setbacks , for they are the only way to success." Indeed, Chow has travelled a long and difficult path to reach his success. In 1955, he was born into a poor family in Hong Kong. When he was 17, he had to leave school. He worked in a number of jobs--as a postman, camera salesman and taxi driver. These experiences paved the way for him to play all kinds of roles later in life. Chow broke into the film industry in the late 1970s. He was one of the hardest working actors and starred in a number of popular TV dramas and films including "Shanghai Bund"(<<>> ) and "A Better Tomorrow". Since 1985, he has won many awards including Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards and Hong Kong Film Awards. In 1995, he went to Hollywood. Although he was already over 40, he had to learn English. _ His film, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", began to gain him more fame and recognition around the world. In 1998, the mayor of Chicago set aside January 12 as "Chow Yun-fat Day".

[{'question': 'Chow Yun-fat has been written into middle school textbooks mainly because _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['he plays best in Hong Kong', 'he keeps on struggling for success', 'his experiences are very special', 'he is well thought of']}, {'question': 'Chow felt _ when he learned that he had been written into middle school textbooks.', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['surprised', 'shy', 'sad', 'happy']}, {'question': 'What can we infer from the passage?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Chow Yun-fat is proud of his success.', 'Chow Yun-fat prefers to make a living by selling cameras rather than by performing.', 'Chow Yun-fat has won more awards than other actors.', 'Chow Yun-fat is popular both at home and abroad.']}, {'question': 'The author wrote this passage to _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ["introduce Chow's films", 'praise Chow for his excellent performance', 'call on people to learn from Chow', 'show why Chow is popular']}]

Dear John, My name is Amber and I want to share my story with you because what you've shared about life and positive energy has changed my life. This past year has been one of the hardest for me. I felt I was stuck in a position that had nothing to do with what I wanted to do with my life. In January, after two years of being together, my boyfriend left me. I read your blog every morning as I drink my coffee at work, but it wasn't until this March that I told myself "no more negativity" as you taught readers in your blog. Since then I've got into new habits at work to keep my energy positive. When people walk in the front door, I'm the first face they see, so I smile big when I say "good morning" to them, especially on Mondays. Instead of waiting for someone to ask me for help, I offer it with an open mind. The CEO noticed my change and offered me the executive assistant position that I wanted. One of the biggest things I've taken to heart from your blog is changing my opinions on my job. Yes, it was not an important position, but when I was passionate about it, I could make my life fulfilling. All in all, I have to thank you somehow for having the passion to help others because it truly is inspiring to me. So thank you so much, John. My life has changed because your words pointed me in the right direction, Take care! Sincerely , Amber

[{'question': 'Amber wrote the letter mainly to _', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['introduce herself to John', 'talk about her bad year', 'ask for some advice', 'express her thanks']}, {'question': 'We can infer from the passage that Amber _', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ["didn't like her boyfriend", 'spent a lot of time online', "wasn't satisfied with her job", 'received very good education']}, {'question': 'What is implied about John in the letter?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['He is a very famous writer.', 'He used to live a very negative life.', "He doesn't like sharing his life stories.", 'He likes helping others through writing positive blogs.']}, {'question': "What does Amber's change tell us?", 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Practice makes perfect.', "Bad luck doesn't exist long.", 'A positive attitude is rewarding.', 'A friend in need is a friend indeed.']}]

Woody Guthrie left California for New York in 1940. There he met Alan Lomax, an expert on America's traditional music. He collected and recorded traditional American folk music, which had few fans at that time. When he heard Woody sing, Lomax knew he had found a true singer of American folk music. Lomax recorded many of Woody's songs for the Library of Congress. Three years later, Woody published a book called Bound for Glory. It was about his early life and travels. From this book people came to learn how Woody had spent his unhappy youth. His mother, Nora Guthrie, died of Huntington's Disease in 1929 when he was only seventeen years old. There was no treatment for the disease. About twenty years later, the disease also began to attack the son. Woody's health got worse and worse, and finally he entered a hospital. While Woody seemed to be forgotten, his music was not. By the late 1950s, folk music became popular in America. More Americans began listening and playing the songs of Woody Guthrie. Young folk singers came to New York to visit Woody in the hospital. Among them was Bob Dylan, one of America's greatest popular songwriters. He called Woody his hero. Dylan and others copied the way Woody sang and played the guitar. And like Woody, they wrote songs that called for social and political justice . Woody Guthrie stayed in the hospital until he died in 1967. In the last years of his life, Woody could hardly speak. But his family and friends knew he still believed in the causes he had sung and written about all his life. They knew this because when they sang his songs, Woody's eyes would become brighter and his defiant spirit would shine through.

[{'question': 'According to the passage, Woody died at the age of _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['38', '44', '55', '63']}, {'question': 'From the passage we can learn that Woody _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['set an example to American folk singers', 'became popular when he was very young', 'learned a lot from young folk singers', 'sang and wrote for all kinds of people']}, {'question': "Which of the following is NOT true about Huntington's Disease?", 'answer': 'C', 'options': ["It killed Woody's mother.", "It was the cause of Woody's death.", 'Woody suffered from it all his life.', 'It was a deadly disease.']}, {'question': 'Which of the following could be the best title for the passage?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ["America's own music", 'A fighter for social justice', 'This land is your land', 'A folk music hero']}]

Jenny went to visit her friends in New York last weekend.Her friends met her at the airport on Friday afternoon and drove her to the hotel.They had dinner at a Chinese restaurant and went to see a film after that. Jenny and her friends set out early on Saturday morning for a farm and stayed there until Sunday morning.During their stay, they went fishing and swimming in the small river on the farm.They played football in the field and enjoyed a big meal around a camp fire , singing and dancing till late into the night. Nobody could get up early on Sunday morning.So when they got back to New York City, it was about three o'clock in the afternoon.They drove right to the airport because Jenny didn't want to miss her plane back home.Jenny only stayed in New York for two nights but she had a great time with her friends.

[{'question': 'Jenny went to New York _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['to do some shopping', 'to see her friends', 'to spend her summer holiday', 'to find a job']}, {'question': 'How did Jenny get to New York?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['By train.', 'By bus.', 'By plane.', 'On foot.']}, {'question': 'When did Jenny go back home?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['On Saturday afternoon.', 'On Sunday morning.', 'On Saturday evening.', 'On Sunday afternoon.']}]

An old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and a four-year-old grandson. The family ate together at the dinner table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating rather difficult. Peas rolled onto the floor. When he took the glass, often milk spilled on the tablecloth. The son and daughter-in-law became unhappy with _ . So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner at the dinner table. Since grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl. Sometimes when the family glanced in grandfather's direction, he had a tear in his eyes as he ate alone. Still, the couple blamed him sharply when he dropped a fork or spilled food. The four-year-old son watched it all in silence. One evening, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child, "What are you making?" The boy responded, "Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and mama to eat your food from when I grow up." The words so struck the parents that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the rest of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled. Children are surprisingly _ . Their eyes always observe, their ears always listen, and their minds always process the messages they get. If they see us patiently provide a happy home atmosphere for family members, they will imitate that attitude for the rest of their lives. The wise parent realizes that every day is being laid for the child's future.

[{'question': "What did the little boy react to his parents' behavior?", 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['He blamed his parents.', 'He went to eat with his grandpa.', 'He said nothing and did nothing.', 'He made a wooden bowl for them.']}, {'question': "Why were there tears in the old man's eyes?", 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['Because he was made to eat alone.', "Because his grandson didn't play with him.", "Because he wasn't given enough food to eat.", "Because his son didn't allow him to live with them."]}]

After their 20-year-old son hanged himself during his winter break from the University of Arizona five years ago, Donna and Phil Satow wondered what signs they have overlooked, and started asking other students for answers. What grew from this soul searching was Ulifeline (www. Ulifeline. org), a Web site where students can get answers to questions about depression by logging on through their universities. The site has been adopted as a resource by over 120 colleges, which can customize it with local information, and over 1.3 million students have logged on with their college ID's. "It is a very solid Web site that raises awareness of suicide, de-stigmatizes mental illness and encourages people to seek the help they need,"said Paul Grayson, the director of counseling services at New York University, which started using the service nearly a year ago. The main component of the Web site is the Self-screening program developed by Duke University Medical Center that tests students to determine whether they are at risk for depression, suicide and disorders like anorexia and drug dependences. Besides helping students, the services compiles anonymous student date, offering administrators an important window onto the mental health of its campus. The site provides university users with links to local mental health services, a catalog of information on prescription drugs and side effects, and access to Go Ask Alice, a vast archive developed by Columbia University with hundreds of responses to anonymously posted inquires from college students worldwide. For students concerned about their friends, there is a section that describes warning signs for suicidal behavior and depression. Yet it is hard to determine how effective the service is. The anonymity of the online service can even play out as a negative. "There is no substitute for personal interaction ," said Dr. Lanny Berman, executive director of the American Association of Suicidology, based in Washington. _ "The purpose is to find out if there are signs of depression and then direct people to the right places," said Ron Gibori, executive director of Ulifeline. Mrs. Satow, who is still involved with Ulifeline, called it "a knowledge base" that might have prevented the death of her son, Jed. "If Jed's friends had known the signs of depression, they might have seen something," she said.

[{'question': 'One reason that many colleges adopt the website is to _', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['provide their students with campus information', 'offer medical treatment to students in mental disorder', 'encourage their students to seek advice about depression', 'give their students various help they may need']}, {'question': 'Go Ask Alice as mentioned in the passage is _', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['a side effect caused by some prescription drugs', 'intended to counsel college students in mental problems', 'a collection of medical responses from students the world over', 'meant to describe the various signs of mental disorders']}, {'question': 'Mrs. Satow would probably agree that _', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ["Jed's friends can prevent her son's death", "her son's suicide is unavoidable", 'Ulifeline is a worthwhile website', 'depression is the final cause of suicides']}]

"The days when the management in Western companies presented gold watches to long-serving employees to thank them for loyal service is now just a memory." says the Educational and Training Support Agency. This new development in the shape and movement of the workforce throughout Western businesses is partly a result of the way that layers of middle management are being removed, leaving more workers responsible for their own development. "Having workers take responsibility for their own development might be dramatic, but it is now the rule," says the Educational and Training Support Agency. "Today, not only are workers more mobile, they have to run to keep up with changes." says the Government-founded agency."It is no longer enough for a worker to gain a set of skills.Workers need the ability to react and get used to changes." This new system is also being pushed along by the way that industry is looking to its workers to renew their own skills.In the United States, some companies have contracts which repair their employees to show regularly how they have their skills up to date. Contrary to this traditions of the past, employers in the West are now looking for _ as recruits, people who can develop their own continuing education beyond the school and university system.At the same time.businesses are developing the capacity for workers to take up autonomous learning on site in workplace, so that the skills and abilities of all workers in a business continue to improve and increase."This.of course," says business theory."will also improve the productivity of the workers and therefore the profits of the company."

[{'question': 'The management in western companies no longer presents gold watches to their employees because _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['they are not loyal to companies', 'other rewards replace gold watches', 'the way prove to be a failure', 'serving a company for life is rare now']}, {'question': 'The western workforce frequently changes their jobs partly because _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['hopping from job to job has become a new trend', 'employees are expecting to have more experiences in their life', 'workers have to take more responsibility for themselves', 'it is easy to complete themselves by doing so']}, {'question': 'The passage seems to suggest that the present situation in society requires that workers should', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['show more loyalty to their companies', 'try to develop their skills to fit in with changes', 'go to college to have their skills up to date', 'be quick in changing their careers if there is the possibility']}, {'question': "Companies require their employee's development mainly because _ .", 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['it will finally help to bring more profits to the company', 'it can attract more workers who pay special attention to self-development', 'it is good for the employees to develop their skills', 'it will make workers more responsible and loyal to the company']}]

During the tsunami disaster of 2004, over 300,000 people died. No one has counted the number of animals killed, but we know that it wasn't many. All over the region, before the disaster struck, animals were behaving strangely. Shortly before the tsunami, in Khaolak, Thailand, twelve elephants that were giving tourists rides became agitated. They suddenly left their usual habitat, carrying four surprised Japanese tourists to safety. On the eastern coast of India, flamingos , which should be breeding at this time of year, suddenly flew to higher ground. Of the two thousand wild pigs that live in an Indian nature reserve, only one was found dead after the tsunami. The idea that the animals are able to predict disasters is nothing new. In fact, it has been well-recorded over the years. Twelve hours before Hurricane Charlie hit Florida in 2004, fourteen sharks left their natural habitat and stayed in deep waters for two weeks. The sharks, which were being observed by US scientists, had never done this before. They escaped the hurricane. In the winter of 1975 in Haicheng, China, snakes which would normally have been hibernating were seen on the ground. Days later there was a big earthquake striking. Unlike human beings, wild animals' senses are sharper and they can feel even the smallest changes in the environment. In other words, they see natural warnings that are invisible to the human eye. Ancient people probably had the similar "senses", which they needed to survive, but these have been lost to us as modern technology leads us further away from the danger that nature creates. The real question is, can we use the reactions of animals to save ourselves from natural disasters? Animal behaviour expert, Rupesh Kaneira, believes we have no choice. "The technology which we rely on isn't always perfect, and in poorer countries it isn't even available. Animals know the environment better than any of us. When they run for their lives, we must follow."

[{'question': 'The wild animals can predict the natural disasters because they _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['can run for their lives when natural disasters happen', "don't even have the modern technology to help them", 'are being observed and tracked for scientific experiments', 'are quick to notice the slightest changes in the environment']}, {'question': 'The best title of the passage might be _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Few Animals Died in Tsunami', 'Animals React to the Disasters', 'Animals can Survive the Disasters', 'Watching Animals will Save Us']}]

Children grow quickly, especially their feet, but many families cannot buy new shoes each time a child needs them. As a result, about 300 million children around the world go barefoot. Those children risk picking up diseases and parasites from the soil. An American man may have a solution for those barefoot kids -- a shoe that grows with the child. Kenton Lee is the creator of The Shoe That Grows. He explains how the shoe works and how it is able to last so long. "It grows in three places: the front; it can also grow on the side with Velcro; and on the back with our buckle. It can last up to five years. The bottom is compressed rubber like tire rubber. The top is just high-quality leather." The shoe comes in two sizes: small that fits children aged 4 to 9 and large for children aged 9 to 14. Lee says he got the idea for the shoe while working as a volunteer in an orphanage in Kenya. "... and there was a little girl in a white dress walking next to me. And I just remember looking down and seeing how small her shoes were. They were just way too small for her feet. They were so small that she had to cut open the front of her shoes to let her toes stick out. And I just remember thinking, wouldn't it be nice if there were a pair of shoes that could grow with her feet?" However, Lee says it was not easy to turn his idea into a reality. "I kept writing down I should do this because of this or because of that. All these reasons why it really was important for me to try to make the shoes that could grow and try to help." Finally, in 2009 Lee founded a non-profit organization called Because International. In the office of Because International, Lee keeps a pair of his own shoes to help him remember his promise. "I told myself I would not get new shoes until the idea was done. So, those are the shoes that I wore for a little over five years."

[{'question': 'Which of the following is the characteristic of the newly invented shoes?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['They are more expensive.', 'They are not so comfortable.', 'They can grow with a child.', 'They come in different sizes.']}, {'question': 'Who is this kind of newly invented shoes intended for?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['All the teenagers.', 'Children aged 4 to 14.', 'Middle-aged women in Africa.', 'Senior citizens with low income.']}, {'question': 'What does Para. 4 mainly talk about?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['How the shoes work.', 'How Lee got his inspiration.', 'How to make the new shoes.', 'Where to order this kind of shoes.']}, {'question': 'Why does Kenton Lee keep a pair of his own shoes in the office?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['To remind him of his promise.', 'To copy the design of them.', 'To get a change conveniently.', 'To use them as an example.']}]

Your Car Is Ready for Take-off The flying car has been talked about for many years,but now it appears that the idea is about to become a reality. An international company has built a two-seater plane that, at the touch of a button ,transforms into a car perfectly suitable for driving on public roads. It has been designed so that the wings fold up automatically; and it takes just 15 seconds to switch between flying and driving. With its wings fully open and the propeller spinning, it can take off from any airfield. Flying cars are quicker than traditional ones for travelling from city to city,and they can run on ordinary fuel. Another big advantage is that they are cool ,like something you would see in an action film. At the moment9however, the flying car's wheels are illegal to leave the ground. That is not because of technical reasons or problems with the design. It is because the various road and aircraft authorities simply cannot agree on whether it is a car or a plane. "The government and the authorities have never thought seriously about a flying car, says Alan Price ,the president of the company that has developed it. "I wanted a car that could fly and drive ,but it is difficult to find an organization prepared to insure the vehicle against accidents. Nevertheless?the company hopes to produce and deliver its first flying car soon. The company already has orders for 40 of them. The majority the potential customers are older and some are retired. There have even been orders from some people who have no pilot's license. The flying car will cost around $ 200.000. "For an airplane,that's a very reasonable price, but for a car, It's quite expensive," explains Alan. "But it just is not possible to make a $ 10,000 flying car yet. " This latest means of transport will not become a mass-market item in the near future,but in the long term it has the potential to change the way you travel. It will become no more expensive than driving your car on the motorway. Travel time could be reduced by more than half. So the next time you are told to fasten your seat belt, it may be to prepare for take-off.

[{'question': 'We know from the passage that the flying car _', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['has to run on special fuel', 'will replace traditional planes', 'is popular with the rich', 'can shift between two forms']}, {'question': 'The flying car is presently forbidden to take off because _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['many people think driving it not very safe', "it's hard to decide whether it's a car or a plane", "the government and the authorities don't accept it", 'there are still some technical problems to be solved']}, {'question': 'We can learn from the passage that _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['few people will be able to afford a flying car', 'flying cars may share the market in the future', 'traffic jams will disappear because of flying cars', "driving a flying car doesn't require a pilot's license"]}]

Microblogging is a broadcast medium in the form of blogging. A microblog differs from a traditional blog in that its content is typically much smaller, in both actual size and aggregate file size. Microblogs "allow users to exchange small elements of content such as short sentences, individual images, or video links". As with traditional blogging, microbloggers post about topics ranging from the simple, such as "what I'm doing right now," to the thematic , such as "sports cars." Commercial microblogs also exist, to promote websites, services and/or products, and to promote collaboration within an organization. Some microblogging services offer features such as privacy settings, which allow users to control who can read their microblogs, or other ways of publishing rights besides entering the web-based interface. These may include text messaging, E-mail, or digital audio. The first microblogs were known as tumblelogs. The term was invented in a blog post on April 12, 2005. However, by 2006 and 2007, the term microblog came into greater usage for such services provided by Tumbler and Twitter. Other leading social networking websites Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, and XING also have their own microblogging features, better known as status updates. Several studies, especially by Harvard Business School have tried to analyze the usage behavior of Microblogging services. Many of these studies show that for services such as Twitter, there is a small group of active users contributing to most of the activity. Twitter, Facebook and other microblogging services are also becoming a platform for marketing and public relations, with a sharp growth in the number of social media marketers. The Sysomos study shows that this specific group of marketers on Twitter is much more active than general user population, with 15% following more than 2,000 people.

[{'question': 'Why is a microblog different from a traditional blog?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ["Because a microblog doesn't include pictures, but a traditional blog does.", "Because a microblog doesn't include videos, but a traditional blog does.", 'Because a microblog has smaller contents than a traditional blog in actual and total file size.', 'Because a microblog can only be written on the cell-phones.']}, {'question': 'Microblogging can protect the following privacy EXCEPT _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['deciding the readers of the microblogs', 'allowing readers to publish their views', "readers' deleting what a microblog says", 'deciding whether readers can enter it']}, {'question': 'We can infer from the passage that _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['microbloggers always post about the thematic topics instead of the simple ones', 'microblogging has developed so quickly and brought the owners more and more benefits.', "microblogging protects both the owners' and the readers' privacy", 'the studies by Harvard Business School have analyzed the usage of microblogging services']}]

Alice's mother died when she was five. Although her brothers and sisters were loving and caring, their love couldn't take the place of a mother's. In 1925 Alice became my mother and told me that her family couldn't even afford her a doll. One afternoon in December 1982, when I was getting ready for Christmas, I suddenly decided to buy two dolls, one for my five-year-old daughter, Katie, and one for my old mother. Things went smoothly when a friend told me that his dad, who played Santa Claus in my area, would be willing to make a visit on Christmas morning to our home with the gifts! Knowing that my parents would also come to my house, I began to get ready for the most memorable day of my mother's life. Christmas Day arrived and so did Santa Claus at the planned time. Katie was very excited and happy all the time to welcome the Santa. My mother was enjoying watching Katie welcoming this special guest. As Santa turned to leave he looked again into his bag and took out one more gift. As he asked who Alice was, my mother, without thinking of her name being called, said that she in fact was Alice. Santa handed her the gift with a message card that read: For Alice: I was cleaning out my sleigh before my trip this year and came across this package that should be sent on December 25, 1925. The gift inside has aged, but I felt that you might still wish to have it. Many apologies for the lateness of the gift. Love, Santa Claus My mother was very excited and deeply moved to tears. She couldn't speak but only held tightly in her arms the doll she had waited fifty-seven years to receive as tears of joy flew down her face. That doll made my mother the happiest "child".

[{'question': "Why couldn't Alice get a doll as a child?", 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Because her mother died quite early.', 'Because her family disliked her.', 'Because her family was very poor.', "Because Alice didn't love dolls."]}, {'question': "What did the friend's father do that Christmas morning?", 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['He acted as Santa Claus to send Christmas gifts.', 'He went to her home to see Alice.', 'He bought some Christmas gifts for Katie.', 'He helped her to get Christmas gifts ready.']}, {'question': "Why didn't Alice expect there was also a gift for her?", 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['The gifts from Santa Claus were usually for children.', 'The gift was forgotten many years ago.', 'The gift for her was bought by accident on the way.', 'The gifts for Katie were enough to share with her.']}, {'question': 'The author wrote the message card in order to _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['show her deep apology to her mother', "make it clear that Santa Claus didn't forget her", 'show that Santa Claus was hard-working', 'make Alice believe the gift was exactly for her']}]

Mattel Inc. is _ 4.4 million Polly Pocket toys with magnets after some of them caused serious injuries to children who swallowed magnets that fell off. Tiny magnets inside the toys may fall off without being noticed by parents and babysitters. The magnets can be swallowed or placed in children's noses or ears. When more than one magnet is swallowed, the magnets can attract each other and cause intestine perforation which can be deadly. The Consumer Product Safety Commission(CPSC)received 170 reports of the small magnets coming out of these recalled toys. There were three reports of serious injuries to children who swallowed more than one magnet. All three suffered intestinal perforations that required operation. A 2-year-old child stayed in hospital for seven days and a 7-year-old child was hospitalized for 12 days. An 8-yeal-old child was also hospitalized. The recalled Polly Pocket toys contain plastic dolls and accessories that have small magnets. The magnets measure one-eighth inch in diameter and are fixed in the hands and feet of some dolls, and even in the plastic clothing, hairpieces and other accessories to help the pieces stay on the doll or the doll's house. The model number is printed on the bottom of the largest pieces on some of the toys. Contact Mattel if you cannot find a model number on your product to determine if it is part of the recall. Polly Pocket magnetic toys currently sold in stores are not included in this recall. The model numbers included in the recall are: B2632, B3158, B3201, B7118, G8605, H1537, H1538 and H3211. The toys were on sales in department stores and toy stores from May 2006 through September 2009 for between $15 and $30. Consumers should immediately take these recalled toys away from children and contact Mattel for the return of the toys. For more information contact Mattel at 888 597-6597 anytime or visit the company's Web site.

[{'question': 'The main purpose of the passage is _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['to criticize Mattel Inc. for their bad products', 'to inform readers of Polly Pocket toys recall', 'to warn readers the danger of swallowing magnets', 'to suggest some ways to return Polly Pocket toys']}, {'question': 'All of the following points are covered in the story EXCEPT _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['the danger of small magnets', 'the ways of returning Polly Pocket toys', 'the methods of recognizing a recalled Polly Pocket toys', 'the apology made by Mattel Inc.']}]

Many people write to newspapers and magazines to express their opinions. Letters to the editor must carry the writer's full name, address and telephone number, although the information is not necessary for publication. This requirement to provide personal particulars is a clear indication that writers are responsible for what they say. When a writer wants his voice heard, he needs to claim ownership of his voice. Responsibility is the name of the game. "People today prefer living together to putting their signatures on a marriage certificate because they refuse to accept responsibility for the relationship," said social worker Ken Yip, "and this is what is causing a lot of family problems." When we sign a paper, for example, a business contract or a bank document, the signature is a seal of consent, an agreement to take the matter seriously. Most governments and many organizations will not process written complaints if they do not bear the writer's signature. The absence of a signature, they explain, tells us that the writer cannot be too serious and therefore does not deserve a reply. There are people who wish to remain anonymous for various reasons. Multi-billionaire Mr. King donates generously to charity several times a year. He gives simply because he wants to help but not for the publicity his donations may bring, and he doesn't want his good deeds to make news. In other cases, people insist on anonymity because they are afraid of the consequences of revealing their identity. Crime witnesses may be willing to assist the police, but most are unwilling to give their names when reporting a crime. Name or no name? The answer is very personal and lies in how much we want to get involved. We all have a name. It is a matter of responsibility to use it when we make a statement, a claim or an accusation. We all want to honor our own name, and it is only by stamping our expression of an opinion with our name that we honor what we say.

[{'question': 'What does the writer mean by saying "Responsibility is the name of the game"?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Writers should be responsible for their names.', 'Writers need to provide their personal information in the game.', "Names are required to indicate writers' responsibility for what they say.", "Publications must bear the writer's full name, address and phone number."]}, {'question': "Some people don't want their names known because they are _ .", 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['ready for involvement', 'hesitant to make a donation', 'afraid of an accusation', 'unwilling to draw public attention']}, {'question': 'The passage is mainly about _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['honor and writers', 'signature and responsibility', 'identity and signature', 'anonymity and signature']}]

Expensive and new gloves allow chatterboxes to take the term "handsfree" to a new level--by talking into them as they make a call. The gloves are known as "Talk to the Hand" and cost PS1,000 a pair. They fixed a speaker unit into the thumb and a microphone into the little finger that can be connected to any mobile handset using Bluetooth. Artist Sean Miles designed the new gloves that double as a phone in part of his project that shows the possibilities of gadget(,) recycling. He uses outdated gloves and combines them with parts from mobile handsets recycled through _ , which commissioned the project. Mobile phone users will be able to keep their hands warm while they chat without taking their phones out of their pockets or handbags. Mr Miles designed two pairs of the new gloves--one in pink and the other in brown and yellow. They will appear in an exhibition this July and visitors will be able to win the gloves. If demand is high, they will then be produced on a larger scale. O2 Recycle, which backed the project, estimates that there are already 70 million unused mobile handsets in the UK. The service pays up to PS260 to those who recycle gadgets including phones, handheld consoles, MP3 players and digital cameras. Designer Sean Miles hopes his work will get people thinking about recycling. The 41-year-old said, "I hope that my 'Talk to the Hand' project will get people to think again about the waste created by not recycling gadgets. If a few more people recycle their gadgets rather than send them to trash, I think this project will have fulfilled its aim." Bill Eyres, head of O2 Recycle, urges people to recycle their phone responsibly. He said, "There's a pressing need for all of us to look at outdated handsets, and all the gadgets that we move on from or upgrade each year. Whether they are consoles or cameras, we should think of them as a resource that we need to recycle responsibly rather than throw them away."

[{'question': 'Consumers can buy the "Talk to the Hand" gloves _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['in the exhibition', 'from Mr Miles', 'when they are mass produced', 'after they recycle the gadgets']}, {'question': 'The purpose of the project is to _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['promote the technology of IT', 'enable people to talk to their hands', "raise people's awareness of recycling", "attract visitors' attention in the exhibition"]}, {'question': 'What is the passage mainly about?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['New mobiles that are fashionable.', 'Outdated handsets that are upgraded.', 'Outdated gadgets that can be used for recycling.', 'New gloves that can be used for making phone calls.']}]

The adder is the only poisonous snake native to Britain. Adders have the most highly developed poison injecting mechanism of all snakes, but they are not aggressive animals. Adders will only use their poison as a last means of defence, usually if caught or trodden on. No one has died from adder bites in Britain for over 20 years. By faar the most common smake in Britain is the adder. In Scotland, in fact, there are no other snakes at all. The adder is also the only British sanke with a poisonous bite. It can be found almost anywhere, but prefers sunny hillsides and rough open country, including high gournd. In Ireland there are no snakes at all. Most people regard snake bites as a fatal misfortune, but not all bites are serious, and very few are fatal . Sometimes attempts at emergency treatment turn out to be more dangerous than the bite itself, with amateurs heroically, but mistakenly, trying do-it-yourself surgery and other unnecessary measures. All snakes have small teeth, so it follows tha tall snakes can bite, but only te bite of the adder presents any danger. British snakes are shy animals and are fare more frightened of you than you could possibly be of them. The adder will attack only if it feels threatened, as can happen if you take it by surprise and step on it accidentally, or if you try to catch it or pick it up, which it dislikes intensely. If it hears you coming, it will normally get out of the way as quickly as it can, but adders cannot move very rapidly and may attack before moving if you are very close. The effect of a bite varies considerably. It depends upon severa things, one of which is the boidy-wight of the person bitten. The bigger the person, the less harmful the bite is likely to be, which is why children suffer far more seriously from snake bites in Britain ,and thought these bites can make soime pepe very ill, thre are probaably just as many cases of bites having little or no effect, as there are of serious illess.

[{'question': 'Where are adders to be found?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['In fertile fields in Scotland.', 'On wild land throughout Britain.', 'In many parts of Britain and Ireland.', 'Everywhere in Britian except Scotland']}, {'question': 'What should you do if you are with someone who is bitten by an adder?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Catch the biting adder at onece.', "Don't worry about the bitten person.", "Don't try to treat the bite by yourself.", 'Operate on the person as soon as possible.']}, {'question': "What's the best title of the passage?", 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Poisonous Snakes', 'Adders in Britain', 'Take Care oif Sake Bites', 'Protec Endangered Adders']}]

Vampires , creatures of myth, have been around in one form or another for centuries. Terrifying but also attractive, they are as popular in the early 21st century as ever, as the current popularity of Twilight series, and its hero Edward Cullen, show. Vampires first appeared in fiction in the 1700s; in 1895 Irish novelist Bram Stoker published Dracula, introducing the world's most famous vampire. But just what is it about these drinkers of human blood that continues to fascinate us? Speaking to Eric Lewis of the Times and Transcript website, academic Deborah Wells said that vampires are "culturally adaptive ". "We create very different vampires to fit different times. Edward Cullen is not the same as Count Dracula," she said. Different as they are, Wells believes vampires are "the perfect containers into which we can pour our current cultural anxieties". Bram Stoker's Dracula is powerful, yet old and physically ugly. Stoker's book dealt with fear of the fall of the British Empire, real fears in the day in which it was written. According to the website Bookpages, today's vampires have all our cultural desires, money, power and sexual attraction. Represented by Cullen, they are noble, handsome young men whom women find irresistible . What's more, vampires challenge traditional ideas about death, science and parental authority . This may be why teenagers are drawn to vampire tales. "In many ways, the vampire story shows up teenage concerns," said Wells. "The emotional intensity of the relationship with the vampire matches the intensity of how it feels to have your first real love affairs. Your first real love, it really feels like life and death."

[{'question': "What is the vampire like in Bram Stoker's book?", 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Anxious but perfect.', 'Afraid of the fall of the British Empire.', 'Terrifying but also attractive.', 'Powerful, old and ugly.']}, {'question': "According to the website Bookpages, today's vampires _ .", 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['dare to give up traditional ideas', 'may not think highly of parental authority', 'desire money, power and sexual attraction', 'are likely to be resisted by women']}, {'question': 'The main idea of this passage should be _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['Why Twilight is so popular nowadays', 'Vampires have been around us for long', 'Vampires may continue to drink our blood', 'We still like the story about vampires']}]

When we donate blood, a small amount is usually taken in advance for at least ABO and Rh systems typing. If you are O+, the O is your ABO type and the + is your Rh type. It is possible to be A, B, AB, or O as well as Rh + or Rh-. The ABO system was discovered by Karl Landsteiner in the early 1900s. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for his achievements. There are four basic types of blood in the ABO system: A, B, AB and O. Everybody is born with one of these four types of blood. We get blood type, just like hair color and height from parents. Because of the substances contained in each type, the four groups must be _ carefully, If two different blood types are mixed together, it may put a person into an extremely dangerous situation. Basically, A and B cannot be mixed. A and B cannot receive AB, but AB may receive A or B. In an emergency, type O blood can be given because it is most likely to be accepted by all blood types, so it is often called the universal donor. However, there is still a risk. For the opposite reason, AB is sometimes called the universal receiver. However, because there can be so many reactions in the blood bank of the hospital. There is a relationship between your blood type and your nationality. Among the Europeans, about 45 percent have type O while 42 percent have type A. The least common is type AB. Other races have different percentage. For example, some American Indian groups have nearly 100 percent type O out of 100 donors in the world.

[{'question': 'The writer suggests that the third most common blood type among the Europeans is _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['B', 'A', 'AB', 'O']}, {'question': 'The text mainly tells us _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['about the basic types of human blood', 'what kind of blood is the most common', 'about Karl Landsteiner who won the Nobel Prize', 'the relationship between blood type and nationality']}]

How to protect children Web fans from unsuitable material on-line while encouraging them to use the Internet has long been discussed in the US. For some parents, the Internet can seem like a jungle, filled with danger for their children. But jungles contain wonders as well as danger. With good guides, some education, and a few precautions( ), the wilds of the Internet can be safely navigated. "Kids have to be on-line. If we tell our kids they can't be allowed to surf the Internet, we're cutting them off from their future," said an expert. Most kids have started to use search engines. Many of them are great for finding tons of interesting Internet sites, and they can also locate places where you might not want your kids to go. There are search engines designed just for kids. A certain software contains only sites that have been selected as safe. The most popular way would be to use what is known as a "content screener". But this can't be wholly reliable( ), and the best thing parents can do is to talk to their kids and let them know what is OK or not OK to see or do on the Internet. Another way is that mum or dad is nearby when the child is surfing the Internet. A few other tips: --Do not put the PC in a child's room but keep it in an area where mum or dad can keep an eye on things. That also makes the Internet more of a family activity. --Ask your child what he or she has been doing and about any friends they make on-line. --Tell your child not to give on-line strangers personal information, especially like address and phone number. And tell your children never to talk to anyone they meet on-line over the phone, send them anything, accept anything from them or agree to meet with them unless you go along.

[{'question': 'What is the best way to protect children from improper material?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['To talk to the children and persuade them to tell right from wrong.', 'To be nearby when the children are surfing the Internet.', 'To fix a content screener on the computer.', 'To buy some search engines for children.']}, {'question': 'Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Surfing the Internet is the best way of educating children.', 'Using a content screener is most reliable for keeping children from having ways to the Internet.', 'Searching engines can help children to select materials fit for them.', "Children's not having chances to go to the Internet may have effect on their progress."]}, {'question': 'According to the passage, we can infer that _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['softwares that are fit for children who want programming', 'the Internet contains a lot of harmful sites', 'the Internet will be protected by law', 'a child who is on-line is in danger']}, {'question': 'What does the passage tell us most?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Education', 'Good guides', 'Precautions', 'Software']}]

"Now I just don't believe that." Surely all of us, at some point, have watched a movie and thought: It's simply badly researched, or, the makers must think we're fools. If movies were completely scientifically accurate, they'd probably be as interesting as a Physics 101 lecture. In real life, there are no explosions in space, gas usually doesn't explode from a lit cigarette, and Bruce Willis / Jackie Chan / Will Smith would most likely be in a coma after getting kicked in the head. Recently, the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph ran a humorous piece on unconvincing tech moments from some top movies. Let's see what _ are all about. Telegraph writer Tom Chivers' first example is from the end-of-the-world movie Independence Day, in which a character comes up with a virus capable of destroying Windows, the computer system the alien spacecraft uses. "It's a good thing they didn't have Norton antivirus," jokes Chivers. It's just one case of a movie that takes a lot of license with its science. Another one Chivers mentions is from Star Wars, where glowing beams of light traveling through space look very impressive. The problem is that in space there are no air particles for the light to reflect off. In reality, they'd not be seen, which wouldn't look so cool on the big screen. Chivers' second piece of Star Wars nonsense is the sound the fighters make in the movies: " the bellow of an elephant mixed with a car driving on a wet road". But sound needs a medium to travel through, like air. In space, there wouldn't actually be any sound at all. Few people would deny that the mind-bending Matrix films make for great viewing, but for Chivers, the science in the movies is a little silly. And finally: as Chivers points out, DAN is not replaceable. But this bit of elementary genetics passed the makers of the 2002 Bond film Die another Day by. In the film the villain has "gene therapy" to change his appearance and his DNA, which is completely impossible.

[{'question': 'What does the text mainly deal with?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Plots of some famous movies.', 'Characters in space movies.', 'Popularity of space movies.', 'Mistakes made in some movies.']}]

When I was 13, my bedroom walls were covered with posters of the Monkees and Beatles. I wrote fan letters and daydreamed about meeting the objects of my affections. I begged my parents to attend every rock concert and watch every TV show featuring my favorite celebrities; my friends and I discussed for hours all the things we would say and do when we met our favourite movie stars and pop singers. I drove my mother crazy ! But after a few years, my obsession stars faded as I matured and gained the confidence to socialize with "real" boys. In the 35 years since I was a teenager, celebrity worship has increased among teens due to the explosion of television celebrity gossip shows, and instant access to celebrity news on the Internet. It's no wonder that many teens are obsessed with stars when news programs are often filled with entertainment stories and the lives of celebrities. Celebrity worship syndrome is now considered a personality disorder. While it is normal for teenagers to follow the lives of their favorite stars, parents should try to monitor everything their child finds interesting. Parents should take action if they suspect a teen is too obsessed with celebrities and showing little interest in school or withdrawing from the family. When teens talk a lot about celebrities and view them as just means of entertainment, this is considered normal celebrity worship. However, when a teenager is obsessed with a star and often expresses a desire to have a close personal relationship with a celebrity or feels they have a special connection to a star, this may be the time for concern. Recent studies have shown that teens who develop an unhealthy obsession with celebrities often suffer from low self confidence and depression. Teens who are overly obsessed with stars often have damaged relationships with their parents.

[{'question': 'Parents should become concerned when their children _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['talk a lot about celebrities with others', 'put up celebrity posters in their bedrooms', "ask to go to their favourite star's concert", 'desire a close personal relationship with their favorite star']}]

Lots of people are unhappy with their present weight, but most aren't sure how to change it. You may want to look like the models or actors in magazines and on TV, but those goals might not be healthy or realistic for you. Being healthy is really about being at a weight that is right for you. The best way to find out if you are at a healthy weight or if you need to lose or gain weight is to talk to a doctor or dietitian . If it turns out that you can benefit from weight loss, then you can follow a few of the simple suggestions listed below to get started. _ . Ask your mom or dad to lend help and support and to make lifestyle changes that will benefit the whole family, if possible. Those who have the support of their families tend to have better results with their weight-management programs. Watch your drinks. It's amazing how many extra calories can be in the sodas, juices and other drinks that you take in every day. Simply cutting out a can of soda or one sports drink can save you 150 calories or more each day. _ with water or other sugar-free drinks when you're thirsty and stay away from sugary juices and sodas. Stop eating when you're full. Lots of people eat when they're full. Try to pay attention as you eat and stop when you are full. Avoid diet pills. They can be dangerous to your health; besides, there's no evidence that they help keep weight off over the long term. Get moving. You don't have to play a team sport or go to the gym. Try different kinds of activities from hiking to cycling, or to dancing until you find what you like.

[{'question': 'According to the passage, before you decide to lose or gain weight you must know _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['how you will do it', 'how long it should last', 'whether you have a healthy weight', 'what your realistic goal is']}, {'question': 'We can learn from the passage that _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ["exercising is harmful to one's health", 'diet pills may not help one lose weight in the long term', 'having eating trouble is the No.1 cause of being overweight', 'all models or actors in magazines and on TV have weight problems']}]

Viruses come in an enormous number of shapes and forms.As we begin to understand them more,the hope is we might be able to control them better, says Carl Zimmer.And who knows,the day might come when we can treat them as friends not enemies. Science writer Carl Zimmer says that in his utopia there would be a global public health system with sophisticated drugs and vaccines to deal with any virus that could cause us trouble. Viruses are by far the most abundant life form on Earth.If you took all the stars in the universe and multiplied that number by a million,that's how many viruses we think are on the planet. Zimmer thinks we should face the future with a mixture of optimism and preparing for the worse.He thinks we will face some unknown virus that will cause a lot of damage-history tells us that this is so.We do understand viruses a lot better now, and there is great hope that one day we'll be able to find a drug that c. an kill any virus.But this research is at a very preliminary stage,and it will be a number of years before we see whether this type of universal anti--viral drug could actually work. Viruses are very versatile and clever, and so there are things that they can do for us.Some scientists are using viruses as engineers to assemble solar panels, others are using viruses to manufacture proteins that could be used as drugs.So,maybe in the future we won't think of viruses as our enemies,but instead view them as our friends.

[{'question': 'Science writer Carl Zimmer wishes that _', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['a global health system could be set up to produce drugs', 'all the countries could produce drugs and vaccines for each other', 'all the countries could work together to cope with any trouble caused by viruses', 'complicated drugs and vaccines could be traded among countries']}, {'question': 'The passage tells us _', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['scientists have made a medicine that can kill all kinds of viruses', 'viruses have ever done great harm to us human beings', 'universal anti-viral drug has existed for many years', 'viruses are always our enemies']}]

We do not know when man first began to use salt, but we do know that it has been used in many different ways throughout history. Historical evidence shows, for example, that people who lived over 3,000 years ago ate salted fish. Thousands of years ago in Egypt, salt was used to preserve the dead. Stealing salt was considered a major crime during some periods of history. In the eighteenth century, for example, if a person was caught stealing salt, he could be put in prison and his ears could be cut off. In the Roman Empire, one of the most important roads was the one that carried salt from the salt mines to Rome. Guards were stationed along the route to protect against salt thieves, and they received their pay in salt, thus bringing the English word, salary. Any guard who fell asleep while on duty was thought to be "not worth his salt", and as a result he would get a little less salt on his next payday. The expression, "not worth his salt", is still used today in English. In the modern world salt has many uses beyond the dining table. It is used in making glass and airplane parts, in the growing of crops, and in the killing of weeds . It is also used to make water soft, to melt ice on roads and highways, to make soap, and to fix colors in cloth. Salt can be got in various ways besides being taken from mines underground. Salt water from the ocean, salt water lakes or small seas can be used to make salt. Yet, no matter where it comes from, salt will continue to play an important role in the lives of people everywhere.

[{'question': 'According to the text, salt can be used in the following EXCEPT _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['keeping dead bodies', 'punishing thieves', 'protecting crops', 'making industrial products']}, {'question': 'In the Roman Empire many people were employed as guards to _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['protect the city of Rome', 'watch people carrying salt', 'prevent thieves from stealing salt', 'carry salt from the mines to Rome']}, {'question': 'The expression "not worth his salt" used today refers to the one who _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['fails to do his work well', 'should not be paid in salt', "doesn't want to work at all", 'should use less salt']}, {'question': 'The main purpose of the text is to tell readers _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['how salt was found and got', "salt is important in people's life", 'salt was difficult to get in the past', 'what salt brings to the English language']}]

Beijing has started a battle to get rid of "Chinglish" (Chinese English).The "Language Mandarins" of Beijing have decided that Chinglish is a disease for China's modernizing claim and must be _ before the city hosts the Olympic Games in 2008. A road sign on the Avenue of Eternal Peace (Chang'an Street) ,for example, advises: "To Take Notice of Safe; The Slippery Are Very Crafty", a warning that the sidewalk was slippery .Another sign in a Beijing park reads: "Little grass is smiling slightly, please walk on sidewalk." Li Honghai, the city official in charge of the battle, said," Linguistic perfection is becoming increasingly important with the rise in the number of the foreigners flowing into the city." However, not everyone shares the disdain of the Beijing government for the mixed language."The choice of words is pretty much.One can either choose the verbs, adverbs, nouns or whatever one likes," explained one Hong Kong linguist on an Internet website. So many examples exist that several Internet sites have been set up to collect Chinglish phrases.Many come from English instructions on packages such as a candle marked with "Keep this candle out of children" and a model boat--curiously named Posh Sailboat--which means, "Please don't place it in dusty play." If the battle against Chinglish is successful, Chinese will also turn their attention to the English-language versions of newspapers, which play an even more important role in teaching right English.

[{'question': 'We can infer that the English language versions of newspapers _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['should report the battle above', 'should be paid more attention to', 'should collect more Chingliah phrases', 'should be in duty to teach normal English']}]

Do you like chocolate? Maybe most people do. A box of it can be a great gift. Buy one for a friend and give it as a surprise. See how happy that person gets. Say you just got a box of chocolate. Which piece do you pick first? A man has studied people's choices. He says they tell something about the person. Did you choose a round piece? You are a person who likes to party. Did you choose an oval shape? You are a person who likes to make things. Picking a square shape shows something else. The person is honest and truthful. You can depend on him or her. What kind of chocolate do you pick? Maybe you like milk chocolate. This shows you have warm feelings about the past. Dark chocolate means something else. A person who chooses it looks toward the future. What about white chocolate? Would you choose it? If so, you may find it hard to make up your mind. Some people like chocolate with nuts . These are people who like to help others. Do you believe these ideas? Can candy tell all these things? It doesn't really matter. There is one sure thing about eaters of chocolate. They eat it because they like it.

[{'question': 'This passage mainly tells us _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['why people like chocolate', 'almost everyone likes chocolate', 'about different kinds of chocolate', 'different choices may show different characters']}, {'question': 'Picking a round shape of chocolate shows that a person _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['likes singing, dancing and drinking', 'likes to do something for others', 'is good at making things', 'can be depended on']}, {'question': 'If you enjoy eating milk chocolate you may _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['look forward to the future', 'like to think of the past', 'enjoy parties and fun', 'have trouble making decisions']}, {'question': 'From this passage we can say that a helpful man may choose chocolate _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['in oval shape', 'in square shape', 'with nuts', 'with coffee']}]

Among various programs, TV talk shows have covered every inch of space on daytime television. But no two shows are more opposite in content, while at the same time standing out above the rest, than the Jerry Springer and Oprah Winfrey shows. Jerry Springer could easily be considered the king of "rubbish talk". The show takes the ever-common talk show titles of love, sex, cheating, and hate, to a different level. Clearly, the Jerry Springer show is about the dark side of society, yet people are willing to eat up the troubles of other people's lives. Like Jerry Springer, Oprah Winfrey takes the TV talk show to its top. But Oprah goes in the opposite direction. The show is mainly about the improvement of society and different quality of life. Contents are from teaching your children lessons, managing your work week, to getting to know your neighbors. Compared to Oprah, the Jerry Springer show looks like poisonous waste being poured into society. Jerry ends every show with a "final word". He makes a small speech about the entire idea of the show. Hopefully, this is the part where most people will learn something very valuable. Clean as it is, the Oprah show is not for everyone. The show's main audience are middle-class Americans. Most of the people have the time, money and ability to deal with life's tough problems. Jerry Springer, on the other hand, has more of a connection with the young adults of society.

[{'question': 'Compared with other TV talk shows, both the Jerry Springer and the Oprah Winfrey shows are _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['more interesting.', 'unusually popular.', 'more detailed.', 'more formal.']}, {'question': 'Though the social problems Jerry Springer talks about appear unpleasant, people who watch the shows _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['show disbelief in them.', 'are ready to face up to them.', 'remain cold to them.', 'are willing to get away from them.']}, {'question': 'Which of the following is likely to be a topic of the Oprah Winfrey show?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['A new type of robot.', 'National hatred .', 'Family income planning.', 'Street accident.']}, {'question': 'What is the advantage of the Jerry Springer show?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['The show exposes the dark sides of society.', 'The show pours poisonous waste into society.', 'Jerry sums up the whole idea of the show.', 'Jerry talks about the improvement of society.']}]

We've all heard the phrase "love is patient", but one couple in prefix = st1 /Michigan, took this phrase to a whole new level. On Monday, February 13, Willard Mason sat down to talk about his relationship with the love he lost more than 60 years ago. Good fortune and fate recently helped the couple reunite. In 1941, Willard Mason and Llah Ost, both senior 2 students, became engaged to be married and began planning their lives together. But Willard moved away to work at Willow Run Bomber Plant, where he met and fell in love with a woman named Helvi. He broke off his long distance engagement to Llah and married Helvi in 1942. Llah later found love with someone else. Both had happy marriages and raised families. Then, in 2003, Helvi died. A year later, Willard found himself back in his hometown, where by chance, he ran into Llah's brother. He informed Willard of the death of Llah's husband, and encouraged him to call her. After that first phone call, the couple began dating. Willard made the drive from his home near Houghton Lake to Llah's home in Adrian. On one such trip, he blacked out, and his car hit a tree. He was rushed to a hospital, where tests showed that he needed a new pacemaker . Willard moved closer to Adrianand asked Llah to move in with him. She gladly accepted. "We get along perfectly," Willard told AZ Central on Monday. "We've never had an argument, she's a great cook, and she takes care of me." Although both Willard and Llah are saddened by the 62 years they spent without each other, neither seem to have any regrets. Willard told AZ Central, "You don't know how our lives might have turned out if we'd gotten married in 1941, but now she has a wonderful family, and so do I."

[{'question': 'What does the writer probably mean by saying the phrase "love is patient"?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['To win love needs a good-natured tolerance of waiting.', 'Love can make someone ill in hospital.', 'Love can also help one set a world record.', 'To win love needs a whole new level of cooking skill']}, {'question': "What caused the failure of Willard and Llah's engagement?", 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Their unhappy company with each other.', "Llah's new love with someone else.", 'Their being far away from each other.', "Willard's escape from his family."]}, {'question': "After Willard's wife died, he came back to his hometown _ there.", 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['in order to date with Llah', "and got informed of Llah's husband's death", 'to ask Llah to move in with him', 'and was told that he needed a new pacemaker']}, {'question': 'Which of the following should be the best title for the passage?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['A Car Accident Brought about Reunion', 'Second Marriage and Second Happiness', 'No Argument in a Reunited Family', 'Reunited after 62 Years.']}]

"To be or not to be." Outside the Bible, these six words are the most famous in all the literature of the world. They were spoken by Hamlet when he was thinking aloud, and they are the most famous words in Shakespeare because Hamlet was speaking not only for himself but also for every thinking man and woman. To be or not to be, to live or not to live, to live richly and abundantly, or to live dully and meanly. A philosopher once wanted to know whether he was alive or not, which is a good question for everyone to put to himself occasionally. He answered it by saying: "I think, therefore I am." But the best definition of existence I ever saw was one written by another philosopher who said: "To be is to be in relations." If this is true, then the more relations a living thing has, the more it is alive. To live abundantly means simply to increase the range and intensity of our relations. Unfortunately we are so constituted that we get to love our routine. But other than our regular occupation, how much are we alive? If you are interested only in your regular occupation, you are alive only to that extent. So far as other things are concerned --- poetry and prose , music, pictures, sports, unselfish friendships, politics, international affairs ---you are dead. On the contrary, it is true that every time you acquire a new interest --- even more, a new accomplishment --- you increase your power of life. No one who is deeply interested in different kinds of subjects can remain unhappy. The real _ is the person who has lost interest. Bacon said that a man dies as often as he loses a friend. But we gain new life by contacts with new friends, and new ideas and thoughts, too. Where your thoughts are, there will be your life too. If your thoughts are limited only to your business, only to your physical welfare, only to your narrow circle of the town in which you live, then you live a narrow restricted(, ) life. But if you are interested in what is going on in China, then you are living in China. If you're interested in the characters of a good novel, then you are living with those highly interesting people. If you listen intently to fine music, you are away from your immediate surroundings and living in a world of passion and imagination. To be or not to be --- to live intensely and richly, or merely to exist, which depends on ourselves. Let us widen and intensify our relations. While we live, let us live!

[{'question': 'What does the author mainly want to do by this passage?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Argue against an idea.', 'Explain some famous sayings.', 'Introduce some famous sayings.', 'Put forward an idea.']}, {'question': 'Which of the following behavior is probably NOT encouraged by the author?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Thinking more than your own business.', 'Caring only about your physical welfare.', 'Reading good novels.', 'Listening to fine music.']}, {'question': 'What is the main idea of the passage?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['To be is to be in relations.', 'I think, therefore I am.', 'To be or not to be, that is a question.', 'A man dies as often as he loses a friend.']}]

As shocking as the idea of baby birds growing up in a cigarette-filled home sounds, a new study suggests that some birds may benefit from putting the stuff from cigarette butts into their nests. The nicotine remaining in smoked filters may serve as a natural insecticide , driving harmful insects away from the nests and the baby birds living within. Tobacco plants produce nicotine because it defends against insects that would otherwise eat the plants. The butts are undoubtedly smelly. But birds are actually quite fond of smelly chemicals, such as those found in aromatic plants. Some nest-building species regularly fill their nests with fresh aromatics, possibly because the chemicals are good for the immune system or the development of the chicks. Alternatively, the plant chemicals might act as insecticides. In the study, researchers at the Autonomous University of Tlaxcala in Mexico set up heat traps, which attract harmful insects, in 55 nests around Mexico City. Some traps were lined with the stuff in smoked cigarette filters. The others were lined with the stuff from unsmoked cigarette filters, which did not contain nicotine and other smoking by-products. Whether the nest held eggs, chicks or nothing, the unsmoked cigarette traps collected more harmful insects, suggesting that it is the chemicals that drove harmful insects away. In a second experiment, the researchers collected 28 house sparrow nests and 29 house finch nests from Mexico City immediately after the chicks flew out for food. They found that the more smoked filter stuff filled a nest, the fewer harmful insects it had. The missing piece of the puzzle is whether the reduced number of harmful insects in the nests actually provided any benefit to the chicks. It is also unclear if nicotine or another chemical found in cigarettes may have turned the harmful insects out of the nests. If the results hold, then this study is an example of wildlife adaptation to urbanization - or at least evidence that birds are smart and can still follow their noses in urban environments.

[{'question': 'What may be the function of nicotine in cigarette butts for birds?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['To provide building materials for bird nests.', 'To drive harmful insects away from bird nests.', 'To protect the plants from being eaten by insects.', 'To attract baby birds to stay in the nests.']}, {'question': 'What is the first experiment aimed at?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Proving that heat traps attract harmful insects in Mexico City.', 'Comparing smoked cigarette filters with unsmoked ones.', 'Analyzing what is produced from smoked cigarette filters.', 'Studying what it is that drives harmful insects away.']}, {'question': 'What can you infer from the passage?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Birds tend to use insecticide to protect the baby birds.', 'Nicotine is the only chemical that drives harmful insects away.', 'Some insects are afraid of smelly chemicals in aromatic plants.', 'Unsmoked cigarette traps attract more harmful insects.']}, {'question': 'Where could you possibly see the passage?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['In a science report', 'In an urbanization essay', 'In a tobacco advertisement', 'In an anti-smoking brochure']}]

Attitude is an internal state that influences the choices of personal action made by the individual . Some researchers consider that attitudes come from differences between beliefs and ideas; others believe that attitudes come from emotional states. Here, we focus on the effects of attitudes upon behavior, that is, upon the choices of action made by the individual. The kinds of actions taken by human beings are obviously influenced greatly by attitudes. Whether one listens to classical music or rock, whether one obeys the speed limit while driving, whether one encourages one's husband or wife to express his or her own ideas-all are influenced by attitudes. These internal states are acquired throughout life from situations one is faced with in the home, in the streets, and in the school. Of course, the course of action chosen by an individual in any situation will be largely determined by the particulars of that situation. An individual who has a strong attitude of obeying laws may drive too fast when he is in a hurry and no police cars in sight. A child who has a strong attitude of honesty may steal a penny when she thinks no one will notice. But the internal state which remains unchanged over a period of time, and which makes the individual behave regularly in a variety of situations, is what is meant by an attitude. Attitudes are learned in a variety of ways. They can result from single events, as when an attitude toward snakes is acquired by an experience in childhood at the sudden movement of a snake. They can result from the individual's experiences of success and pleasure, as when someone acquires a positive attitude toward doing crossword puzzles by being able to complete some of them. And frequently, they are learned by copying other people's behavior, as when a child learns how to behave toward foreigners by observing the actions of his parents. Regardless of these differences, there is something in common in the learning and modification of attitudes.

[{'question': 'According to the passage, attitudes _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ["come from different situations in one's life", "are largely affected by one's behavior", "remain unchanged in one's daily life", "could be chosen according to one's will"]}, {'question': 'Which of the following is TRUE about the learning of attitudes?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ["Attitudes are only learned through one's success.", 'Attitudes learned in danger will last no more.', "Copying others' behavior is not a good idea.", "Attitudes can be learned from one's parents."]}, {'question': 'What would be the best title for the passage?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Differences of Attitudes.', 'Nature of Attitude.', 'Choices of Attitudes.', 'Changes of Attitude.']}]

Being able to experience a different environment and custom will give us a new perspective on everything we thought we knew and understood. Maybe, going abroad is an opportunity to look again at not only the country and the people who live there but also ourselves. I had never expected to visit Paris. The French culture didn' t interest me that much, and Paris seemed too big, too touristy, too much. But when I found myself standing next to the Opera National de Paris, completely alone and totally lost, I knew I was in for an interesting ride. I had decided to take a summer history class abroad, and Paris just happened to be where it was set. My teacher eventually found me and other jet-lagged students and walked us down to where we would be staying. Even then, tired, hungry, and feeling displaced, I was unable to keep myself from marveling at the beauty of the city. The next day in the grocery store, trying to decide if the box I was holding contained butter or cream cheese, I suddenly realized I was a foreigner that didn't speak the language.The cashier and I had a conversation completely with gestures. For the most part, it didn't seem to bother the French that I was utterly incompetent in speaking their language. In fact, from my first unclear "bonjour" , many of them would directly switch over to English. Time Hew by. In the mornings we had class, and in the afternoons we were given a lot of freedom to do what we pleased. We explored everywhere in the city, becoming experts at using the Metro, and walking so much that our legs were sore every night. Living in Paris was a huge change in my lifestyle. Everything I did was more relaxed. I stopped worrying about the future and instead focused on living in the present. I stopped wearing a watch because time didn't matter.We ate when we were hungry, went to bed when we were tired and explored in between.I no longer mind that Paris is so big; it' s an old, beautiful metropolis full of culture and history.On one of my last days there, standing on top of the Arc du Triumph with a 360 degree view of Paris, I finally admitted something to myself.The city that I had never wanted to visit had turned into the city that I never wanted to leave.

[{'question': 'The writer came to Paris because _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['he wanted to have an interesting ride', 'he attended a course in summer', 'he admired its beautiful scenery', 'he was alone and lost his way']}, {'question': 'On the first day in Paris, the writer felt _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['lonely in the big city', 'bored with his visit', 'surprised at its beauty', 'interested in its culture']}, {'question': 'The example of the grocery store is used to illustrate _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['the little influence of language barrier', 'the big difficulty of living abroad', 'the great importance of gestures', 'the intelligence of French people']}, {'question': 'By mentioning the uselessness of the watch, the author probably wants to prove _', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['time in Paris is not worth counting', 'he enjoys the time in Paris very much', 'life seems meaningful without time', 'he has to spend a long time to visit the big city']}]

The Pew report,which was based on surveys carried out in Britain,France,Germany, Italy,Spain,Greece, Poland and the Czech Republic,said that the European Union was "the new sick man of Europe".The percentage of Europeans with a good view of the EU has fallen from 60 percent last year to 45 percent now. The UK may be considered the most Eurosceptic country ,but its support for the Union has barely changed in the past 1 2 months,falling only two points to 43 percent.But,France's backing for the EU has fallen sharply,from 60 percent last year to 41 percent today. On the question of whether to remain in the EU, 46 percent of the British want to leave the Union and surprisingly,the same percentage want to stay. The Pew report's authors said, "The long-term economic crisis has created bad forces that are pulling the European apart,making the French away from the Germans and the Germans away from everyone else.The effort over the past half century to create a more united Europe is now the main disaster of the euro crisis." The only European leader supported highly by their own voters was the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, with 74 percent voters.Prime Minister David Cameron was the next highest with a positive score of 37 percent among the British public,and he can take some comfort from the fact that 58 percent of the Poles and half of all French people think he is doing a good job. Besides the dark economic future and the growing question of the EU,there were more than 60 percent in favor of keeping it.

[{'question': 'Which of the following is TRUE of the recent Pew report?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['The UK has the smallest number of people against the EU.', "There's a slight change of the UK's supporting for the EU.", 'More than half of the Germans raise questions about the EU.', 'A large number of French people are in favor of the EU.']}, {'question': 'As to whether to remain in the EU, _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['Britons are divided equally', 'few Britons want to stay', 'all Britons support to leave', "Britons don't care about it"]}, {'question': "According to the passage,what's the relationship between France and Germany?", 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Friendly.', 'Optimistic.', 'Tense.', 'Simple.']}, {'question': 'Prime Minister David Cameron feels a little bit comfortable for _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['only a score of 37 percent of the Britons go against him', 'many of the Polish and the French think highly of him', 'more than 60 percent of the voters are in favor of keeping the EU', 'Angela Merkel has 74 percent of the voters']}]

Wood Buffalo National Park Wood Buffalo National Park is Canada's largest national park and one of the largest in the world. Established in 1922 to protect the last remaining herds of bison in northern Canada, it now protects an outstanding example of Canada's Northern Boreal Plains. The park was designated a World Heritage Site in 1983. Phone: (780) 697-3662 E-mail: [email protected] Banff National Park of Canada Banff's rich history dates back to 1885, when three railway workers stumbled upon hot mineral springs surfacing from deep within the mountains. This discovery led to the establishment of Banff National Park, and marked the beginning of Canada's national park system. Spanning 6,641 meadows and rivers, Banff National Park is one of the world's premier destination spots. Phone: (403)762-1550 E-mail: [email protected] St. Lawrence Islands National Park of Canada Conceived in the 1870s, St. Lawrence Islands is one of Canada's oldest national parks. Located in the scenic 1,000 Islands tourist area, this tiny jewel has a rich and complex natural human history. Centuries ago, aboriginal peoples referred to it as the "Garden of the Great Spirit". Today, 24 scenic islands, along with a mainland area at Mallory town Landing, are included in the park. Phone: (613) 923-5261 E-mail: ont. [email protected] Grasslands National Park of Canada It was here Sitting Bull took refuge after the Battle of Little Big Horn in 1876. Grasslands National Park is the first national park of Canada to preserve a portion of the mixed prairie grasslands. This magical land of diversity, beauty and history is divided into two blocks. The East Block contains the Killdeer Badlands and the Wood Mountain Uplands, and the West Block preserves the Frenchman River Valley and the dissected plateaus, coulees and famous 70 Mile Butte. Phone: (306) 298-2257 E-mail: grasslands. [email protected]

[{'question': 'Why was Banff National Park built?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Because there were no national parks in Canada then.', 'Because hot mineral springs were found in Banff.', 'Because there were many valleys and mountains.', 'Because there were lots of scenic islands.']}, {'question': 'If you want to visit one of the oldest national parks in Canada, you can call _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['(780)697-3662', '(306) 298-2257', '(403)762-1550', '(613) 923-5261']}, {'question': 'Which of the following is NOT true?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Wood Buffalo National Park is famous as one of the largest national parks in the world.', 'Banff National Park established because of the discovery of hot mineral springs.', "St. Lawrence Islands' establishment marked the beginning of Canada's national park system.", 'Grasslands National Park preserves a part of the mixed prairie grasslands.']}, {'question': 'This passage is mainly taken from _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['a travel guidebook', "a student's textbook", 'a latest newspaper', 'an entertaining book']}]

When Chinese student Du Juan brought her American boyfriend home two years ago to use the toilet, her Japanese roommate became so upset that she shouted in English: "I hate you." Du, then 21 and an undergraduate at Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts, was shocked. So was her boyfriend. "Later I realized that she didn't literally mean what she said and that she was not aware of the full meaning of the word 'hate' in English," said Du. "It was more a problem with translation," she added. Cultural differences can cause confusion about what words or even actions mean, an issue that has come to the forefront recently following the arrest of a Chinese doctoral degree student in New Jersey. Zhai Tiantian, who studied at the Stevens Institute of Technology, has been accused of trying to set fire to a campus building and of making threats to a professor who gave him a low mark. No physical _ took place but Zhai reportedly said something along the lines of "at worst, I will risk anything on the line." The professor called the campus police. According to the indictment sheet , Zhai is facing the serious charge of making a terroristic threat. For a few days, Chinese media mistranslated, or misunderstood, the charges and reported that Zhai was being charged with terrorism. Some language experts have speculated that the disagreement between Zhai and the professor can also be chalked up to cultural and linguistic differences. "What Chinese people regard as acceptable speech may be regarded by Americans as threats," said Luo Gang, the Chinese Consulate's Overseas Chinese Affairs consul. "This is an unfortunate incident. Even though Zhai intended no harm, he has done himself a great deal of harm." Du, now 23, said she supports Zhai's actions in fighting to save his academic career, but added he needs to learn more about communication in a foreign language. "Chinese students in a foreign country must prepare more in terms of languages and conversation skills to avoid misunderstandings," she said.

[{'question': 'By saying "It was more a problem with translation", what does Du Juan mean?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Translation was not the real problem, as Du Juan and her roommate can both speak English.', 'Du Juan can not understand what her roommate meant at all.', 'Her roommate didn\'t know what "hate" really meant in daily conservation.', 'Her roommate spoke such poor English that she felt angry.']}, {'question': 'Which of the following statements about Zhai Tiantian is true?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['He set fire to a campus building.', 'He argued with a professor because he received a low mark.', "He has received a doctor's degree at the Stevens Institute of Technology.", 'He is facing a serious charge because he murdered the professor.']}, {'question': 'What is the main idea of the passage?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ["Du Juan's unpleasant experience abroad.", 'Confusion caused by translation.', 'Conservational skills in a foreign country.', 'Cultural differences between China and America.']}]

It was almost six years ago that my family and I waited for her at the airport. Unsure of what to expect and a little bitter about such an experience that my mother was forcing upon me, I had mixed feeling about the girl from Madrid. Today,after making many memories and discoveries, I couldn't be more thankful for what that experience taught me. My family had the privilege to host Teresa for several summers. I became fond of her cheerful chatter, constant laughter ,and addiction to online shopping. She seldom took my unkind jokes seriously and always gave it right back to me, making our relationship closer. She could go on talking for hours about the beach outside her house, her family and friends, and her life at her school. While several aspects were very similar to my life here, I was always left with a certain level of mystery and excitement as I wondered how the picture in my head compared with reality. Through hard work, she became fluent in English in almost no time. While this was a big success for her, it made me ashamed as I was not forced to develop the little Spanish that I was learning in class. This experience aroused my interest in traveling to Europe - especially Spain. While l know that not everyone has this same interest in other culture, I believe that it is important for us to be willing to learn about what makes certain customs and activities significant to them As Americans, we may be some of the most arrogant( ) people about other culture, which history has proven can have disastrous consequences. By at least making the effort to appreciate what is important to them, we show respect to the people who have such culture. Through the unique experience that in a sense I was forced into, I learned far more about the Spanish culture than I could have in any classroom. I discovered new interests that I had never considered before, and I am excited for the opportunity to experience it first-hand this summer.

[{'question': 'The author expected to travel to Europe in order to _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['develop the little Spanish', 'inform people there of American culture', 'improve the skills to communicate with Teresa', 'have a better understanding of European culture']}, {'question': 'What is the best title for this passage?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Learning Foreign Languages', 'Getting Better Culture', 'Close Tie with Teresa', 'Hosting Teresa']}]

In my living room, there is a plaque that advises me to "Bloom where you are planted." It reminds me of Dorothy. I got to know Dorothy in the early 1980s, when I was teaching Early Childhood Development through a program with Union College in Barbourville, Kentucky. The job responsibilities requested occasional visits to the classroom of each teacher in the program. Dorothy stands out in my memory as one who "bloomed" in her remote area. Dorothy taught in a school In Harlan County, Kentucky, Appalachian Mountain area. To get to her school from the town of Harlan, I followed a road winding around the mountain. In the eight-mile journey, I crossed the same railroad track five times, giving the possibility of getting caught by the same train five times. Rather than feeling excited by this drive through the mountains, I found it depressing. The poverty level was shocking and the small shabby houses gave me the greatest feeling of hopelessness. From the moment of my arrival at the little school, all gloom disappeared. Upon arriving at Dorothy's classroom. I was greeted with smiling faces and treated like a queen. The children had been prepared to show me their latest projects. Dorothy told me with a big smile that they were serving poke greens salad and cornbread for "dinner" (lunch). In case you don't know, poke greens are a weed-type plant that grows wild, especially on poor ground. Dorothy never ran out of reports of exciting activities of her students. Her enthusiasm never cooled down. When it came time to sit for the testing and interviewing required to receive her Child Development Associate Certification, Dorothy was ready. She came to the assessment and passed in all areas. Afterward, she invited me to the one-and-only steak house in the area to celebrate her victory, as if she had received her Ph. D. degree. After the meal, she placed a little box containing an old pen in my hand. She said it was a family heirloom , but to me it is a treasured symbol of appreciation and pride that cannot be matched with things. (360 words)

[{'question': 'In the journey, the author was most disappointed at seeing _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['the long track', 'the poor houses', 'the same train', 'the winding road']}, {'question': 'Upon arriving at the classroom, the author was cheered up by _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['a warm welcome', 'the sight of poke greens', "Dorothy's latest projects", 'a big dinner made for her']}, {'question': 'What does the author mainly intend to tell us?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Whatever you do, you must do it carefully.', 'Whoever you are, you deserve equal treatment.', 'However poor you are, you have the right to education,', 'Wherever you are, you can accomplish your \nachievement.']}]

When I opened my e-mail the other day, a pretty woman named Rachel appeared on my computer screen. She greeted me by name and started talking with great enthusiasm . Every now and then she stopped to smile at me or blow a kiss. She was reading to me an e-mail from my brother, and a lot of it was about the trouble he had getting the phone company to give him a high-speed Internet connection. It was pretty cool. Rachel was there thanks to a new technology called Facemail. An ace man lets you send an e-mail that gets ready to the recipient by an attractive male or female from or by a clown . The software, which is free, can be downloaded at www.facemail.com. Facemail faces are lifelike, and they simulate emotions based on emotions-for example, that you put in your text. Type in; -x, and Rachel blows a kiss. Life Fx, the company that develops the Facemail, is sure there are broad business uses. The reason e-business is not popular, the company says, is that buying over the Internet lacks the human touch. But what if you went to the Nike website and Michel Jordan greeted you by name, waited on you and personally closed the sale? And it is talking with Whirlpool about using the technology in a computer screen on a fridge. Then if Mom can't be home when the kids get back from school, she can leave a note with voice and image telling them what there is to eat. Facemail could get hot fast. Personally, I'm a fan. But Facemail should be used with care. The clown looks lively and funny at first. But if you select the clown, put a few rude words in an e-mail and add some angry emotions, you're got Psycho-mail .

[{'question': "The pretty woman that appears on the writer's computer screen was_.", 'answer': 'B', 'options': ["his brother's girl friend", 'not a real person', 'the picture of his pen friend', 'a woman working on the Internet']}, {'question': 'The main advantage of Facemail is that_.', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['you can see the person who sends you the email', 'you can put your own emotions in the email', 'e-mail can be read in a more lovely way', 'you can hire a beautiful woman to read the email to you']}, {'question': 'We can infer from the passage that Facemail_.', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['can destroy your e-mail if not properly used', 'can be downloaded free of charge s', 'will take the place of the e-mail system', 'is likely to be used in other aspects of our daily life']}, {'question': 'The writer mentioned Nike website and Micheal Jordan to show that_.', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['Facemail can make shopping on the Internet more interesting', 'Nike company is increasing its sales through the fame of prefix = st1 /Jordan', 'Michael Jordan will serve you himself on Nike website', 'famous people like Micheal Jordan also like to use Facemail']}]

We all use money every day. It is essential because we can pay money for whatever we want.Money is recognized as banknotes and coins. However,many years ago people couldn' t go to the shop and buy what they wanted.They had to get what they wanted through the barter trade .It was really difficult,for the barter often depended on coincidence of wants.For example,the seller of grain has to find a buyer who wants to buy grain and who also could offer something the seller wants to buy.And one more example,if a wheat farmer needs what a fruit farmer produces,a direct exchange is impossible because seasonal fruit would spoil before the grain harvest.The solution is to trade fruit for wheat indirectly through a third intermediate commodity ,such as cattle,salt,shells,wine.However,commodity money had their disadvantages.For example,cattle,fur,precious stones couldn' t be cut into smaller pieces and it was inconvenient to keep and transport them.Thus coins were invented. The earliest known coins in the western world came from Lydia in about 650 B.C.Greek cities,the Great Persian Empire and Roman Empire quickly adopted the new useful technique of metal currency.And by the end of the 6th century,coinages were common throughout the region.However,coins as well as commodity money had many disadvantages.For instance,coins quickly show wear and they usually have small value,so it' s difficult to count large sums of coins. At first,paper money was used in China in about 650 A.D.After then,it was used in Persia and Japan.In Europe,paper money was firstly produced in the Netherlands in the 16th century and in the USA in the 17th century.Paper money is worthless but symbolic.In other words,paper money is just a note.It has a purchasing power because the government announces it as money and citizens accept it universally.

[{'question': 'The writer explains the difficulty of barter trade by _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['telling stories', 'using examples', 'presenting a theory', 'making a comparison']}, {'question': 'What do we know about the early coins?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['They usually had large value.', 'They were first used in Greece.', 'They still had many disadvantages.', "People didn' t like the metal currency."]}, {'question': 'Paper money was used earlier in _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Rome', 'Greece', 'the USA', 'the Netherlands']}, {'question': 'What is the passage mainly about?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Function of money.', 'History of money.', 'Invention of money.', 'Types of money.']}]

Studies show that you may be lied to every day anywhere from 10 to 200 times. We say, "Nice song." "Honey, you don't look fat in that, no." But another study showed that strangers lied three times within the first 10 minutes of meeting each other. We lie more to strangers than we lie to coworkers. Men lie eight times more about themselves than they do other people. Women lie more to protect other people. If you're married, you're going to lie to your wife/ husband in one out of every 10 communications. If you're unmarried, that number drops to three. But look, if at some point you got lied to, it's because you agreed to get lied to. Truth about lying: lying's a cooperative act. Not all lies are harmful. Sometimes we're willing to lie for the sake of social dignity , maybe to keep a private secret. Lying is complex. It's woven into the fabric of our daily and business lives. We're deeply disturbed by the truth. We explain it, sometimes for very good reasons, other times just because we don't understand the gaps between ideals and realities in our lives. We're against lying, but secretly we're for it in ways that our society has practiced for centuries and centuries. It's as old as breathing. It's part of our culture and history. Think the stories from Dante, Shakespeare, the Bible, News of the World. Lying has great value to the evolution of human being. Researchers have long known that the more intelligent the species, the more likely it is to lie. We human like to become leaders. It starts really early. How early? Well, babies will pretend to cry, pause, wait to see who's coming and then go right back to crying. One-year-olds learn hiding truth. Two-year-olds bluff . Five-year-olds lie outright and try to control via flattery . Nine-year-olds, masters of covering up. By the time you enter college, you're going to lie to your mom in one out of every five interactions. By the time we enter this work world to be breadwinners, we've entered a world that is just full of fake digital friends, business media, identity thieves, world-class cheats, ----in short, a post-truth society. What do you do? Well there are steps we can take to guide our way through the bushes. Trained lie spotters get to the truth 90% of the time. The rest of us, we're only 54% accurate. Why is it so easy to learn? There are clever liars and stupid liars. There're no real original liars. We all make the same mistakes. We all use the same techniques.

[{'question': 'From Para.1 we learn that lying is very _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['harmful', 'easy', 'interesting', 'common']}, {'question': 'According to the passage, a lie works when _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ["the liar's words are sweet enough", 'it is given to a complete stranger', 'someone gives the liar cooperation', 'we are willing to lie for the dignity']}, {'question': 'Lying is complex because _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['it is practiced by clever ones', 'people are for it as well as against it', 'ancient stories are full of lies', 'it is the whole part of great culture']}, {'question': 'The examples of kids lying in the passage show _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['lying is a sign of intelligent development', "lying is good for children's growing up", 'at what age children begin to tell lies', '9-year-old children are masters of lying']}, {'question': 'What will the writer most likely talk about if he continues the passage?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['How to become clever liars.', 'How to avoid stupid lies.', 'How to get through the bushes.', 'How to tell truth from lies.']}]

Many people turn to doctors or self-help books, but they forget a great thing that could help them fight illness: their friends. Researchers are only now starting to pay attention to the importance of friendship in health. A 10-year Australian study found that older people with a large circle of friends were 22 percent less likely to die during the study period than those with fewer friends. A large 2007 study showed an increase of nearly 60 percent in the danger for _ among people whose friends gained weight. And last year, Harvard researchers reported that strong social ties could improve brain health as we age. "In general, the role of friendship in our lives isn't well realized," said Rebecca, a professor at the University of North Carolina. "Friendship has a bigger effect on our psychological health than family relationships." While many friendship studies are about the close relationships of women, some research shows that it can do good to men too. In a six-year study of 736 middle-aged men, having friendships reduces the risk of heart attack. Only smoking was as important a danger factor as having little social support. The exact reason why friendship has such a big effect isn't clear. While friends can send a sick person to the hospital or pick up medicine, the advantages go well beyond physical help. Friendship clearly has a big psychological effect. "People with stronger friendships feel like there is someone they can turn to," said Karen, a doctor. "The message of these studies is that friends make your life better."

[{'question': 'The author mentioned smoking in the text to discuss _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['the cause of heart attack', 'the danger of having no friends', 'smoking is bad for men', "friends' influence on habits"]}]

If you like bicycling as much as you like playing ball and can't seem to decide between the two sports, you may want to consider cycle ball--a fun sport that adopts the key attributes from both activities and transforms it into a totally new game.. Also known as red ball, the game was invented in 1893 by German laborers who wished to play polo , but could not afford horses. While the sport has not _ in North America, it is very fashionable in Europe and even Japan. Played in an indoor court, cycle ball is similar to soccer in many ways--the aim is to score as many goals as possible, and only the goalkeeper is allowed to touch the ball. The one big difference? Use of legs is forbidden. Instead, players have to guide the ball across the court, using the front wheels of their bicycles or with their heads. In fact, if a player even touches the floor with his feet during the 14-minute game, it is considered a foul and the opposing team gets a free kick. While the game was initially played with normal bikes, things are a little different now. The seats of these specialized bikes are positioned over the back tire and they sport a single fixed gear, making it easier for the rider to control the constant back and forth movement required for the game. The handlebars also point straight up so that the competitors can sit upright while playing and they are about twice the weight of normal bikes, which helps with the stability. While cycle ball may sound a little strange, it is a fast-paced sport that requires much training, skill, and, is also really fun to watch.

[{'question': 'What does the passage mainly talk about?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['The origin and development of soccer', 'The differences between cycle ball and soccer.', 'The most popular sports game in the world.', 'A new and fun sports game--cycle ball']}, {'question': 'What can we know about cycle ball?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['It is a fast-paced game played in an indoor court', 'It was invented in 1893 by poor British people.', 'It is another name of soccer played by many people.', 'It is a strange game played with normal bikes.']}, {'question': 'It can be known from the passage that _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['every player who is playing cycle ball is allowed to touch the ball.', 'the aim of playing cycle ball is to score as many goals as possible.', 'if a player touches the floor with his feet, the opposing team will win', 'heads are not allowed to be used to guide the ball across the court.']}, {'question': 'Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Cycle ball is popular both in Japan and other Asian countries.', 'The cycle ball game is popular all over the world.', 'A cycle ball game takes 14 minutes.', 'Cycle ball has to be played with heads, legs or the front wheels.']}]

Have you heard of the scandal that happened in one of Great Britain's biggest supermarket chains called Tesco? The British love Tesco as it sells very cheap products and it can be found on almost every corner of a British city or town. On January 15th 2013 food inspectors discovered 30 % horsemeat in a certain brand of frozen beefburgers that were mostly sold by Tesco in the UK and Ireland. In times of social media like Facebook and Twitter the news has spread fast and customers have been very concerned about what the food they buy actually contains. Tesco said it had taken away the burgers from the shop shelves immediately, and apologized to their customers. They also promised that they would find out what exactly happened and that they would work harder than ever so this would never happen again. Customers are also able to return the beefburgers and get a refund, that is, their money back. However, it will be hard for Tesco to get the people's trust back. Just imagine buying lovely beefburgers that you fry at home and suddenly you find out that you have actually eaten horsemeat! In this case not only horse lovers will be upset! By the way, why are British people so shocked about eating horsemeat? In history, horses have played great roles as working animals and as an important means of transport. When Britons of today think of horses, they think of majestic animals or cute pets rather than meat. But this is not the only reason for the protest: Customers also want to be sure that the products they buy contain what it says on the label. Hopefully, supermarkets can avoid mistakes like that in the future. Maybe there should be stricter regulations and more controls of our food? Otherwise we will soon find ourselves eating panda meat instead of pork and parrot instead of chicken. So the next time you are in a supermarket maybe check the ingredients of your food before you buy it or you could get a nasty surprise ...

[{'question': 'What is the scandal?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ["Tesco's products were much more expensive than they are supposed to be.", "Tesco didn't react immediately to a food quality issue.", 'Tesco sold expired food.', 'Horsemeat was found in burgers sold in Tesco.']}, {'question': "What didn't Tesco do in response to the scandal?", 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['It withdrew the beefburgers.', 'It made an apology to the public.', 'It investigated and found out the cause and effect of the scandal.', 'It returned money to customers who bought the beefburgers.']}, {'question': "Which statement isn't among the reasons why customers are furious?", 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['People trusted Tesco so much that they never expected a scandal like this.', 'Everyone can call himself or herself a horse lover in the UK.', "Sellers shouldn't cheat customers.", "The horse is humans' friend."]}]

What is a lifestyle and how is that different from a life? A lifestyle is about brand names and buying identity or fame. Lifestyle gives a false sense of peace and acceptability that comes from others recognizing what you've bought into (as well as bought). If your car, clothes, and home are expensive, you're sophisticated and stylish. If you have the right kind of job or go to the right social gatherings, then you receive the insincere approval of others. This means that your self-esteem is always at the mercy of others, with no appreciation of you as an individual. A life, on the other hand, is very different. A life is what you lead when you know what matters most to you. It is very simple and comes from being connected to what you know is important and being willing to put that first, no matter what others may think. When you create a life vs. a lifestyle, your self-esteem comes from what's inside you, not what others think about you. Lifestyle is expensive financially and personally, because it costs a great deal to keep up appearances and do what you think is socially acceptable. A life is not expensive. Rather than using personal or financial resources, a life generates energy and staying power. It's about liberating yourself from the mindless consumption that society expects. It is about making the choices that are in line with your values, instead of using up your bank account or energy for no heart-driven reason. How can you make the change? Understand the difference between a life and a lifestyle. Analyze your current lifestyle to see what is costing you in money, time, stress, and energy to maintain it. Let go and make room for what is really important to you, what supports you and brings you joy. Remember who you are from within, not what you own!

[{'question': 'Which of the following examples best explains "what is life about"?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['We work long hours in a job that we do not enjoy.', 'We focus on what we wear, or what kind of car we drive.', 'We find out what our true beliefs and values are and choose to live by these.', 'We think that how others see us is more important than what we think of ourselves.']}, {'question': 'To make the change, we need to _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['be directed from within', 'be directed from outside', 'be driven by social values', "be driven by others' opinions"]}, {'question': "What is the author's purpose of writing this passage?", 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['To describe what life is.', 'To introduce what lifestyle is.', 'To promote life instead of lifestyle.', 'To tell the differences between life and lifestyle.']}]

Long after the 1998 World Cup was won, disappointed fans were still cursing the disputed refereeing decisions that denied victory to their team. A researcher was appointed to study the performance of some top referees. The researcher organized an experimental tournament involving four youth teams. Each match lasted an hour, divided into three periods of 20 minutes during which different referees were in charge. Observers noted down the referees' errors, of which there were 61 over the tournament. Converted to a standard match of 90 minutes, each referee made almost 23 mistakes, a remarkably high number. The researcher then studied the videotapes to analyse the matches in detail. Surprisingly, he found that errors were more likely when the referees were close to the incident. When the officials got it right, they were, on average, 17 meters away from the action. The average distance in the case of errors was 12 meters. The research shows the optimum distance is about 20 meters. There also seemed to be an optimum speed. Correct decisions came when the referees were moving at a speed of about 2 meters per second. The average speed for errors was 4 meters per second. If FIFA, football's international ruling body, wants to improve the standard of refereeing at the next World Cup, it should encourage referees to keep their eyes on the action from a distance, rather than rushing to keep up with the ball, the researcher argues. He also says that FIFA's insistence that referees should retire at age 45 may be misguided. If keeping up with the action is not so important, their physical condition is less critical.

[{'question': 'The experiment conducted by the researcher was meant to _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['review the decisions of referees at the 1998 World Cup', 'analyse the causes of errors made by football referees', 'set a standard for football refereeing', 'reexamine the rules for football refereeing']}, {'question': 'The number of refereeing errors in the experimental matches was _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['slightly above average', 'higher than in the 1998 World Cup', 'quite unexpected', 'as high as in a standard match']}, {'question': 'The findings of the experiment show that _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['errors are more likely when a referee keeps close to the ball', 'the farther the referee is from the incident, the fewer the errors', 'the more slowly the referee runs, the more likely errors will occur', 'errors are less likely when a referee stays in one spot']}, {'question': 'The word "officials" (Para. 4) most probably refers to _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['the researchers involved in the experiment', 'the inspectors of the football tournament', 'the referees of the football tournament', 'the observers at the site of the experiment']}, {'question': 'What is one of the possible conclusions of the experiment?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['The ideal retirement age for an experienced football referee is 45.', 'Age should not be the chief consideration in choosing a football referee.', 'A football referee should be as young and energetic as possible.', 'An experienced football referee can do well even when in poor physical condition.']}]

There are millions of used cell phones in the world today. Most of them just lay in our houses without any purpose. Every day dozens of new cell phone models appear. Today, you can find what was regarded as a fantasy yesterday in store and you will buy it tomorrow. But what to do with the old phones, which work well enough and not so old? Just get some money! Simply Sellular is buying almost all models of cell phones: LG, Motorola, Siemens, Samsung, Sanyo, Nokia and many other cell phones. Also they accept phones produced in every country, and in every condition. Simply Sellular can offer a good price for your old cell phone in cash. Their mission is giving you a simple way to get money for an old phone, as simple and profitable, as possible. Also they offer a trade-in scheme to get another model instead of your phone, providing a good service after the sale. Also Simply Sellular works with the so-called 911 cell phone program. So you can donate your cell phone to them to help some people who need it. They know what to do with your old phone ! You can be interested in their recycling programs, where every used cell phone could be easily recycled for a few times.Simply Sellular donates some phones, which are good for refurbish , to people who need it, for example women or military personnel. If the refurbish is impossible they just recycle cell phones. Just think a minute: it's a good deal to get some money for your old cell phone, a good deal to help somebody with your phone and really important to recycle all techniques after use. Working with Simply Sellular you get every possibility ly free. And they will pay you! That's a really good deal!

[{'question': 'When you want a new cell phone, you are advised to _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['keep the old one in house', 'throw the old one into the dustbin to protect your health', 'return the old one to the producer to get some money', 'sell the old one to Simply Selluar on a reasonable price']}, {'question': 'Selling a used cell phone to Simply Sellular, you will get _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['a good price for the phone in cash', 'another new model without any pay', 'a cost-free service provided by it', 'a profitable plan after the sale']}, {'question': 'The cell phone donated by you is probably _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['still in use by others', 'refurbished and sold again', 'collected and on show', 'sent to a poorer country']}, {'question': 'This passage is written mainly to _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['warn people of the risks of using cell phones', 'introduce to us what to do with our old cell phones', 'advise people not to change cell phones frequently', 'encourage us to keep up with new technology']}]

Being connected to the Internet has become a necessary part of modern life. Some people actually need it as they cannot do their jobs without it, and others simply feel they need it as they cannot imagine life without it. To think that something that did not even exist 50 years ago has come to _ our lives like this in just about 15 years makes one wonder - just what will the future bring? In 2004, a survey was conducted in the US asking a group of technology experts their opinions on the Internet in the next ten years. 57% of them agreed that virtual classes will be more widely adopted in schools, allowing students to learn with those at the same level and with interests in the same subjects. It's quite possible that, by the year 2030, every child in every school will do all their schoolwork on their own laptop with all their textbooks available on the Internet. No more heavy books to carry around and no more pens and paper! At work, we already use email to deal with people both inside and outside our offices and video conferencing is occurring more frequently. This means that meetings can be held between offices in different countries without the trouble caused by business travel. Business travel will not exist in the future, and so will offices as people all start to work from home. It has also become a trend for people to use pocket computers such as Blackberries. With this helpful equipment, people can send and receive emails, surf the Web, and read multimedia files from absolutely anywhere even if we are on a beach holiday. The Internet will have a revolutionary effect on entertainment in the future. Already we can buy and download music and movies from the Internet but it is still possible for us to buy a CD or go to the DVD stores to rent the latest movies. However, it's quite possible that in the future, CD shops and DVD rental stores will close and cinemas will no longer exist. Entertainment will become completely virtual although hopefully people will still want to get outside to play sports and entertain themselves in more healthy ways. With the Internet we need only relax in the rocking chair. The Internet, however, has problems to be solved.

[{'question': 'The expression "play a crucial role in" can be understood as " _ ".', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['change a dull role into', 'play an interesting part in', 'act a cruel character in', 'have an important effect on']}, {'question': 'What is probably the best title for the passage?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Virtual reality, our best friend!', 'Goodbye, textbooks and offices!', 'What will future life be like with the Internet?', 'How can human beings deal with the Internet?']}]

Among the many differences between Western and Chinese cultures, table manners are one of the most noticeable differences. Westerners often make mistakes at the table in China or in a Chinese home. In order not to have an embarrassing experience, here are some things to consider next time you are eating with some Chinese. Step1: Keep in mind that food is shared. It is one of the biggest differences between Chinese and Western eating habits. In China a few dishes are placed in the center of a table and shared by all. Also, you should offer thanks when a Chinese host takes food from one of the dishes on the table and places it on your plate. Refusing it would not be polite even if you are full. Step2: Respect the chopsticks. The chopsticks are the single most important tool at a Chinese table. Use the chopsticks to grab food and never skewer it. Also make sure to place your chopsticks over your bowl or plate. Don't lay them on the table or even worse, stick them into the rice bowl. Step3: Use communal chopsticks. To take food from the center of the table you should use the communal chopsticks or spoons that are placed there for that purpose. If there are no communal tools, use the other ends of your chopsticks to take food, remembering not to use the other end to put food into your mouth. Step4: Respect the elders. Table manners in China place extra respect on elders. At the table, pass food to your elders before taking it for yourself. If someone makes a toast, make sure that when you clink glasses with someone older than you, the rim of your glass is lower than the rim of the elder person.

[{'question': 'How can you use your chopsticks according to the passage?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['Use them to grab your own food.', 'Put them on the table.', 'Use them to skewer the food.', 'Stick them into the rice bowl.']}, {'question': 'According to the passage, the following are wrong EXCEPT that _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ["you don't have to accept the food a Chinese host places on your plate", 'a skewer is also a commonly used tool at a Chinese table', "one can offer his own chopsticks for communal use when there aren't any", 'when clinking glasses, the rim of the younger person should be lower than that of the older person']}, {'question': 'What is the purpose of writing the passage?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['To let the world get a full understanding of China.', 'To introduce table manners among different cultures.', 'To introduce Chinese table manners to Westerners.', 'To introduce how Chinese table manners came into being.']}]

Homesick is a compound word made up of HOME and SICK.You know what each word means on its own, of course.But think about what the words mean when they are used together.Homesick means SICK FOR HOME. Now think for a minute about SEASICK.If you change the word home in the definition to the word sea, would the definition fit SEASICK? Seasick means SICK BY THE MOVEMENT ON THE SEA. When you are homesick ,the only place you want to be is at home.When you are seasick, the last place you want to be is at seA. Have you ever heard of a person being heartsick? Heartsick doesn't mean that something is wrong with a person's heart.people are heartsick when they are hurt deep inside and when they feel as if their hearts are broken. But, on the other hand, we have such compound words as handshake, handstand, and handbag.Perhaps you may write definitions for them.

[{'question': 'The word SEASICK means" _ ".', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['to be eager to go to the sea', 'what has nothing to do with the sea', 'to be sick because of the sea', 'that the sea is terrible']}, {'question': 'When we say a person is heartsick, we mean that _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['his heart is sick', 'his heart needs testing', "he's sorry at heart", "he's terribly disappointed and sad,"]}, {'question': '"The last place you want to be" is _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['where you want to be most', 'where you want to be least', 'where you go the last', 'the last place you go to']}, {'question': 'The definitions of handshake, handstand and handbag are _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['easy to know', 'difficult to know', 'impossible to learn', 'unnecessary to learn']}]

Scholarship Application Tips in 2014 for college students *Before you apply 1. Work hard to get good grades. Don't sweat about one bad grade, but always strive to do your best. 2. Get involved, and stay involved, in extracurricular activities. Sports, clubs, drama, bands and orchestras-these often count toward a student's overall scholarship application evaluation. The same goes for paid (or unpaid) work experience. 3. Begin your scholarship research early-by your sophomore or junior year of high school, if possible. Make special note of application deadlines, as they can vary from late summer to late spring. 4. Apply for as many scholarships as you are eligible for-several smaller scholarships can add up to a lot of money. *During the application process 1. Read the supplementary materials that come with scholarship application forms to better understand the program's focus (community service, subject interest). Try to answer the questions with the focus area in mind. 2. Answer questions as they are asked. Don't go off the topic. 3. If there is a financial component to the application, make sure you get accurate and complete information from all appropriate sources to ensure your eligibility. 4. Take your time. Write down everything you can think of for each question, then set the application aside for a day so you can look everything over again before you send it off. 5. Don't wait until the last minute to complete your application, especially if you are applying online. Computer systems can get clogged with the large volume of applicants hoping to submit their qualifications during the last few days and hours before a deadline. 6. If a third party has to complete part of your application, such as providing a letter of recommendation, make sure you ask them early on and remind them as often as necessary to ensure they provide you with the necessary materials. 7. Last but not least, review your application with your parents to make sure you haven't left out any important details. Good luck to the students applying for the 2014 scholarship programs!

[{'question': "Before you apply for a scholarship, it's best to _ .", 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['pay more attention to grades than to extracurricular activities', 'focus on only one scholarship application', 'get as much work experience as possible', 'begin your preparation as early as possible']}, {'question': 'When answering questions on the application form, you should _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['focus on the subject you are interested in', 'answer to the point', 'list your advantages', 'prove your abilities']}, {'question': 'The author suggests that applicants should _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['submit the application in the few days', 'double-check their application with their parents', 'complete and submit the application in one day', 'avoid submitting the application online']}]

Individuality is the particular character, or aggregate (total) of qualities that distinguishes one person or thing from others. Many artists late in the last century were in search of a means to express their individuality. Modern dance was one of the ways some of these people sought to free their creative spirit. At the beginning there was no exacting technique, no foundation from which to build. In later years, trial, error and genius founded the techniques and the principles of the movement. Eventually, innovators even drew from what they considered the dread ballet, but first they had to get rid of all that was academic so that the new could be discovered. The beginnings of modern dance were happening before Isadora Duncan, but she was the first person to bring the new dance to general audiences and see it accepted and acclaimed . Her search for a natural movement form sent her to nature. She believed movement should be as natural as the swaying of the trees and the rolling waves of the sea, and should be in harmony with the movements of the Earth. Her great contributions are in three areas. First, she began the expansion of the kinds of movement that could be used in dance. Before Duncan danced, ballet was the only type of dance performed in concert. In the ballet the feet and legs were emphasized, with virtuosity shown by complex, codified positions and movements. Duncan performed dance by using her body in the freest possible way. Her dance stemmed from her soul and spirit. She was one of the pioneers who broke tradition so others might be able to develop the art. Her second contribution lies in dance costume. She rejected ballet shoes and stiff costumes. These were replaced with flowing Grecian tunes, bare feet, and unbound hair. She believed in the natural body being allowed to move freely, and her dress displayed this ideal. Her third contribution was in the use of music. In her performances she used the symphonies of great masters including Beethoven and Wagner, which was not the usual custom. She was as exciting and eccentric in her personal life as in her dance.

[{'question': 'According to the passage, what did nature represent to Isadora Duncan?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Something to conquer.', 'A model for movement.', 'A place to find peace.', 'A symbol of disorder.']}, {'question': "Compared to those of the ballet, Isadora Duncan's costumes were less _ .", 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['costly', 'colorful', 'graceful', 'restrictive']}, {'question': 'Which of the following is not mentioned as an area of dance that Duncan worked to change?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['The stage set.', 'The music.', 'Costumes.', 'Movements.']}, {'question': 'We can infer from the passage that the author _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['appreciates modern dance very much', "dislikes Isadora Duncan's dance", 'thinks highly of individuality', 'knows a lot about modern arts']}, {'question': 'Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Artists of the Last Century', 'Evolution of Dance in the 20th Century', 'Natural Movement in Dance', 'A Pioneer in Modern Dance']}]

If you are looking for the place that has everything, there is only one place to visit, and that's New York. It's a whole world in a city. The World of Theater: All of New York is a stage. And it begins with Broadway. Where else can you find so many hit shows in one place? Only in New York! The World of Music: Spend an evening with Beethoven at Lincoln Center. Swing to the great jazz of Greenwich Village. Or rock yourself silly at the hottest dance spots found anywhere. The World of Art: From Rembrandt to Picasso. From Egyptian tombs to Indian teepees. Whatever kind of art you like, you will find it in New York. The World of Fine Dining: Whether it's roast Beijing duck in Chinatown, lasagna in little Italy, or the finest French coq au vin found everywhere, there is world of great taste waiting for you in New York. The World of Sights: What other city has a Statue of Liberty? A Rockefeller Center? Or a Bronx Zoo? Where else can you take a horse-drawn carriage through Central Park ? Only in New York !

[{'question': 'From the text we know that "Rembrandt" is most likely to be the name of a famous _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['actor', 'musician', 'cook', 'painter']}, {'question': 'Which of the following can visitors do only in New York?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['To see the Statue of Liberty.', 'To taste the finest French coq au vin.', 'To enjoy a Beethoven concert.', 'To eat Roast Beijing Duck.']}, {'question': 'This passage may be taken from _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['a handbook for English learners', 'a guidebook for foreign travellers', 'a pocketbook for businessmen', 'a storybook for local readers']}]

Even if you are a good high-jumper, you can jump only about seven feet off the ground. You cannot jump any higher because the earth pulls you hard. The pull of the earth is called gravity. You can easily find out the pull of the earth. If you weigh yourself, you will know how much gravity is pulling you. Since there is gravity, water runs down hill. When you throw a ball into the air, it falls back down. Because of gravity, you do not fall off the earth as it whirls around. Then, can we get away from the earth and go far out into space? Now you can do it, because spaceships have been invented. Then spaceship will go so fast that it can escape the earth's gravity and carry you into space.

[{'question': 'In this passage, the word "gravity" means _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['the pull of everything.', 'the force of attraction among objects.', 'the force which attracts objects towards the centre of the earth', 'the force which attracts the earth towards the sun.']}, {'question': 'When you slip you always fall to the ground because _', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['the earth always turns round.', 'the earth has gravity', "the earth's gravity is greater than your weight.", 'you are careless.']}, {'question': 'Gravity is strong that _', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['it can throw a ball into the air.', 'it makes you jump only seven feet.', 'it can let you fly away from the earth.', 'it can keep everything on earth.']}, {'question': 'Because of gravity, _', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['water flows everything.', 'we can go everywhere by ship.', 'water always flows downwards.', 'fish can live in water.']}, {'question': 'We can get away from the earth by spaceship because _', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['the spaceship goes very fast.', "the earth can't pull the spaceship.", 'the spaceship has a strong force.', 'the spaceship can jump higher than others.']}]

Most people think about donating blood. However, very few actually do it. Even the most consistent ones donate an average of just three to four times during their lifetime. Now the officials in Sweden are trying to change the trend with the help of modern-day technology. The encouragement to donate again begins shortly after the donor leaves the clinic when he/she receives a "thank you" text. Though that certainly helps them feel appreciated, what is even more pleasing is the text they receive each time their blood is used to help someone in need. Karolina Wiberg, manager of the Stockholm blood service, believes this small gesture not only results in repeat donors, but helps bring in new ones. _ that was started in Stockholm has received such positive feedback that it is now being rolled out across the country. However, Swedish officials are not stopping there. They are also encouraging local clinics to publish the exact levels of the different blood groups they have at any given time on their websites. This allows potential donors to realize that their blood can make a difference in saving someone's life. While all these outreach( ) programs are great, busy citizens, even the ones with the best intentions have to be occasionally reminded. In order to jog their memories, officials ask people for authorization to send them text, Facebook, and e-mail reminders. Though that may sound disturbing, the citizens do not seem to mind, given that the messages are light-hearted and fun -- things like "We won't give up until you bleed." Though Sweden is currently the only country using modern technology to urge more donations, don't be surprised if more join in, especially if the Nordic country's blood banks start to overflow!

[{'question': 'Why is another text sent to blood donors after a "thank you" one?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['To ask them for authorization.', 'To inform them their blood is used.', 'To remind them to donate blood immediately.', 'To tell them the levels of blood groups.']}, {'question': 'What do people think of blood donation reminders?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Disturbing.', 'Memorable.', 'Boring.', 'Acceptable.']}]

The South Pole is a particular place on the earth.When people stand at the top of it looking around,they will find all directions face to north.No matter how they make their first step in which direction,they will always walk towards the north.That's to say,only north and south exist there,neither east nor west exists. At the top of the South Pole,any clock or watch keeps good time because all meridians join there.All kinds of local time are completely suitable there.It is even difficult to distinguish New Year's Eve from New Year's Day. The explorers and scientists from different countries always fix the time according to their own.Therefore the time by their watches was different when the people with different nationality gathered there. The Winter Solstice is an important festival at the South Pole.It is always on June 21 or 22.This day is called Midwinter Festival,on which the daytime is the shortest in a year and the night the longest.All people at the South Pole extend greetings to each other and present gifts to each other.They usually give all kinds of celebrations.From that day on,the daytime will get longer day by day.

[{'question': 'At the top of the South Pole,your watch will _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['keep good time', 'be five minutes fast', 'stop', 'be ten minutes slow']}, {'question': 'The Winter Solstice is an important festival _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['in the world', 'at the South Pole', 'at the North Pole', 'in China']}, {'question': 'On the Winter Solstice, _ is the shortest in a year.', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['the night', 'the noon', 'the morning', 'the daytime']}]

In the decade of the 1970s, the United Nations organized several important meetings on the human environment to study a very serious problem.We humans are destroying the world around us.We must learn to protect them, or life will be very bad for our children and grandchildren. There are several major aspects to this problem. Population Most problems of the environment come from population growth.In 1700 there were 635 million people in the world; in 1900 there were 1.6 billion; in 1950, 2.5 billion; and in 1980, 4.4 billion.In the year 2010 there will be 7.3 billion.More people need more water, more food, more wood, and more petroleum. Distribution Scientists say there is enough water in the world for everyone, but some countries have a lot of water and some have only a little.Some areas get all rain during one season.The rest of the year is dry. Petroleum We are using up the world's petroleum.We use it in our cars and to heat our buildings in winter.Farmers use petrochemicals to make the soil rich.They use them to kill insects on those plants.These chemicals go into rivers and lakes and kill the fish there.Thousands of people also die from these chemicals every year.Chemicals also go into the air and pollute it.Winds carry this polluted air to other countries and other countries. Poverty Poor farmers use the same land over and over.The land needs a rest so it will be better next year.However, the farmer must have food every year.Poor people cut down trees for firewood.In some areas when the trees are gone, the land becomes desert.However, people need wood to cook their food now.Poor people cannot save the environment for the future. We now have the information and the ability to solve these huge problems.However, this is not a problem for one country or one area of the world.It is a problem for all humans.The people and the nation of the world must work together to protect the world's resources.No one controls the future, but we all help make it.

[{'question': 'According to the passage, our world is being destroyed mainly because _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['pollution is getting worse and worse', 'population are increasing greatly', 'we humans are using up all of our natural resources', 'distribution is not reasonable.']}, {'question': 'Good distribution means _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['having things in the right place at the right time.', 'cutting down forests and selling them to other countries.', 'building water systems to carry water to farms.', 'conserving our natural resources']}, {'question': 'The best title of the passage should be _', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['The World Being Destroyed', 'A Serious Problem We Should Pay Attention to', 'Aspects That Destroyed Our World', "Conserving the World's Natural Resources"]}]

Nathan's second-hand bike was good enough to get him anywhere he wanted to go. Of course, it couldn't match Tim's in a normal speed race, but all the fancy gears in the world wouldn't get you up Black Mountain. It was so steep in places that you had to get off your bike and push. On this particular afternoon, the odds were all on Nathan's side. First, he was stronger. Tim had always been thin, but recently he'd started to grow so fast that his arms and legs were like pieces of spaghetti. As well as being considerably fitter than his friend, Nathan knew the shortcuts up prefix = st1 /BlackMountain. So when Nathan accepted the challenge, he was sure he'd win. He nearly always did, in competitions with Tim. That was what was strange. Tim was so competitive, and yet he wasn't any good at physical things. By the time the two boys were three quarters of the way to the top, Nathan was clearly ahead. While the road zigzagged back and forth up the mountainside, in certain places, there were also vertical tracks, where water rushing down the slope in winter had bitten erosion courses into the soil. These had in turn been so overgrown by bushes and long grass in the spring that they looked like tunnels through the bush. The trick was to know where you could cut off a whole bend in the road by leaving the road and pushing your bike up one of these half-hidden pathways. If you chose the wrong one you'd struggle up for ten minutes and then suddenly reach a dead end. Then there was no choice but to go back.

[{'question': 'What did Tim challenge Nathan to do?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['test who had the fastest bike', 'decide who was the most competitive', 'find the secret tracks on the mountain', 'race to the top of BlackMountain']}, {'question': 'It was sometimes quicker to use the tracks rather than the road because the _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['tracks were partly hidden.', 'tracks were easier to ride bikes on.', 'road had many bends in it.', 'road was overgrown after the winter.']}, {'question': 'Which of the following advantages did Nathan have over Tim?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Nathan had a better bike and knew the shortcuts up the mountain.', 'Nathan was fitter and knew the quickest ways up the mountain.', 'Nathan was stronger and more competitive than Tim.', 'Nathan was stronger and had a better bike.']}, {'question': 'The quotation " the odds were all on Nathan\'s side" means that _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Tim would not try very hard in the race', 'Tim had not yet grown as big as Nathan', 'Nathan had a greater chance of winning the challenge', 'Nathan had more friends who thought he would win']}]

Most people who live in Seattle, Washington, love their city. There is a never-ending flow of fun things to do. But, people who live there do not always enjoy the day-after-day absence of sunshine during the winter months. It is documented fact that sunshine (or lack of it) plays a major role in how each of us meets the day. It also affects how we perform at school or work. When people are derived of sunlight, they can develop seasonal affective disorder, which makes it difficult for them to feel happy or get things accomplished. No major city in the United States is more affected by the "sunshine factor" than Seattle. To fight drizzle and fog during the winter months, Steve Murphy created a business that is very popular among the locals. The Indoor Sun Shoppe is more than a little ray of sunshine during the gray days of Seattle's winter. His shop offers a huge source of plants and artificial lighting for people who are trying to overcome seasonal affective disorder. Located in Fremont, Washington, The Indoor Sun Shoppe has an amazing collection of exotic plants and "good bugs" in a humid and well-lit environment. At The Indoor Sun Shoppe, you can spend up to $400 for artificial lighting that will chase away the winter blues. It will also keep your plants healthy. You can buy a dawn simulator that will gradually fill your room with a warming wake-up glow. What better way to meet a Seattle morning when real sunshine is nothing more than a happy thought! Murphy's in-home waterfalls are also popular with customers. But his plants and lights remain the "main course." On a cloudy winter day, The Indoor Sun Shoppe is a bright spot in Seattle!

[{'question': 'Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE according to the passage?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Seattle is located in the state of Washington.', 'Citizens love Seattle for their colorful city lives.', 'Sunshine in Seattle is rare during the winter months.', 'People who live in Seattle are used to the sunshine absence.']}, {'question': 'Which of the following best defines the term seasonal affective disorder in Para.2?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['mild temperature and a general feeling of illness caused by gray winter', 'exhaustion, depression and lack of energy caused by a lack of sunlight', 'winter-related illness caused by the low temperature and little sunlight', 'post-holiday depression that comes when relatives leave after Christmas']}, {'question': 'The Indoor Sun Shoppe _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['attracts people from different parts of the whole country', 'aims to create a humid and well-lit environment during winter months', "brings only a little ray of sunshine during the gray days of Seattle's winter", 'offers variety of goods helping people overcome seasonal affective disorder']}, {'question': 'Which of the following best explains the use of a dawn simulator?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['An alarm clock stimulated by the light rays of early morning.', 'A bringer of indoor artificial sunshine when there is none outside.', 'An automatic waterfall system helping make indoor plants healthy.', 'A better way to meet a Seattle morning with real warming sunshine.']}]

To Whom It May Concern: prefix = st1 /Chengdu #7 High School is proud to send an Odyssey of the MindTeam to World Competition this year. They competed inShanghaifor the National Competition and were selected to go to World. The World Competition will be held at the University of Maryland in theUnited Statesat the end of May. Odyssey of the Mind is a creative problem-solving competition. Teams of up to seven students will solve a complex problem using innovative ideas and materials. They will be judged on originality in three separate categories. Odyssey of the Mind competitions emphasize team work and creative "out of the box" solutions. The strength of this program is that the solutions are the work of the students only - neither coaches nor parents are allowed input. During the competition the students must work together as a team and think spontaneously and creatively. Chengdu #7 is a key High School in the fields of science and mathematics. This is the first time they have had an opportunity to attend the Odyssey of the MindWorld Competition. For the seven team members and three coaches (teachers) it will be the first time to visit theUnited States. It will cost each student approximately 20,000 RMB for the twelve-day trip. They have been working hard for this opportunity for a year. Traditionally businesses have supported Odyssey of the Mindbecause it produces students who can work as a team and solve problems creatively. We are asking your company for a donation to help defer the expenses for these deserving students. Please make out checks toChengdu#7 and specify Odyssey of the Mind. Any amount you can contribute will be greatly appreciated and will help us to continue to prepare our students for tomorrow's world. Sincerely yours, Chengdu #7 High School #1 Linyin St. Chengdu, 610041

[{'question': 'This passage is actually _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['an application', 'a document', 'a website', 'a letter']}, {'question': "What's the purpose for the writer to write such a passage?", 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['To introduce the Odyssey of the Mind team in ChengduNo 7 High School.', 'To ask for possible donation support.', 'To tell the readers something about Chengdu No 7 High School.', 'To inform "To Whom It May Concern".']}, {'question': 'Odyssey of the Mind competitions aim to _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['drive the students to work harder', 'encourage students to find out solutions after class', 'help the competitors to think "outside the box"', 'help the competitors to go to a better university']}, {'question': 'After reading this passage, a manager in a promising hi-tech company would _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['leave it alone', 'think it funny', 'perhaps start his own Odyssey of the Mindteam', 'probably be likely to offer a bit of help']}]

I must have been about fourteen then, and I put away the incident from my mind with the easy carelessness of youth. But the words, Carl Walter spoke that day, came back to me years later, and ever since have been of great value to me. Carl Walter was my piano teacher. During one of my lessons he asked how much practicing I was doing. I said three or four hours a day. "Do you practice , an hour at a time?" "I try to." "Well, don't," he exclaimed. "When you grow up, time won't come in long stretches. Practice in minutes, whenever you can find them five or ten before school, after lunch, between household tasks. Spread the practice through the day, and piano-playing will become a part of your life." When I was teaching at Columbia, I wanted to write, but class periods, theme-reading, and committee meetings filled my days and evenings. For two years I got practically nothing down on paper, and my excuse was that I had no time. Then I remembered what Carl Walter had said. During the next week I conducted an experiment. Whenever I had five minutes unoccupied, I sat down and wrote a hundred words or so. To my astonishment, at the end of the week I had a rather large manuscript ready for revision, later on I wrote novels by the same piecemeal method. Though my teaching schedule had become heavier than ever, in every day there were idle moments which could be caught and put to use. I even took up piano--playing again, finding that the small intervals of the day provided sufficient time for both writing and piano practice. There is an important trick in this time--using formula: you must get into your work quickly. If you have but five minutes for writing, you can't afford to waste four chewing your pencil. You must make your mental preparations beforehand, and concentrate on your task almost instantly when the time comes. Fortunately, rapid concentration is easier than most of us realize. I admit I have never learnt how to let go easily at the end of the five or ten minutes. But life can be counted on to supply interruptions. Carl Walter has had a tremendous influence on my life. To him I owe the discovery that even very short periods of time add up to all useful hours I need, if I plunge in without delay.

[{'question': 'Which of the following statements is true?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ["The writer didn't completely take the teacher's words to heart at first.", "Carl Walter has had a great influence on the writer's life since he became a student.", 'The writer owes great thanks to his teacher for teaching him to work in long stretches.', 'Rapid concentration is actually more difficult than most people imagine.']}, {'question': 'We can infer that the writer _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['has new books published each year however busy his teaching is', 'is always tired of interruptions in life because his teaching schedule is always heavy', 'has formed a bad habit of chewing a pencil while writing his novels', "can find sufficient time for mental preparations beforehand, so he's devoted to work instantly"]}, {'question': 'What is the best title of this passage?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Concentrate on Your Work', 'A Little at a Time', 'How I Became a Writer', 'Good Advice']}]

A new international study shows that six people die every minute from smoking. That is 3 million deaths around the world every year. If the present rate of smoking continues, the number of deaths each year from smoking could rise to 10 million by the year 2020. The study describes smoking is the biggest cause of deadly diseases among grown-ups in industrial countries. So far most of the smoking deaths have happened to men, especially in developing countries. A researcher at the World Health Organization says 70% of Chinese men smoke more than 15 cigarettes each day. In Latin America about 50% of the men are smokers. There also are a very large number of smokers in Russia and in Eastern Europe. And 25% of all smoking deaths worldwide are in those areas of the world. Scientists say smoking will kill 50% of the smokers. Smoking is known to cause lung cancer. It also can lead to cancer of the mouth and other parts of bodies. Smokers are more likely than non-smokers to suffer from heart disease. Experts say that people reduce their chance of dying from smoking if they stop smoking completely. They say smokers who give up smoking can improve their health.

[{'question': 'The main idea of this passage is that _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['smoking only does harm to grown-ups..', 'smoking can kill smokers.', 'smoking does harm to health', 'men like smoking much more than women']}, {'question': 'A new international study shows _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['three hundred and sixty smokers die from smoking every hour', 'in 2020, 10 million smokers will die from smoking', 'smoking will kill 50% of the men around the world', 'because of the lack of money, men in developing countries smoke less than men in industrial countries']}, {'question': "If people don't stop smoking, they will _ .", 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['pollute the air', 'be in poor health', 'become stupid', 'waste a lot of money']}, {'question': 'According to the passage, if there are 100 Chinese men smokers in the room, as a result,the number of cigarettes they smoke is at least _ each day.', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['about 1, 500', '5, 000 or so', 'under 750', 'over 1, 050']}, {'question': 'Which disease is not mentioned in the passage?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['heart attack', 'lung cancer', 'cancer of the mouth', 'bronchitis']}]

If you're in charge of a project, the key to success is getting everyone to want to help you. As a director, I point, I suggest, I gently push the actors in the direction I want them to go. In the 1986 movie Nothing in Common, Jackie Gleason's character, Max Basner, gets fired (or unemployed) from his job as a clothing salesman. The scene, shot on a boat, shows Max's despair about being out of work. I was looking for some gesture that would allow Max to show his feelings. Jackie had far more experience at everything than I did, and at first I was frightened (very much afraid). What could I possibly tell "The Great One" about acting? Out of fear I decided to direct by suggestion, and I sat down with Gleason to talk about the scene. "So Max is sad, right?" I said. Gleason nodded. "And he's probably still carrying his pens with his name on them --- the ones he used to hand out to his customers, right?" Gleason nodded. " So what would you want to do with the pens after you were fired?" He was silent for a moment. "Why don't I throw them overboard (or all over the boat)?" I stood up and turned toward the crew. " Hey, everybody, Jackie has a wonderful idea. Let's shoot it." After filming the scene, Gleason called me over and said with a smile, "Garry, what kind of wonderful idea am I going to have tomorrow?" You and your team can discover the answers to problems together. When there are no prizes or gold stars for who gets the solution (or the way to work out a problem) first, you'll all benefit (or get something of use or value) when everything turns out right.

[{'question': 'The author tells us that to succeed in a project you are in charge of, you should _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['make everyone work for you', 'get everyone willing to help you', 'let people know you have the final say', 'keep sending out orders to them']}, {'question': 'It can be inferred that _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Jackie Gleason is the director of the film Nothing in common', 'Jackie Gleason is very angry when he is fired from his job', 'Max, a character in a film, is in very low spirits when he loses his job', 'Jackie Gleason is the writer of the film Nothing in common']}, {'question': "Why did Gleason call the director over and smile at him? That's because Gleason _ .", 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['thought his wonderful idea was accepted by the latter', 'succeeded in hitting upon (or think of) a wonderful idea', 'was confident (certain) about his work the next day', "appreciated the latter's way of directing films"]}, {'question': 'The most suitable (or proper) title for the passage is _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Directing a Film', 'The Key to Success', 'A Wonderful Experience', 'Working with Film Stars']}]

There's a widespread perception in the United States that a university degree is the key to success. But a growing number of educators now say there are other possibilities, especially for students who might not succeed at university level. This is not a traditional classroom. At the apprentice program run by the Plumbers and Steamfitters Union in the state of Maryland, Travis Strawderman and other students make money while they learn. "I \t's completely changed my life around," he said. "I've been able to pay off all my debts. I can say I'm actually responsible enough to have my own family." Strawderman's five-year program teaches him technical skills free of charge. He says he considered university, but it didn't interest him. Economics Professor Robert Lerman says Strawderman is not alone. "A lot of people are bored in high school," Lerman stated. "They leave high school because they are bored. They want to do something besides sitting in a classroom." Lerman says the education system in the United States in too focused on pushing students to attend university. "What we're doing now is we're doing now is we're saying unless you learn in this way you don't really have the chance for a rewarding career," he said. But Chad Aldeman, an analyst, says studies show the longer students saty in school the better chance they have at having a high paying and stable career. "If you only are a high school graduate your wages are going to drop over your lifetime-as opposed to a college degree," he said. "The college degree is really and insurance policey against unemployment and against low wages."

[{'question': 'Where does Travis Strawderman learn?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['In a university.', 'In a traditional classroom', 'At an apprentice program.', 'In a high school']}, {'question': 'What can we infer from the passage?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['Robert and Chad have different opinions.', 'Professor Lerman teaches Travis technical skills.', 'Travis will have a high paying and stable career.', 'Travis liked high school and studied well']}, {'question': 'Which might be the best title for the passage?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['New education programmes', 'A University degree, key to success or not', 'Problems in high school', 'An insurance policy against low wages']}]

If you're one of the 13 million Americans still struggling to find a job, or wanting to change jobs, a lot of your applications are probably being swallowed up by the "the black hole." That's when you send in a job application and never receive any follow-up from the company.In fact, only 25 out of 100 applications ever get looked at by companies. Now, a remarkable new service is helping job seekers instantly track almost every application they submit so they actually know what's going on.It's called Start Wire. corn and it lets job seekers track their applications and find out whether or not their applications have been reviewed, dismissed, or are still being considered. How does it work? When you fill out a job application via a company website, you'll typically get an auto confirmation email from the company, thanking you for applying.And then, the waiting begins. Start Wire has linked to more than 5 , 600 employers across the country and receives online updates on job applications for every one of their members.By allowing you to connect your job hunt to your Facebook and Linkedin accounts, it can notify you if you have any connections with the company that you apply for . And, Start Wire is free to use! Because Start Wire is a completely ad-supported site, they don't need to charge job seekers to use it. Most importantly, Start Wire keeps your information private.Your job search activity will never show up on a social network or search engine.Start Wire has become invaluable to over 55, 000 job seekers in a highly competitive job market. If you're tired of your job search resulting in dead-end responses, take advantage of this free service and give yourself a huge advantage in the job marketplace. Click here to put your information on an official list and reach an arrangement with Start Wire to use a free service it provides, and improve your chances of finding a good job quickly.

[{'question': 'You can probably read the passage from _', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['a newspaper', 'a website', 'a poster', 'a magazine']}, {'question': 'If your job applications are being swallowed up, it means that _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['your personal information has been stolen', 'your job applications are under consideration', 'you can not receive any reply from the company', 'you have to pay money to get your applications back']}, {'question': 'If you want to use Start Wire first you should _', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['make a call to the website', 'get access to some employers', 'register an account without payment', 'email the company you will apply to']}, {'question': 'The passage is mainly intended to _', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['prove the advantages of Start Wire', 'attract more people to use Start Wire', 'teach people how to access Start Wire', 'provide key facts about unemployment']}]

Going on a road trip? The St. Louis Arch, Statue of Liberty, and Golden Gate Bridge are common great tourist sites. If you prefer offbeat places, check out the following roadside attractions. World's Largest Ball of Paint Alexandria, Ind. In 1977, Michael Carmichael set out to create the biggest ball of paint anywhere. Starting with a baseball as centre, he painted layer by layer of paint day after day, year after year. The ball weighs more than 1,300 pounds, with more than 20,000 coats of paint, which is recognized by Guinness World Record. Visitors can paint the wall themselves and become part of the history. The Museum of Dirt Boston, Mass. The museum is the idea of Glenn Johnson. Labeled glass bottles contain such treasures as dirt from the Great Wall of China, as well as sand from a desert in Saudi Arabia and Omaha Beach in France. Best of all, the cost of seeing this museum is dirt cheap: It's free. Mount Horeb Mustard Museum Mount Horeb, Wis. It's heaven for hotdog lovers! This museum says it has to have the world's largest collection for prepared mustard . Its more than 4,100 bottles of spices come from 60 nations, including Turkey and China. Visitors learn the history of mustard, from how it's made to how it's advertised and sold. The museum's creator, Barry Levenson, loves mustard so much that he even puts it on ice-cream! Paper House Rockport, Mass. Swedish immigrant Ellis Stenman was much ahead of his time in 1922, when he started to build a two-room house almost entirely out of newspaper. At the time, people didn't give much---if any---thought to recycling paper. In fact, "recycling" wasn't even a word yet. The house is framed with wood, but the walls are made of 210 layers of newspaper. In all, he used about 100,000 newspapers.

[{'question': 'If you want to add your own labour to what you visit, you may choose _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ["World's Largest Ball of Paint", 'The Museum of Dirt', 'Mount Horeb Mustard Museum', 'Paper House']}, {'question': 'What can be inferred from the text?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Michael must have the largest ball in the world.', 'Glenn must have paid a visit to China.', 'Ellis could be seen as a pioneer in his time.', 'Barry loves ice-cream especially.']}, {'question': 'From the text, we can learn that _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Michael will never stop painting the large ball.', 'people need to pay for visiting the Museum of Dirt.', 'Paper House was completely made of paper', 'Barry founded the Mustard Museum..']}]

Do you want to write your password down so that no one can see it, or do you want to send someone a secret message? Knowing how to make an invisible ink message will have you feeling like a secret agent in no time. These are instructions for making invisible ink using baking soda. Difficulty: Easy Time required: A few minutes What you need: Baking soda, Paper, Water, Light bulb, Paintbrush, Measuring cup, Purple grape juice Here's how: There are at least two methods of using baking soda as invisible ink. Mix equal amounts of water and baking soda. Use a paintbrush to write a message onto white paper, using the baking soda solution as "ink". Allow the ink to dry. One way to read the message is to hold the paper up to a heat source, such as a light bulb. The baking soda will cause the writing in the paper to turn brown. The second way to read the message is to paint over the paper with purple grape juice. The message will appear in a different color1. Tips: If you are using the heating method, avoid burning the paper. Baking soda and grape juice react in an acid-base reaction, producing a color1 change in the paper. Grape juice concentrate results in a more visible color1 change than regular grape juice.

[{'question': 'is not needed for making invisible ink.', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Baking soda', 'Paper', 'Water', 'Ink']}, {'question': "What's the function of the paintbrush?", 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['To draw a picture.', 'To allow the "ink" to appear.', 'To write a message onto the white paper.', 'To help the "ink" dry.']}, {'question': 'How can you read the message in invisible ink easily?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['read it in the daytime', 'read it near a heater', 'Put it in hot water', 'put it in a fridge']}, {'question': 'Why will the message appear in a different color1 in the second way to read the massage?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Because there is enough grape juice.', 'Because baking soda reacts with grape juice.', 'Because of the use of water.', 'Because of the special paper.']}, {'question': 'From the process, we can know that making invisible ink is_.', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['very hard', 'not difficult', 'a little difficult', 'not easy']}]

It is true that the first Olympic Games of the modern times in 1896 were not open to women.Baron Pierre de Coubertin,who gave new life to the Games,was very much a man of his time.He didn't like women showing up for the Games.But since this time,things have changed.History shows that the number of women participating in the Olympic Games has been increasing over the years,since their first participation in the 1900 Olympic Games and especially in the last 30 years.This development is of social,political and cultural significance . The progress is the result of the cooperation of the entire Olympic Movement and of proper measures that the International Olympic Committee(IOC),International Sports Federations(IFs),and National Olympic Committees(NOCs)have taken.Especially in the last 20 years,the IOC has enlarged the women's programme at the Olympic Games,in cooperation with IFs and the Organising Committees for the Olympic Games(OCOGs).This development was further strengthened by the IOC's decision that all sports must have women's events.The IOC also started to work on increasing the number of women at leadership level in sport in 1981.Former President Juan Antonio Samaranch,who wanted to have women as IOC members made a great contribution . Many sports volunteers have worked to increase the number of women joining in the Olympic Games.This progress has been made also thanks to the strong determination of women from different countries of the world who have worked to make sure women are fully represented in all sports.

[{'question': 'It is implied in the passage that .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['women first performed in the Olympic Games about fifty years ago', "it was IFs that decided to enlarge the women's programme at the Olympic Games", "Juan Antonio Samaranch didn't agree that women should be IOC members", 'women themselves worked very hard so that they could join in the Olympic Games']}]

"Mommy, I'm a funny bird," Jack, my almost-4-year-old tells me. He moves his little fingers like wings. "You are?" I say. I'm sitting across from him while he eats breakfast at our table. I smile; he says the greatest things. A week ago, however, when he had chocolate on his face and I licked my finger to wipe it off, he said, "Don't put your dirty water on me." A week ago, I wouldn't have been sitting here with him during breakfast. I wouldn't have been up, emptying the dishwasher, cleaning the kitchen, or answering emails. We always had dinner together at the table, but other meals got much less attention. I work from home, and my husband owns an advertising agency and often travels. We were so busy that we had to do the chores during breakfast or lunch. Why was I not sitting down with my son? It could take Jack an hour to eat a meal, during which I could feel the tug of unanswered emails, a deadline, and the unswept floor each minute. Then we went to visit friends for a weekend. They have two kids. They are busy, professional, and good parents. And at every meal -- not just dinner -- we all sat down at the table and ate. When we got home, my husband said, "Maybe we should be doing that." I took this as criticism. My husband works a lot, so mealtimes are mostly under my charge. The "we" he was talking about was me. Then, I remembered myself that I'm a big girl, and took his comment the way it was meant. We both want what's best for Jack. Yes, I thought. I'm home. I have to eat, too. My husband is Jack's favorite, which delights and moves me, but I am Jack's constant. Constants are there. Constants sit down. So I've been sitting. And, surprise, I haven't missed a deadline. The house has been clean. And Jack seems to like having me there. Two days ago, over lunch, he smiled and stared at me. "What?" I asked, amused. "Mommy, I love you so much and I can't stop loving you." I could have missed that. God, I could have missed _ .

[{'question': 'Before visiting the friends, Jack _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ["didn't like chocolate", "couldn't eat by himself", 'was sometimes rude to his mom', 'preferred his mother to his father']}, {'question': 'After visiting the friends, the author _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['was determined to learn to cook', 'asked her husband to have every meal with her', 'decided to have dinner together with her family', 'was advised by her husband to learn from the friends']}]

When Charles Strattion was five, he stopped growing. His mother took him to see the famous showman, P. T. Barnum, and thought a small person would be the perfect addition to his show. He hired Charles' parents along with him, and they traveled around the world together. He gave the two-foot-tall Charles a new name, general Tom Thumb. He taught Tom how to sing, dance, act, and tell jokes. When he felt Tom was ready to perform on stage, he made up ads. To stir up great interest, he said that Tom was eleven years old and had come from England. Tom's act was very popular and brought in a lot of money. By the time Tom was an adult, he had grown very rich. He had become a billionaire at the age of twenty-five. Fortunately for Tom, Mr. Barnum added more little people to his show, and Tom became lucky in love as well. One of the little people was Lavinia Warren, a school teacher. Tom was able to win her love, and they married. The ceremony and reception were _ They were attended by many rich and famous people and by about two thousand guests. Crowds filled the street of New York to have a look at their tiny wedding carriage. The couple even met with President Abraham Lincoln on their honeymoon, just before going to live in Tom's house in Connecticut. Their wedding, which took place during the Civil War, provided a welcome escape from the sad problems of war. Not willing to let this bit of sunshine fade, communities throughout the country held Tom Thumb's weddings. In these weddings, small boys and girls, all dressed up, went through marriage ceremony for fun.

[{'question': '"the talk of the town" means _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['they were in the newspaper', 'people spread many rumors about them', 'they were the most popular things happening', 'they were discussed in a city meeting']}, {'question': "What does the author think about Tom Thumb's wedding?", 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['People gave it too much of their attention.', 'It helped people cheer up in a dark time', 'It was funny and ridiculous', 'Tom and Lavinia were stupid.']}, {'question': 'Which of the following is the best description of the fact that Tom was smart?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['He became a billionaire at twenty-five', 'He learned how to sing, dance, and act at a very young age.', 'He met with President Lincoln during his honeymoon', 'He married a school teacher.']}, {'question': 'It was very funny when Tom danced on a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall because _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['the wooden plate would make it sound as of Tom were tap dancing', 'it made Tom feel taller', 'the eight-foot-tall man was the only tall person Tom trusted', 'the difference between them would make Tom look even smaller']}]

Under new rules posted by the Civil Aviation administration of China on Friday, pilots will have to pass a "level four" test of Mandarin Chinese, China's official language. Those who speak with an accent that "often impedes" comprehension will not pass. These rules take effect in January 2016. China's 56 ethnic groups speak more than 80 languages and dialects. Even native Mandarin speakers can have trouble communicating with each other depending on the strength of their accents, which can be mutually unintelligible . One flight trainer illustrated the scope for linguistic confusion, especially when common English aviation terms are used. Asked if there is a problem on board, a Chinese pilot might answer in the negative with the words mei you, or "there isn't. But someone speaking with a heavy Sichuan accent would pronounce mei you as "May day" - unconsciously parroting the universally recognized distress call . Like their international counterparts , Chinese aviators have developed codes to avoid confusion resulting from homonyms or near-homonyms. They use the terms yao for one and guai for seven, which are otherwise pronounced yi and qi respectively and easily confused. The new rule could affect all pilots, who must renew their license every six years, and adds to a growing list of burdens for the profession.

[{'question': 'Which of the following is true according to the passage?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Sichuan dialect has the contrary meaning to Mandarin.', 'Native Mandarin speakers can understand each other well.', "It isn't necessary for a pilot to pass the test before January 2016.", '"May day" is a distress call in our everyday life.']}, {'question': 'What is the best title for the passage?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['Chinese Pilots Told to Get Rid of Regional Accents.', 'Chinese Pilots.', 'Rich Chinese Languages.', 'Hard to Be a Chinese Pilot.']}]

Travel can be a lifesaver. But in today's economy with airlines adding new fees almost daily and ticket prices sharply on the rise, many have written off travel as too expensive. However, with a few saving tricks and a little research, there are still lots of great deals to be had on airline tickets and more. Early Bird Gets the Deal. Travel experts say that there are certain times of day when more deals are available. Airfares can change three times a day as airlines adjust their prices to fill up flights. Early morning is when the fares tend to be lowest.www.zxxk.com What Wouldn't a Business Traveler do? Flying when business travelers don't can save you big money. Most business travelers fly on Mondays and Fridays, so Tuesday and Wednesday are the best days. Airlines will usually lower their prices on these days to aggressively try and fill empty seats. _ _ Fly to popular places at unpopular times. The slowest time of the year for travel is in the Fall between Labor Day and Thanksgiving. Again, to try and fill more empty seats, the airlines will lower prices and offer better deals to get people to fly during this time of the year. Package Deals Many times the best deals on airfare can be found as part of a package rate. Most travel sites have package rates available. Often, the entire package (hotel, airfare, rental car) is cheaper than just the plane ticket on another site. Even if you don't need the rental car, with the money you've saved on the flight, you can afford to take a taxi. These deals are especially good on last minute bookings. With a little inside knowledge and some good timing, you can get yourself a steal on a ticket to the vacation you thought was out of reach.

[{'question': 'Which would be the best title for the text?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Tips on Vocation Travelling', 'Advice for Business Travelers', 'The Effect of Economy on Airlines', 'Tricks of Finding the Cheapest Flights']}, {'question': 'Many people have to cancel their travel plan because they _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['have no saving tricks', 'consider economic reasons', 'seldom do research', "can't have great deals"]}, {'question': 'Which of the following can be filled in the blank in the text?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Fly to popular places.', "Don't Miss the Holydays.", 'Better Avoid the Crowds.', 'Lose No Chance for Travelling.']}]

HOGN KONG--Nine out of 10 Singapore citizens returned dropped wallets with money in them,but in Hone Kong only three out of l0 wallets were returned in an honesty test carried out in Asian cities by Readers Digest . Larger cities did worse while in general people in smaller places returned secretly planted wallets,results from the experiment showed. Readers Digest secretly scattered 140 wallets all over Asia,each with a name,address and phone number,family pictures,notes and money in it. The magazine workers then watched to see what happened.South Koreans in Seoul returned six out of the ten dropped wallets,while those in Inchon returned eight. 50 percent of Be dropped wallets were returned in Bombay,Bangkok,Taipei and Kajang in Malaysia,with most people saying they would not keep what was not right fully theirs. Honesty had little relation to wealth or status ,as several well-dressed people in a number of cities were observed to walk away without doing anything to get in touch with the rightful owners. About 57 percent of the wallets were returned,compared with 58 percent in Europe in a similar experiment and 67 percent in the United States.

[{'question': 'The newspaper report is mainly about _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['how the honesty test was carried out', 'where the honesty test was carried out', 'the results of the honesty test in Asia', 'the results of the honesty tests in the world']}, {'question': 'It call be learned from the newspaper that Bombay is a city in _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Europe', 'Asia', 'the United States', 'prefix = st1 /Malaysia']}, {'question': 'How many of the dropped wallets in Asian cities were returned?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['About 60.', 'About 80.', '56.', '42.']}, {'question': 'Which people as a group did best in the honesty tests?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['People in Hong Kong.', 'People in the United States.', 'People in Inchon.', 'People in Singapore.']}]

Joe Temper should have known better. After all, he works for a large auto insurance company. It won't hurt to leave the key in the truck this once, he thought, as he filled his gas tank at a self-service gas station. But minutes later, as he was paying the money, he saw the truck being driven away. In 2010, 1.6 million motor vehicles were stolen in the United States --one every 20 seconds. If present trends continue, experts predict vehicle thefts could be over two million every year by the end of the decade. Vehicle theft is a common phenomenon, which has a direct effect on over four million people a year. The cost is astonishing. Many police officials blame professional thieves for the large number of the thefts. It is a major moneymaker for organized crime. Typically, stolen cars are taken to pieces and the parts sold to individuals. But as many as 200,000 cars are smuggled out of the country every year. Most go to Latin America, the Middle East and Europe. Only about 15 percent car thefts result in an arrest, because few police departments specially conduct in depth auto investigations. When thieves are arrested, judges will often sentence them to probation , not immediately put them in prison because the prisons are overcrowded with violent criminals. One exception is a Michigan program that calls for 92 police officers to work full time on the state's 65,000 car theft cases a year. Since 2006, when the effort began, the state's auto theft rate has fallen from second in the nation to ninth. How can you protect your car? If you live in a high theft area or drive an expensive model, consider a safety system. It may cost anywhere from $ 25 to $ 1,000. Some systems work automatically - simply removing the key disables the fuel pump and the starter. When cars are equipped with such systems, thefts may drop by one third. In some states, you may be able to use a device that transmits radio signals, allowing stolen cars to be tracked by police.

[{'question': 'What does the author think Joe Temper should be to blame for?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['He should have equipped his car with a security system.', 'He should not have his car refilled at the gas station.', 'He should not have been so sure of himself..', 'He should have shut down the engine of his car.']}, {'question': 'What is NOT a reason for the increase of car theft as mentioned in the passage?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ["Police don't give enough attention to car theft cases.", 'More people parked their cars and left the keys inside.', 'Measures and laws against car thieves are not effective enough.', 'Car theft brings car thieves much money.']}, {'question': 'It is obvious that the Michigan program _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['has an effect on the whole USA', 'involves the development of a new safety system', 'involves the construction of larger prisons', 'involves much work but proves to be quite effective']}, {'question': 'What type (s) of safety system can help the police find a stolen car back?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['The device that sends out radio signals.', 'The device that disables the fuel pumps.', 'The device that disables the starter.', 'All of the above.']}]

It's 2035. You have a job, a family and you're about 40 old. Welcome to your future life. Getting ready for work, you pause in front of the mirror, "Turn red," you say. Your shirt changes from sky blue to deep red. Tiny preprogrammed electronics are rearranged in your shirt to change its color. Looking into the mirror, you find it hard to believe that you are 40. You look much younger. With amazing advances in medicine, people in your generation may live to be 150 years old. You're not even middle-aged. As you go into the kitchen and prepare to pour your breakfast cereal into a bowl, you hear: "To lose weight, you shouldn't eat that," from your shoes. They read the tiny electronic code on the cereal box to find out the nutrition details. You decide to listen to your shoes. "Kitchen, what can I have for breakfast?" A list of possible foods appear on the counter as kitchen checks its food supplies. "Ready for your trip to space. You ask your son and daughter." In 2005 only specially trained astronauts went into space -- and very few of them. Today anyone can go to space for day trips or longer vacation. Your best friend even works in space. Handing your children three strawberries each, your add, "The doctor said you need these for space travel." Thanks to medical advices, vaccination shots are a thing of the past. Ordinary foods contain specific vaccines. With the berries in their mouths, the kids head for the front door. It's time for you to go to work. Your car checks your fingerprints and unlocks the doors. "My office. Autopilot," you command. Your car drives itself down the road and moves smoothly into traffic on the highway. You sit back and unroll your e-newspaper. The latest news downloads and fills the viewer. Looking through the pages, you watch the news as video films rather than read it.

[{'question': 'What changes the color of your shirt?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['The mirror.', 'The counter.', 'The shirt itself.', 'The medicine.']}, {'question': "How do the shoes know that your shouldn't eat the breakfast cereal?", 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['By pouring the breakfast into a bowl.', "By listening to the doctor's advice.", 'By testing the food supplies in the kitchen.', 'By checking the nutrition details of the food.']}, {'question': 'The strawberries the children eat serve as _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['lunch', 'vaccines', 'breakfast', 'nutrition']}, {'question': 'How is the text organized?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['In order of time.', 'In order of frequency.', 'In order of preference.', 'In order of importance.']}]

In ancient Egypt, a shopkeeper discovered that he could attract customers to his shop simply by making changes to its environment. Modern businesses have been following his lead,with more tactics . One tactic involves where to display the goods. Foe example, stores place fruits and vegetables in the first section. They know that customers who buy the healthy food first will feel happy so that they will buy more junk food later in their trip. In department stores, section is generally next to the women's cosmetics section:while the shop assistant is going back to find the right size shoe, bored customers are likely to wander over cosmetics they might want to try later. Besides, businesses seek to appeal to customers' senses. Stores notice that the smell of baked goods encourages shopping, they make their own bread each morning and then fan the bread smell into the store throughout the day. Music sells goods, too. Researchers in Britain found that when French music was played, sales of French wine went up. When it comes to the selling of houses, businesses also use highly rewarding tactics. They find that customers make decision in the first few second upon walking in the door, and turn it into a business opportunity. A California builder designed the structure of its houses smartly. When entering the house, the customer would see the Pacific Ocean through the windows, and then the poll through an open stairway leading to the lower level. The instant view of water on both levels helped sell these $10 million houses.

[{'question': 'Why do stores usually display fruits and vegetables in the first section?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['To save customers times.', 'To show they are high quality foods.', 'To help sell junk food.', 'To sell them at discount prices.']}, {'question': "What is the California builder's story intended to prove?", 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['The house structure is a key factor customers consider.', 'The more costly the house is, the better it sells.', "An ocean view is much to the customers' taste.", 'A good first impression increases sales.']}, {'question': 'What is the main purpose of the passage?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['To explain how businesses turn people into their customers.', 'To introduces how businesses have grown from the past.', 'To report researches on customer behavior.', 'To show dishonest business practices.']}]

Of course, you know that getting a gift for your dad is a must every Father's Day. Perhaps last year you got him a tie he always wanted, or a watch that had the year of his marriage engraved upon it. Yes, all of those gifts were great, but if this year you'd like to get him a gift that he'll be able to hold onto for a long time without breaking your bank, you should consider making a gift yourself. For example, a keepsake box that holds precious keepsakes can be a simple yet timeless gift. Find a box. It can be a cigar box or hat box, but it really has to be strong and long-lasting. Decorate the inside and outside .of your box with paints, ribbons , fabric and other materials." Include some of your personal items that best _ your relationship with your dad or a memory that he and you shared together. Perhaps he visited Hawaii and got you a special key chain that you've always used; you can include that. Each family member is welcome to make something homemade that can be included in the box. Some ideas could be a painting or drawing or, even poetry. You can also include something from your dad's past. Get grandma and grandpa in the action by getting goods, baby pictures or high school memorabilia . Photographs or videos from special occasions are good choices. You can gather CDs and cassettes of your dad's favorite music or music that he and you have memories of. Next you should make a list of all the sayings and great advice that your dad has given you over the course of your life and include it in the box. Now, you can present the box to your dad on Father's Day. Before this, write a special letter to your dad, telling him what you have placed in his box, why you have chosen those items, and include a brief or long note on why he is special in your eyes.

[{'question': 'What is the text mainly about?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ["What to do on Father's Day.", "How to choose Father's Day gifts.", "How to remember Father's Day.", "How to make a meaningful Father's Day gift."]}, {'question': "Making a gift yourself for Father's Day might _ .", 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['show your talent for art', 'cost you a lot of money and time', 'make your father think about how time flies', 'make your father keep the gift for a long time']}]

London Heathrow is the biggest airport in the UK, and it also handles more international passenger traffic than any other airport in the world. For this reason, enlargement was planned and on 27th March a fifth terminal opened to help to deal with the many passengers that pass through the airport. The new terminal has taken a long time to plan and build. The idea was first proposed back in the 1980s. The opening of it has been talked about widely in the media in the UK and expectations were high for the PS4.3 billion project. However, in spite of long preparations at Terminal 5 ahead of the grand opening, things soon went into a mess. There were problems from the very beginning as staff had difficulties finding car parking spaces and getting through security to get into the building. This consequently caused a delay when passengers started to arrive and large numbers of staff were not in place. Long passenger queues formed and the slow start meant that everyone had to play catch-up from the beginning. Staffs were having problems using the new systems and a baggage operator told the BBC, it was all "shambles the moment the doors opened". The terminal has been designed to handle 12,000 bags an hour but due to a reported "lack of training and essential support that was promised", a backlog of luggage soon appeared. By lunchtime on that first day, 20 flights had been cancelled to try to alleviate the problems. Flights continued to be cancelled in the days following the opening and up to 28,000 bags have now had to be placed in temporary storage. The British Airline, the only airline operating at Terminal 5 says it is working to clear the backlog, but the negative publicity caused by the shambles has not helped the airport or the airline's reputation at all.

[{'question': 'What was the difficulty that passengers met with on the very first day of the opening?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['It was difficult for them to find the right car parking spaces.', 'It took too long to get through security to get into the building.', 'They were not familiar with the new systems in the building.', 'They had to wait a long time and play catch-up when checking in.']}, {'question': 'What can we infer from the passage?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['People expected too high for London Heathrow Terminal 5.', 'Something went wrong on the very first day of the opening.', 'Staffs were complaining about the shamble in the day.', 'The British Airline was the only airline operating at Terminal5.']}, {'question': 'What is the best title of the passage?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['London Heathrow Terminal 5.', 'The First Day of Heathrow Terminal 5.', 'A New Star for Heathrow Terminal 5.', 'A Dark History of Heathrow Terminal 5.']}]

Talk about a real-life hero! Ten-year-old Larry Champagne from St. Louis, Missouri, hit the brake on a runaway school bus. He saved himself and 20 other kids on board from disaster. It all happened in one terrible accident. On the way to school, the bus driver, Ernestine Blackman, suddenly fell ill. Seeing the car was running away, the other kids started to scream, but Larry ran to the front and stopped the bus. "At first I thought, 'We're going to die,'" says Larry, "but after I pressed the brake, I felt safe." Larry's speedy reaction made news all over the country. He appeared on TV shows as a hero. The bus company gave Larry a big gift. His school hung a medal of honor around his neck. "My grandmother always tells me to do what's right," says Larry. He thanked his brother, Jerrick, 9, who "helped me get the bus driver up" during the emergency. How did he know how to stop the bus? _ . He helps his grandfather work on his old truck. "He gets his hands dirty," says his grandfather. One thing is for certain: Larry knows where to find the brakes.

[{'question': 'What did Larry do to save the runaway bus?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['He parked it for the sleeping bus driver.', 'He helped all the kids climb out through the windows.', 'He made a call to the police.', 'He pressed the brake.']}, {'question': 'When did Larry finally feel safe?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['When the kids finally stopped screaming.', 'When the police officers arrived.', 'Once he pressed the brake, and the bus stopped.', 'When the bus driver started driving again.']}, {'question': 'Larry got the following as praise for his hero action Except _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['appearing on TV shows', 'a scholarship from his school', 'a big gift from the bus company', 'a medal of honor']}, {'question': 'Larry thanked his brother Jerrick for _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['helping him get the bus driver up', 'helping him work on his old truck', 'teaching him how to find the brake', 'teaching him how to stop the bus']}]

When she looked ahead, Florence Chadwick saw nothing but a solid wall of fog. Her body was numb .She had been swimming for nearly sixteen hours. Already she was the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions. Now, at age 34,her goal was to become the first woman to swim from Catalina Island to the California coast. On that fourth of July morning in 1952,the sea was like an ice bath and the fog was so thick that she could hardly see her support boats. Sharks swam toward her lone figure, only to be driven away by rifle shots. Against the frigid grip of the sea, she struggled on--hour after hour--while millions watched on national television. Alongside Florence in one of the boats , her mother and her trainer offered encouragement. They told her it wasn't much farther. But all she could see was fog. They urged her not to give up. _ With only a half mile to go, she asked to be pulled out. Still thawing her chilled body several hours later, she told a reporter," Look, I'm not excusing myself, but if I could have seen land I might have made it." It was not fatigue or even the cold water that defeated her .It was the fog. She was unable to see her goal. Two months later, she tried again. This time ,despite the same dense fog, she swam with her faith intact and her goal clearly pictured in her mind. She knew that somewhere behind that fog was land and this time she made it! Florence Chadwick became the first woman to swim the Catalina Channel, eclipsing the men's record by two hours!

[{'question': "Why didn't Florence swim across the Catalina Channel for the first time?", 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Because she was too tired to go on swimming.', "Because the fog was so thick that she couldn't see her support boats clearly.", "Because she couldn't see the goal on land.", 'Because the sea water was too cold.']}, {'question': 'Which of the following is NOT true?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['.Florence Chadwick spent less time swimming across the Catalina Channel than men.', '.Florence Chadwick succeeded in swimming across the Catalina Channel in September,1952.', 'People had to use guns to drive away some flesh-eating animals in the sea.', '.No women but Florence Chadwick were able to swim the English Channel in both directions.']}]

Shoppers who have cut back on purchases in the worrying U.S. economy are likely to continue their conservative shopping habits even if the economy improves, according to a new study. That signals continued bad news for retailers , who have been struggling to respond to a great cutback in spending as consumers have opened their wallets only for basic items, while cutting back on unimportant purchases. The report, which estimates retail sales growth to be flat this year, found that three-quarters of respondents to a monthly survey of 4,000 consumers said they had shifted their shopping behaviors because of the economy. Most said they were making do with less or going without some favorite items. "The habits learned during this economic crisis have the potential to permanently change the mind-set of consumers," the report said. "The vast majority of shoppers who are changing their near-term shopping behavior say they plan to continue them as the economy improves." To ease the consumer discomfort, smart retailers will focus on downsizing, the report said, as adding stores to an already crowded retail landscape is out of fashion. It came up with smaller initiatives to build shopping buzz, such as limited editions of products or having existing stores target local markets. The report also forecast that retailers will increasingly focus on private brands to attract cost-conscious shoppers, while adding complementary categories of goods to their stores to make one-stop shops for consumers. While warehouse clubs and super centers are expected to fare the best in the weak environment in 2009, discount department stores and supermarkets will be the weakest, the report warned. Sales of clothes, though expected to rebound in 2010, will be the hardest hit and slowest to recover.

[{'question': 'The current shopping behavior in the US is becoming _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['arbitrary', 'protective', 'conservative', 'aggressive']}, {'question': "Which is the measure the retailers won't take to attract shoppers?", 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['Adding more stores to the busy retail landscape.', 'Keeping the editions of products limited.', 'Making "one-stop" shops for customers.', 'Concentrating on private brands and downsizing.']}, {'question': 'What will the consumers do with the worrying US economy?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Having existing stores target local markets.', 'Going without some favorite items.', 'Giving up their near-term shopping plan.', 'Opening their wallets for daily buying.']}, {'question': 'According to the report, _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['bigger shops will be more successful', 'supermarkets do better than super centers', 'clothing will recover smoothly in 2010', 'most respondents suffer from the crisis']}]

It was near dusk, and Kim Cooper and her husband, Steve, were trucking through northern Kentucky transportation auto parts from Louisville to Detroit for a goods company. "Steve, wake up!" she shouted. "There's a truck on fire!" Inside the burning truck, Ronnie Sanders, 38, was fighting for his life. He'd been running a heavy load of tractors and forklifts from Georgia to Indianapolis when a van in front of him stopped suddenly in traffic on the icy road. As Ronnie bore down, he could see children in the backseat. The truck's bulk would probably protect him from the worst of the impact, but the force of 23 tons would likely crush everyone inside the van. "I figured instead of killing other people, I'd just put the truck in the ditch." At the bottom, rocks cut a fuel tank, which caught fire. A tree branch destroyed the windshield and knocked Ronnie unconscious. He came to life a couple of minutes later to find the cabin flames and his legs on fire. Steve dashed to Ronnie, who was hanging headfirst from the passenger door. Ronnie had used his pocket knife to cut himself free from the driver's side seat belt only to get his boot trapped in another one. Steve climbed into the burning cab to free him. He tried three times to pull Ronnie out before finally freeing him. But Ronnie's legs were still burning, so Steve laid him on the ground, ripped off his own shirt, and beat the flames with it. He'd managed to drag him about 20 yards when one of the truck's 150 gallon fuel tanks exploded. Both Steve and Ronnie paid a price for risking their lives for strangers. Ronnie spent two months in the hospital and received skin grafts on both of his legs. Steve suffered smoke breathing and minor burns, and shrapnel from the fuel tank explosion broke a tooth. In February, the Coopers received a Hero of the Highway award from the Open Road Foundation for rescuing an injured driver. Steve insists Ronnie is the real hero: "If he hadn't gone into the ditch, he would have hit that van. It was his decision to drive off the road." "I feel pretty good about it," says Ronnie. "A lot of people could have been hurt."

[{'question': 'According to the passage, Ronnie put the truck in the ditch because of _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['his concern for his own safety', 'his poor driving skill', 'the icy road', "his concern for others' lives"]}, {'question': 'What probably made Ronnie come to life after driving the truck in the ditch?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['The noise from the highway.', 'The call from the Coopers.', 'The pain from the burning legs.', 'The heat of the fire.']}, {'question': "How did Steve put out the flames in Ronnie's legs?", 'answer': 'B', 'options': ["He beat the flames with Ronnie's shirt.", 'He beat the flames with his own shirt.', 'He put out the fire with a tank of water.', 'He put out the fire with a bag of sand.']}, {'question': 'Which of the following can be the best title of this passage?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Heroes: The Coopers', 'Heroes: Roadside Flames', 'Accidents on the Icy Road', 'Accidents in the Ditch']}]

Recipients of this year's Annenberg scholarships were announced on June 19. Brittany Blythe was one of them. In seventh grade,Brittany Blythe dreamed of being a cheerleader . Her school's coaches were less than enthusiastic. "They said. 'I don't know how you'll be able to do it'. "she recalls. "'You won't be able to do it'." But Brittany,now a junior at Strath Haven High School near Philadelphia,refused to give up. And when the junior school cheerleaders won a tournament last year, she was right there,dancing and cheering with the rest of the team. Not bad for someone whose legs were cut off below the knee when she was two years old. Brittany,18,was born without shinbones --"just blood and muscle tissue,"as she puts it. When she tried to walk, her legs twisted. After the operation, she adapted quickly. "From day one,I basically jumped up and wanted to do everything,'' she says. Prostheses allowed her to move around upright. But too slowly to keep up with her friends. Brittany's solution was to take the legs off and walk on her knees something she still does when safety and comfort permit. She has been rarely discouraged. Other children laughed at her through the years,especially in junior high school,but she says the challenge only made her stronger. Now she's trying to convince her coaches to let her remove the prostheses and be a flyer. The cheerleader who's thrown in the air and caught by her teammates. Brittany doesn't think her problems put her at a disadvantage. "My disability was the first thing I had to get through., and that's going to prepare me for the future. "she says. "It's all just a test:If someone throws you a difficult problem,what are you going to do?"

[{'question': "What was the coaches' first attitude towards Brittany's dream?", 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Supportive', 'Enthusiastic', 'Optimistic', 'Doubtful']}, {'question': "What was Brittany's reaction after the operation?", 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['She abandoned herself to self-pity.', 'She refused to use the prostheses.', 'She accepted the result and tried to get used to it.', 'She challenged the children who laughed at her.']}, {'question': 'What does Brittany want to achieve at the moment?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ["To stop others'laughing at her.", 'To prove her coaches wrong.', 'To remove her prostheses.', 'To be a flyer.']}, {'question': ". What's the best title for the text?", 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['A new leg,a new life', 'A new cheerleader, a new record', 'Passing the test', 'Seeking advantages']}]

You can never be too sure these days in the United States of your neighbours or even your customers! Try to keep a low profile in your neighborhood: don't announce to just about everyone that you are running a home business with thousands of dollars worth of equipment. As much as possible, don't invite clients or visitors to your home. In fact I know of some home-based entrepreneurs who would rather meet their clients in a neutral ground, e.g. the client's office or even Starbucks. There are other ways to keep burglars away from your house. *Keep lights on around your house in the evenings. Light is a natural fright for burglars. *Invest in a security alarm, particularly if your house is located in a remote spot. Security systems can often bring down the cost of your homeowner's insurance premiums . *Make sure that all windows and doors are locked and the security alarm turned on before you sleep at night or go out of the house. Avoid keeping house keys in obvious places, such as under the lamp or top of the doorframe. *Adding an additional lock will provide extra security when you are home. The dead-lock, sometimes called an "exit-only deadbolt" is an deadbolt that doesn't have an external key. It's clearly visible on the door from the outside, but can't be broken into without destroying the door, frame, or lock itself. While the security won't help directly when you aren't home, the visibility may discourage an _ from trying the door. *Your door itself should be made of strong materials, such as one-inch thick solid hardwood or heavy metal.

[{'question': 'The advice given by the writer in the passage focuses on _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['how to make your house safer from burglars', 'what to do when your house is broken into', 'how to improve social security in the United States', 'how to run a home business']}, {'question': "Some home-based entrepreneurs don't invite clients to their home _ .", 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['to enjoy convenience outside their home', 'for reasons of their property safety', 'not to let others know their business', 'in order to avoid being seen by burglars']}, {'question': "All of the following are part of the writer's advice except that the homeowner _ .", 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['buy a security alarm and turn it on in the evening', 'fix an extra lock on the door from inside', 'have the doors made of solid hardwood or heavy metal', 'keep lights on in all rooms to threaten burglars']}]

Three years ago when I was still in the University, I also worked at a restaurant. An old man named Mr. Candido Filio was one of our regular customer at the restaurant. He was one of the most intelligent people I've ever known. Every Sunday the Philippine Star Newspaper had a special page for word puzzles and among his peers , Mr.Filio held the record for solving all the puzzles in less than five minutes. He encouraged me to solve them too, and for months and months, I did my best to beat him but failed. Then one Sunday, I did it! I was able to complete them before anyone else. Everyone cheered for me. He came up to me with a smile and said, " No one has ever beaten me before. You are the first. I'll have a prize for you tomorrow." The next day, he gave me a special Scrabble set. I would have never been able to afford one like that by myself. Then he said to me, " Kate, what do you think is man's final goal in life? Happiness, isn't it? You are happy and that should be considered as a success. Many people spend a lifetime searching for that. Be thankful that you have found it." I looked at him and knew that my life had changed, probably forever. He must have known that I always felt sad about not having much money. He encouraged me to learn the game and love words. And true to his words, I was never able to beat him again.

[{'question': 'We can learn from the text that Mr.Filio _', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['was generous to young people', 'was good at word puzzles', 'lived quite near the restaurant', 'won a prize from the Philippine Star Newspaper']}, {'question': 'The author was given a gift because _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Mr.Filio was thankful for her help.', 'Mr. Filio was satisfied with her service', 'she was the first person to beat Mr.Filio', 'she was the new record keeper in the restaurant']}, {'question': 'After she heard what Mr. Filio said, the author probably felt _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['amazed', 'excited', 'touched', 'inspired']}]

The Jungle Book Lost in the jungles of India as a child and adopted into a family of wolves, Mowgli is brought up on a diet of Jungle Law, loyalty, and fresh meat from the kill. Regular adventures with his friends and enemies in the jungles improve this child's strength and cleverness and stir every reader's imagination. Price: $ 7.79 ISBN-13: 978-1613820742 Average Customer Review: A Stolen Life The first work of its kind--Jaycee Dugard's personal life story, her own story of being kidnapped in 1991. When Jaycee was eleven years old, she was kidnapped from a school bus stop. She was missing for more than eighteen years, and gave birth to two daughters during her imprisonment . Price: $ 19.79 ISBN-13: 978-1442344983 Average Customer Review: While We're Far Apart Five-time Christy Award winner Lynn Austin is called as "one of the style's best historical fiction novelists". Set in Brooklyn, New York, during World War I,while a motherless girl longs for her daddy and a young lady hopes for a second chance at love, this tale explores the uncertainty that stays in people. Price:$ 6.00 ISBN-10: 0764204971 Average Customer Review: The Fashion Police The Fashion Police was in the second place in the Chapter One Promotions Novel Competition 2010 and nominated Best Novel with Romantic Elements 2010 by The Romance Reviews. It is a strange comedy-mystery, combining murder and with romance. Price: $ 12.73 ISBN-13: 978-1451555653 Average Customer Review:

[{'question': 'If you are interested in personal life stories, then you can choose the book _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['A Stolen Life', 'The Jungle Book', 'The Fashion Police', "While We're Far Apart"]}, {'question': 'The ISBN of the book that is most popular among the readers is _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['ISBN-13: 978-1613820742', 'ISBN-13: 978-1442344983', 'ISBN-10: 0764204971', 'ISBN-13: 978-1451555653']}, {'question': 'What makes the book The Fashion Police distinguish itself from others?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['It wins the award Christy Award five times.', 'It is a great book on violence and family education.', 'It is nominated Best Novel with Romantic Elements 2010.', 'It has many elements borrowed from stories of true policemen.']}]

Finally, I entered the university. Because of my careful savings, I did not have to work during the school year. Then, summer came and it was time to work harder than ever. I continued working as a waitress at night, instructed tennis camps several mornings a week and worked as a secretary for a few hours in the afternoons. I even decided to take a class at a community college. This class at the community college saved me $650. It was an extremely tiring summer and made me anxious to return to my relatively easy life at the university. During my second and third years of undergraduate schooling, I decided to work about five hours per week in the campus admissions office answering phones. This provided a little spending money and kept me from drawing my savings out. The overall situation looked hopeful as I approached my senior year as long as I could make as much money as I had the previous summer. I wanted to go to Israel to study for 3 weeks, but I hesitated in making this decision because it would cost me $1 600 more to get the credits in Israel. About two weeks later my Mom called to tell me that I had$1 600 in the bank that I had forgotten about! One of my concerns about this trip was not only the cost, but the loss of time to make money; however, I made as much that summer in the ten weeks when I was at home as I had made during the fourteen weeks when I was at home the summer before. The way everything worked together to make this trip possible was one of the most exciting things that have ever happened to me. This experience has shaped me in many important ways. The first thing that I learned was the importance of a strong work ethic . Working long hours did a lot to develop my character and helped me learn the value of a dollar. It also made me learn how to search for creative ways to settle difficult situations.

[{'question': 'Where did the writer probably work parttime before attending the university?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['In a restaurant.', 'In the tennis camps.', 'In a company.', 'In the admissions office.']}, {'question': 'The writer took a class at a community college mainly because _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['she wanted to save money', 'life there was relatively easy', 'summer time was tiring', 'it was required by the university']}, {'question': "The writer's major concern about the trip to Israel was that _ .", 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['her mother would not give her approval', 'she would fail to get credits in Israel', 'a wellpaid summer job would be lost', "$1 600 couldn't be drawn out in time"]}, {'question': 'The passage is mainly about how the writer _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['made money on the college campus', 'managed to make full use of her vacation', 'was forced to support herself by her mother', 'was shaped by working parttime through college']}]

Every fall, many Jewish people around the world celebrate the holiday of Sukkot . They build huts in their backyards, and if it is warm and dry outside, they live in those huts for seven days and nights. Living in a sukkah is meant to remind Jewish people that for 40 years their ancestors lived in huts in the desert. In modern times, it has also become a reminder that many people do not have a place to call home. In 2010, an American reporter named Hoshua Foer was building his own sukkah when he came up with an idea. He wondered what it would be like to have a competition for people around the world to use their imaginations to create modern sukkahs. It would be a design competition. But the sukkah would have to be built according to Jewish laws. These laws are found in an ancient book called Talmud. Some of the laws are surprising! ks5u * It can be built on a boat. * It must have at least two and a half walls. Joshua got in touch with his friend Roger Bennett. They announced the competition in May 2010. More than 600 designers sent plans. Twelve were chosen as finalists . Then those finalists were each given money so they could build their sukkahs in a park in New York City. People building the final sukkahs were from the United States, France, England, Japan, and Germany. More than 17,000 people voted for the winners. At the end of the competition, the sukkahs were sold. The money was then given to a group that helps homeless people.

[{'question': 'According to Joshua Foer, _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['imaginations are very important to win the competition', 'sukkahs can be built at any place and in any shape', 'the winning sukkahs will be included in Talmud', 'competitors should follow laws made by him']}, {'question': 'Which of the following is TRUE about the first competition?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['More than 600 sukkahs were built in a park in New York City.', 'The winning sukkahs were sold to help homeless people.', 'Only American people took part in the competition.', 'There were 12 judges voting for the winners.']}, {'question': "What's the passage mainly about?", 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['How Jewish people design and build modern sukkahs.', 'How Jewish people celebrate the holiday of Sukkot.', 'A Jewish holiday reminds people of their ancestors.', 'A Jewish tradition becomes the idea for a competition.']}]

The skin which covers the tips of the fingers and thumbs is crossed by numerous ridges arranged in different patterns. These patterns are permanent from birth and remain exactly the same throughout a person's life, even when the skin becomes wrinkled and cracked as a result of old age. Such patterns are never passed on from parents to children, and no one in the world has the same patterns as anyone else. Even identical twins have different sets of fingerprints. As a result, fingerprints offer a most useful and _ way of identifying people. Any ridged part of the hand and the foot may be used as a means of identification, but finger impressions are usually preferred since they can be taken easily and quickly. Fingerprints are classified in the ways: by general shapes and contours , by the finger positions of the pattern-types, and by size (often measured by counting the ridges in the loops). Every set of fingerprints has different "ridge characteristics" (i. e. the print of each separate finger is different from that of all the other fingers), which belong to one of four basic groups: arches, loops, whorls and composites. All fingerprints can then be divided into 1, 024 groups. By using details in the patterns above, these 1, 024 groups can be further divided into thousands of smaller groups, thus making it possible to find a particular set of fingerprints in a few minutes.

[{'question': 'According to this passage, the true statement about human fingerprints is that _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ["people's fingerprints sometimes can be passed on from parents to children", "people's fingerprints are unique but identical twins may have the same fingerprints", 'using fingerprints is the only way to identify people', "people's fingerprints will not change in all their lives"]}, {'question': 'We prefer to use fingerprints to identify people because _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['we can never find the same set of fingerprints among human beings', 'finger impressions can be taken easily and quickly', 'fingerprints offer a most useful and foolproof way of identifying people', 'all of the above']}, {'question': 'The word "foolproof" (Line 7, Para. 1) most probably means _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['that is permanent', 'that is acceptable', 'that can not go wrong', 'that is not foolish']}, {'question': 'About the classification of fingerprints, which is TRUE? _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['Fingerprints can be classified in three ways', 'All fingerprints can be divided into 1, 024 groups and can not be divided further', 'It is not easy to find a particular set of fingerprints in a short time', 'People can not classify the fingerprints in an effective way']}]

You have heard of Webster Toys. Webster's have made good, safe, interesting toys for more than a hundred years. Now we sell them, and children play with them, in countries fromprefix = st1 /New ZealandtoNorway, and fromJapantoBrazil. We are looking for someone to sell our toys in the Far East. He (or she) will be between the ages of thirty and forty. He will already have some years of selling in world markets behind him. He will speak good English, and at least one other language of the Far East. The person we are looking for will live inSingapore, and work in our office there, but he will travel for up to six months in any one year. He will know the Far East quite well already. He will know how to sell in old markets and where to find new ones. He will understand money and make more than ever before, for himself, and for Webster Toys. Webster's want someone who can stand on his own feet. If you think you are the person we are looking for, write to Mr. J. Sloman at our Head Office.

[{'question': 'Children play with Webster toys _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['only in countries far away from each other', 'in countries all over the world', 'in only four countries of the world', 'everywhere except in the Far East']}, {'question': 'The person will speak _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['English and only one other language', 'English or any other language', 'English or any other Far Eastern language', 'English and a Far Eastern language']}, {'question': '"Someone who can stand on his own feet" means _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ["someone who does not stand on others' feet", 'someone who can understand money', 'someone who can work by himself', 'someone who understand many language']}]

Do you scream on a roller coaster ride? You slowly climb up a steep slope until an almost vertical drop, and then... Ahhhhhhhh! Thrill-seekers like me are in luck because theme parks are pushing the boundaries of technology to create the fastest, tallest, scariest roller coasters the world has ever known. Alton Towers in Britain opened the world's first 14-1oop roller coaster a few months ago, called The Smiler. Over in Abu Dhabi, Ferrari World claims to have the world's fastest one. Ferrari World's Formula Rossa ride sends out passengers from 0-240km/h in just 4. 9 seconds. During this rapid acceleration they experience G-forces only fighter pilots usually feel: Up to 4. 8G. The designer of several rides at Alton Towers, said: "While we can stand 6-8Gs for very short periods of time, ff we experience 5G for more than five seconds we're likely to "black out." On modern roller coasters passengers experience about 3G in tight turns and loops. But while we may have reached the limit in terms of G-forces, there is no technological limit to how fast or how high roller coasters can go---it's all down to money. Alton Towers' The Smiler cost ~18m to build. Some companies are finding other ways to keep us amused. There's a move towards indoor rides where the experience is improved by audio-visual technologies. For example, a company called Dynamic Structures is currently developing a "coal-mine-themed" ride for a client in Dubai that will combine speed and G-forces with 3D projection effects and robotics, which will trick your brain into thinking you're really falling. I can't wait to enjoy this one. What about you: Do you like being upside down?

[{'question': 'We can learn from the passage that _', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['all the theme parks are creating the fast roller coasters', 'the Smiler sends out passengers from 0-240km/h in just 4.9 seconds', 'it is unusual for fighter pilots to feel up to 4.8G', 'the more the money is spent, the faster the roller coaster can go']}, {'question': 'The feature of the "coal-mine-themed" ride is', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['3Dtechnologies', 'indoor rides', 'G-forces', 'dynamic structures']}, {'question': 'What is the best title for the passage?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['The Fastest Roller Coaster', 'The Smiler and G-forces', 'Screaming for Fun', 'The New Technology']}]

Schouten University is a highly respected online education provider offering officially-recognized degree programs across the globe. Our mission is to provide students with a high-quality mixed learning MBA program and personal coaching to help them to become world-class managers. MBA with Unique Skills & Personal Development Program Students will benefit from 30 years of soft skills training experience from Schouten & Nielsen, the leading soft skills training institute in Europe. To become an effective manager, theory alone is not enough, and being able to put theory into practice is more important today than ever before. With the Schouten University MBA program you will have the unique opportunity to develop such soft skills as influencing skills, leadership skills, communication skills and motivational skills. International Network + 2 Residential Study weeks in Cambridge & Shanghai At Schouten University, students, tutors and coaches meet each other online. But there is also the opportunity for students to study face to face by way of the two Residential Study weeks. One week will be held in Shanghai (China) and the other week at Cambridge (UK). Shanghai is the commercial and industrial center of the world's leading economy. Cambridge is home to some of Europe's oldest and best universities. Residential weeks will be held several times a year. Therefore, you can choose when to participate, depending on the progress of your study. In the residential weeks cooperation between students will be an important element. Students will work together on real company cases. During the residential week students will be supervised by a professional trainer. *Residentials are an obligatory part of the program and the costs of the residential weeks are covered by your tuition. *The fee includes the study weeks' housing, food and participation but not the costs of travel. Maximum Flexibility Schouten University introduces a new way of learning: Study 2. 0. Students will study online through my schoutenuniversity.com and interact via rich social media. It allows busy working professionals like you to study a world class MBA degree anytime, anywhere at any pace. Great Support Access to the University's virtual learning environment (VLE) 24/7, and your study coach, tutors are all here to give you strong personal support to ensure your success.

[{'question': 'Most graduates of Schouten University will work in the field of _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['education', 'military', 'medicine', 'business']}, {'question': "According to the advertisement, which of the following DOESN'T belong to soft skills?", 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Leadership skills.', 'Communication skills.', 'Driving skills.', 'Motivational skills.']}, {'question': 'The time to participate the residential weeks is _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['flexible', 'fixed', 'unnecessary', 'inconvenient']}, {'question': 'If you attend the two Residential Study weeks, you will have to pay for _ besides your tuition.', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['housing', 'participation fees', 'meals', 'travel costs']}, {'question': 'The advertisement is probably intended for _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['full-time college students', 'working businessmen', 'studying teenagers', 'retired managers']}]

NEW DELHI, India (AP)--India is fast becoming a top destination for tourists thanks to a forceful campaign to push the country's Himalayan spas and beaches, officials say. Tourism officials have been crisscrossing the globe as part of the government's "Incredible India" campaign launched in 2003. And the results are beginning to show. Tourists traveling to prefix = st1 /Indiahave jumped by nearly 26 percent from last year and the number is expected to cross 3 million this year, said Amitabh Kant, chairman of the India Tourism Development Corp. "Foreign exchange earnings, too, have shown a nearly 40 percent rise this year," Kant told The Associated Press. India's earnings from tourism were $4.3 billion between January and November 2004, compared to $3.1 billion for the same period of 2003. "Tourist figures are looking up, especially after the way the travel magazines are praising India," Renuka Choudhury, India's tourism minister, told reporters just before leaving for Spain and Italy to push the "Incredible India" campaign. Conde Nast Traveler ranked Indiasixth among the world's top 10 destinations in its annual readers' traveler awards.Indiawon top points for its cultural diversity, hospitality and good value for money. Lonely Planet Online, the Website of the guidebook series, described Indiaas among the top five international holiday destinations along withThailand,Italy,AustraliaandNew Zealand. The "Incredible India" campaign focuses on the country's scores of small, largely unexplored tourist spots, as well as India's traditional healing arts. However, Choudhury noted at least 22 airports are being upgraded, with better signs, modern toilets, lounges and duty free shops. A tourist police force has been set up at airports, railway and bus terminals.

[{'question': 'Tourism officials have been crisscrossing the globe to _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['learn from resorts', 'strengthen communication', 'draw tourists to India', 'enjoy the scenery']}, {'question': 'It can be learned that _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['Kant is satisfied with the trend of tourism', "Kant worries about the future of India's tourism", "Choudhury doesn't think the situations of tourism will improve", 'Choudhury thinks Indiashould make full preparations for the crisis of tourists']}, {'question': 'Which of the following may NOT belong to the advantages of India?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Hospitality.', 'Cultural diversity.', 'Good value for money.', 'Natural scenery.']}, {'question': 'The passage is mainly about _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['tourism in India', "India's technique", 'the future of India', "India's position in people's mind"]}]

People can be addicted to different things -- e.g. alcohol, drug, certain foods, or even television. People who have such an addiction are compulsive :They have a very powerful psychological need that they feel they must satisfy. According to psychologists, many people are compulsive spenders. They feel that they must spend money. This compulsion, like most others, is impossible to explain reasonably. For compulsive spenders who buy on credit , charge accounts are even more exciting than money. In other words, compulsive spenders feel that with credit, they can do anything. Their pleasure in spending large amounts is actually greater than the pleasure that they get from the things they buy. There is even a special psychology of bargain hunting. To save money, of course, most people look for sales, low prices, and discounts. Compulsive bargain hunters, however, often buy things that they don't need just because they are cheap. They want to believe that they are helping their budgets , but they are really playing an exciting game. When they can buy something for less than other people, they feel that they are winning. Most people, experts claim, have two reasons for their behavior: a good reason for the things that they do and the real reason. It is not only scientists, of course, who understand the psychology of spending habits, but also business people. Stores, companies, and advertisers use psychology to increase business. They consider people's needs for love, power, or influence, their basic values, their beliefs and opinions, and so on in their advertising and sales methods. Psychologists often use a method called "behavior therapy " to help individuals solve their personality problems. In the same way, they can help people who feel that they have problems with money.

[{'question': 'According to the psychologists, a compulsive spender is one who spends large amounts of money _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['and takes great pleasure from what he or she buys', 'in order to satisfy his or her basic needs in life', 'just to meet his or her strong psychological need', 'and feels he or she is cheated']}, {'question': 'Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the text?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['People spend money for exactly the same reason that they need to buy things.', "Business people and advertisers can use the psychology of people's spending habits to increase sales.", 'Business people understand the psychology of compulsive buying better than scientists do.', 'Compulsive bargain hunters do not have problems with money.']}, {'question': 'What is the text mainly about?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['The psychology of money-spending habits.', 'The habits of compulsive spenders.', 'A special psychology of bargain hunting.', 'The use of the psychology of spending habits in business.']}, {'question': 'From the text we may safely conclude that compulsive spenders or compulsive bargain hunters _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['are really unreasonable', 'need special treatment', 'are really beyond drugs', 'can never get any help to solve their problems with money']}]

Traditionally, women have fallen behind men in adoption of Internet technologies, but a study released yesterday by the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that women under age 65 now get ahead of men in Internet usage, though only by a few percentage points. But the survey also noted that the _ between women and men on the Web is even greater among the 18-to-29 age group and African Americans. The report, "How Women and Men Use the Internet", examined use by both sexes, looking at what men and women are doing online as well as their rate of adopting new Web-based technologies. The report found that 86 percent of women aged 18 to 29 were online, compared with 80 percent of men in the same age group. Among African Americans, 60 percent of women are online, compared with 50 percent of men. In other age groups, the disparity is only slight, with women outpacing men by 3 percentage points. However, among the older group, those age 65 and older, 34 percent of men are online, compared with 21 percent of women. Men tend (......) to use the Web for information and entertainment, getting sports scores and stock quotes and downloading music, while women tend to be heavier users of mapping and direction services, and communication services such as e-mail.

[{'question': 'Among African Americans, _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['women equal men in the use of the Internet', 'women use the Internet less than men', 'women use the Internet more than men', 'women use the Internet better than men']}, {'question': 'In which age group do women fall behind men in the use of the Internet?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['18 to 29.', 'Over 30.', '65 and older.', 'Under 20.']}, {'question': 'What does the passage mainly tell us?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['Women are catching up in the use of the Internet.', 'Men and women use the Internet for different purposes.', 'How people use the Internet in different age groups', 'Why women fall behind in the adoption of Internet technologies.']}]

In the United States, the legal age to drink alcohol is twenty-one --- one of the highest in the world. Americans debate whether _ should be lowered, or whether young drinkers would only drink more. In parts of Europe, the legal drinking age for beer, and sometimes hard liquor, is sixteen. Yet France may raise the age limit for beer and wine sales to eighteen, the same as for hard liquor there. Rules on alcohol differ from college to college in the United States. Many schools require all first-year students to take an alcohol prevention and education program, often given online. Some have a "zero tolerance" policy where alcohol is banned from all buildings. Parents are informed of violations and students may be suspended . At the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, permission is needed to serve alcohol at any event on campus. But alcohol is banned in first-year dorms --- where most students are under twenty-one anyway. Susan Davis, a university lawyer, says campus police and local police report underage drinking violations to administrators. The university judicial committee decides punishment on a case by case basis. For example, the committee might suspend or expel a student. It might require an alcohol education program. Or it might just give a warning. Jon Zug is a prosecutor in Albemarle County, where the university is located. He says international students would face the same punishment as American citizens for underage drinking in Virginia. That includes a fine of five hundred dollars or fifty hours of community service. But first offenders might be given a chance to complete an alcohol education program instead. Schools have to report legal violations by international students to the Department of Homeland Security. International adviser Richard Tanson at the University of Virginia says even minor violations stay on a student's permanent immigration record. He says international students should know that this can affect them in the future if they try to re-enter the United States.

[{'question': 'What would be the best title for the passage?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Studying in the US', 'Rules on Alcohol on Campus in the US', 'Campus Life in the US', 'Alcohol on Campus in the US']}, {'question': 'If a student under 21 drinks alcohol for the first time in Virginia,he might _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['drop out of school.', 'require an alcohol education program.', 'be tried and sentenced to a year or so in prison.', 'be fined five hundred dollars as well as fifty hours of community service.']}, {'question': 'Which of the following is true according to the passage?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Underage drinking is very popular in the US.', 'Alcohol is forbidden in colleges and universities.', 'Many students completed an alcohol education program in the US.', "It's hard for an international student to enter the US again if he breaks the rules."]}]

Most painters discover a style of painting that is fit for them and stick to that, especially if people admire their pictures. But Picasso, the great Spanish painter, was like a man who had not yet found his own particular style of painting. He kept on struggling to find the perfect expression till his death in 1973. Some of Picasso's painting are rich, soft color1ed and beautiful. Others are ugly and cruel and strange. But such paintings allow us to imagine things for ourselves. They force us to say to ourselves,"What does he see that makes him paint like that?" And we begin to look under the surface of the things we see.. Picasso painted thousands of pictures in different styles. Sometimes he painted the natural look of things. Sometimes he seemed to break them apart and throw the pieces in our faces. He showed us what the mind knows as well as what the eyes see. At the age of 90,he remained as curious about the world as he had been when he was young. That is why people have called him "the youngest painter in the world."

[{'question': 'The ugly cruel and strange paintings by Picasso _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['make us try to notice something latent in the things', 'allow us to ask questions about them', 'force us to question anything we see', 'cause us to think what Picasso saw was different from what we see']}, {'question': 'The sentence "Sometimes he seemed to break them apart and throw the pieces in our faces" means _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['sometimes he tore his pictures into pieces', 'he broke something he was painting and threw them away', 'sometimes he showed some broken pictures to others', 'things in some of his pictures seem to be in disorder']}, {'question': 'Why have people called Picasso "the youngest painter in the world?"', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Because he observed things with the eye and the mind.', 'Because he looked young when he was old.', 'Because he never stopped painting he was old.', 'Because he never gave up looking for something new.']}]