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Question: A couple of years ago on a hot summer day in south Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out of the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shoe. His mother in the house was looking out of the window and saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In great fear, she ran toward the water, shouting to her son as loudly as she could. Hearing her voice, the little boy became worried and made a return to swim to his mother. It was too late. Just as he reached her, the alligator reached him. From the bank. the mother caught her little boy by the arms just as the alligator _ his legs. That began a tug-of-war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the mother, but the mother was much too determined to let go. A farmer happened to drive by, heard her screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator. After weeks and weeks in hospital, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the attack of the animal and on his arms were deep scratches where his mother's fingernails dug into his flesh in her effort to hang on to the son she loved. The newspaper reporter, who interviewed the boy after the injury, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pants legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter. "But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my mom wouldn't let go. What is the best title of the passage? A. A Brave Boy B. The scars of Love C. A Helpful Farmer D. A Mother and An Alligator Answer: B
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Question: When I was going home to India last year, I called up my mother to ask if she wanted anything from China. ks5. When India had not opened up its markets to the world, I carried suitcase loads of dark glasses and jeans. Thankfully, we can get all these anywhere in India now. ks5uStill, her answer surprised me:"Green tea!" kAs long as I can remember she didn't even drink Indian tea. ks5u I dutifully bought a big packet of Longjing and headed home to hear the story. My mother and her brother, both regular newspaper readers, believed that Chinese green tea was the wonder drug for all illnesses ks5u At the turn of the century, China was not really familiar to the average Indian. It was a strange country.. How things change! And how soon!s5uNow every town of any size seems to have a "China Market". And everyone is talking about China ks5u The government of India has planned to send a team to China to see how things are done. A minister once said that India must open the doors for more foreign investment and such a step would "work wonders as it did for China". ks5u But it's a two-way street, I just heard about a thousand Shenzhen office workers who have gone to Rangalore to train in software. Meanwhile, all the IT majors are setting up a strong presence in China, ks5u No wonder that trade, which was only in the millions just ten years ago, is expected to his about US $15 billion for last year and US $20 billion by 2008, a goal set by both governments. No wonder, my colleague wrote some weeks ago about this being the Sino-Indian century as the two countries started on January I the Sino-Indian Friendship Year, ks5u But what is still a wonder to me is my mother drinking Chinese tea. ks5u Why did the mother ask for Chinese green tea? ks5u A. she was tired of Indian tea ks5u B. she had a son working in China. ks5u C. she believed it had a curing effect ks5u D. she was fond of Chinese products, ks5u Answer: C
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Question: It is a novel that is probably more talked about than read. People think: "It's such a big book! It has such a serious theme!" The feeling that they are going to be taught a long, hard lesson often puts readers off. But really, War and Peace (1869), which tells the stories of five upper-class families in Russia at the time of the 1812 French invasion, is not to be missed. Reading this novel is one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences, like climbing the Great Wall: You will regret it if you do not try. Earlier this month, USA Today reported that a six-episode War and Peace miniseries produced by the BBC would air next year. With a complex plot and so many characters, readers unfamiliar with the work might be most interested in the characters from the financially-troubled Rostov family of Moscow. Count Rostov has four teenage children. Natasha is in love with Boris Drubetskoy, who is about to become an army officer. Nikolai Ilyich loves the poor Sonya, a ward of the family, but his family is not happy with their relationship. The proud Vera is about to start a happy marriage with a German-Russian officer. The youngest Rostov is the 9-year-old Petya, who, like his brother Nikolai, has his heart set on fighting for his country. The lives of all are about to be changed by the upcoming great war that involves many other major characters of War and Peace, such as Prince Andrei, who goes into a military career partly in order to get away from his unhappy marriage to the socialite Lise. The novel has a great reputation among many kinds of writers and millions of readers. US writer Ernest Hemingway wrote: "I don't know anybody who could write about war better than Tolstoy did." A comment by the great 20th-century Russian short-story writer Isaak Babel shows the rich sense of history that Tolstoy's work conveys. "If the world itself could write, it would write like Tolstoy," Babel commented. What is the author's purpose in writing the passage? A. To tell readers different opinions on the book. B. To make it easier for readers to read the book. C. To sing high praise for the great writer Tolstoy. D. To advise readers not to miss such a good book. Answer: D
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Question: Nobody likes to do chores, especially kids. How can you make your kids get into a good habit of doing their chores? Try making chores fun for them. Play some music:Music makes everything seem like a party, doesn't it? Play your kids' favorite music and let them dance around while they are doing their chores. Make it a treasure hunt : It's a good way when you would like them to clean the house. Let them know that you hide a $5 bill someplace. If they find it, they can keep it. Change often:If your kids keep doing the same chores for months, they may feel bored. Teaching them a new task is fun for both you and the kids. They will feel more grown up when they get a new task. Do it together:It's never fun to be the only one working and watching everyone else relaxing. If everyone takes part in doing chores, you will finish them faster and have more fun. ,. The writer thinks it's better to _ while asking kids to clean the house. A. play their favorite music B. ask them to do the same things every time C. watch them do the chores D. give them lots of housework to do at a time Answer: A
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Question: Jim is my good friend. We are in the same school. He is an American. We are good friends. This is Jim's bedroom. It's not big, but new. A black desk is in the room. Some English books are on the desk. Jim's backpack is on it. The backpack is yellow, but old. What's under the red chair? It's a white cat. It's a Chinese cat. Its name is Mimi. Jim's father is in the living room. He is about fifty years old. Where is his mother? She is in the bedroom. She is a teacher. The desk in the room is _ . A. black B. white C. blue D. yellow Answer: A
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Question: Where on Earth are you? Navigators use lines of latitude and lines of longitude to locate places. Lines of latitude run east and west around Earth. On a map or globe, these lines appear as running sideways or horizontally. Lines of longitude run north and south around Earth. These lines go up and down or vertically on a map or globe. These lines create an imaginary graph paper on the Earth. They make it possible to find an absolute, or exact, location on Earth. They even allow us to give an absolute location to a place out in the middle of the ocean. Lines of latitude tell us how far north or south of the Equator we are. Sailors have used primitive navigation tools, like astrolabes, since ancient times. The astrolabe uses the sun and stars to find an approximate location. Using such tools, they have been able to approximate their distance from the equator. Although their instruments may not have been the high quality we have now, they were incredibly accurate for their time. Lines of longitude tell us how far east or west of the prime meridian we are. Sailors constantly looked for new ways to increase their navigation skills. Still, it wasn't until the 18th century that they were able to measure degrees of longitude. They would have been very envious of the technology available to us today. When we use lines of latitude and longitude together, we can get a very precise location. If we want to identify the absolute location of a point, we look where the latitude and longitude lines cross nearest to that point. We use the coordinates for that point as its address. Many maps today include degrees of latitude and longitude. The best title for this passage is _ . A. The map and the globe B. Latitude and longitude C. The equator and the prime meridian D. Absolute coordinates Answer: B
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Question: Sometimes doing something for yourself - even shopping--can _ . That's the case at charity shops and non-profit stores such as Ten Thousand Villages which helps provide skilled workmen with money in developing countries. Their handicrafts are sold throughout North America in 180 stores, 95 of them operated by Ten Thousand Villages. "People come into the store because we have a lot of interesting things, but then they're drawn to us by the mission ," says organization spokeswoman Juanita Fox. "It just feels good to be making a difference when you're buying something." In the Alexandria, Virginia shop, generals display windows draw you in. They are filled with practical, attractive home furnishings in blue and white, all international in mood. Once inside though, it's clear that this isn't just another import store. On the wall behind the cash register is the following note: "Ten Thousand Villagers provides necessary, fair income to Third World people by marketing their handicrafts and telling their stories in North America. Your Buying Makes a Difference. " The store was opened in 1994 as part of a network of shops across the USA run by the Mennonite Church, which is based in Akron, Pennsylvania. Currently, 60,000 skilled workmen from 32 countries provide goods to the stores, with all proceeds re-invested in the organization. Management of the Alexandria shop is overseen by an all-volunteer board of directors. More than 40 additional volunteers help doing everything from working the register to unpacking stock. Maria Yannopoulos got involved after visiting a store and getting to know another volunteer. "Since we are non-profit, we are really looking for value because the more we sell, the more jobs we can create. Giving someone job rather than charity helps in so many ways. " A large number of people visit Ten Thousand Villagers because _ . A. they are fond of traveling around B. they can find something interesting C. they can enjoy the wonderful foods D. they want to learn how to farm in the fields Answer: B
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Question: It was getting dark and snow was coming down. Joe was driving home. He'd been unemployed since the factory closed. Most of his friends had left, but he stayed on. After all, he was born here. Suddenly he saw a lady standing on the side of the road and pulled up. She was worried. No one had stopped to help her. Was he going to hurt her? He looked poor and hungry. Joe knew how she felt and said, "My name is Joe and I'm here to help you." All she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Joe changed the tire, but he got dirty and his hands were hurt. _ Joe never thought twice about the money and there were plenty who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way. He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance that they needed. Later the lady went in a dingy-looking restaurant to grab a bite to eat. The cash register was like the telephone of an out-of-work actor----it didn't ring much. The waitress, who was nearly eight months pregnant, brought a clean towel to her with a sweet smile. The old lady remembered Joe. After the waitress brought the change from a 100-dollar bill, she found the lady gone and something written on a piece of paper, "Someone once helped me out----the way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay me back, don't let the chain of love end with you." That night the waitress gave her sleeping husband a soft kiss and whispered, "Everything's going to be all right. I love you, Joe." Which of the following would be the best title for the passage? A. Acts of luck B. A warm-hearted man C. The chain of love D. A generous lady Answer: C
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Question: The Internet has become part of teenagers' life. A new report shows that 38 percent (......) of 3,375 students use the Internet often. Most of the students get useful information for their studies, but some are not using it in a good way. Many students are playing online games too much. Some even visit some unhealthy websites. A teacher from Beijing Yinghua Middle School, Hong Ying warns that something bad can happen if young people spend too much time on the Internet. She said that one of her students used to be good at school. But when he started visiting unhealthy websites,he hurt a girl by cheating online. At last the police caught him and sent him into the prison . In order to help young people use the Internet safely, some schools in Shanghai find a good way. The schools provide a textbook for the students. The book uses real examples to teach students about good ways of using the Internet. Teachers and parents all think the book is good. Hong said that the book will help students keep away from the bad behaviors of using computer. The book will teach students how to be a good person in the online world. _ children are using the computer in a good way. A. All B. Not all C. Each of the D. Every Answer: B
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Question: Here's a story about a very interesting family. A young man once went into town and bought himself a pair of trousers. When he got home, he went upstairs to his bedroom and put them on. He found that they were about two inches too long. He came downstairs, where his mother and his two sisters were washing up tea things in the kitchen. "These new trousers are too long." He said. " They need shortening by about two inches. Would one of you mind doing this for me, please?" His mother and sisters were busy and they said nothing. But as soon as his mother had finished washing up, she went quietly upstairs to her son's bedroom and shortened the trousers by two inches. She came downstairs without saying anything to her daughters. Later on, after supper, the elder sister remembered her brother's trousers. She was a kind-hearted girl, so she went quietly upstairs without saying anything to anyone and shortened the trousers by two inches. The younger sister went to the cinema, but when she came back, she, too, remembered what her brother had said. So she ran upstairs and took two inches off the legs of the new trousers. When did his elder sister shortened the trousers? A. after finished washing B. before she went to bed C. after seeing the film D. after having supper Answer: D
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Question: Everyone wants to achieve true happiness in life. But the biggest factor holding most of us back is actually our ownselves. The Huffington Post released a list of seven mistakes we need to let go of in order to become happier people. Let's take a look. 1.Placing too much emphasis on fulfillment Those who put a lot of pressure on themselves to be happy feel more lonely on a daily basis than those who do not, according to research conducted at the University of Denver, US. 2. Keeping it all in Keeping it all together during tough times can hurt you. Crying is the body's emotional response to outside triggers .By _ it, you may be damaging your mental and physical health. 3. Looking at your smart phone all the time Connecting with others may be the key to happiness, but a recent University of Michigan study found that the more time participants spent on social networking sites, the less happy they felt. 4. Not moving It's no secret that a healthy lifestyle is a big part of happiness. Something as simple as a walk can help you increase your creativity and expose you to essential vitamins. 5. Not reflecting on the past In a 2013 study on nostalgia and emotion, participants reported a higher sense of physiological comfort when they looked back on the past. Affection for heartwarming memories helps people relate their past experiences to the present in order to create a greater sense of meaning. 6. Resisting change A study on the psychology of choices shows that the human brain naturally tries to avoid loss--but that resistance can cause stress. Whether it's fear of the unknown or fear of losing what you currently have, the pressure to hold on to the present can harm your future life satisfaction. 7. Not being mindful Setting aside time for meditation allows your body to relax, cultivates an attitude of gratitude and lowers your stress level, according to researchers at University of California, Los Angeles, US. According to the article, meditation is helpful mainly because _ . A. it increases our creativity B. it makes us less afraid of the unknown C. it helps us relax and thus reduce our stress D. it allows us to relate our past experiences to the present Answer: C
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Question: Two billion children in the developing world can't receive good education--the key to human development.However,technology offers an answer which allows the poor in developing countries to learn.It is a tool which holds the ability to change the lives of the poor,as it provides a means of learning and communicating. Educational programmes must break away from old systems.New companies such as One Laptop Per Child(OLPC),an organisation founded by MIT Professor Nicholas Negroponte have been active in solving the world's education problem. The Internet has changed the world,allowing educational services to help with the global fight against poverty.Khan Academy is one such service.Like OLPC,it is an organisation founded by Harvard Business School graduate Salman Khan with the task of "providing a world-class education to anyone,anywhere".The education offered includes a large number of math-related topics. The GMAT Pill Review is another company that trains MBA candidates worldwide to prepare for the GMAT exam on both the Quant and Verbal section.Founded by Stanford graduate Zeke Lee,the company offers services which are priced at about 75% less than other similar programmes.It allows students from developing countries who might not be able to afford similar courses to have access to these services. Whether paid or free these services provide educational opportunities to those who would never have had the chance in the past.As a result of the technology revolution ,business schools may see more students from different corners of the world.Because of the Internet,people in developing nations have access to better and more affordable educational opportunities.More and more people will try to improve their lives through educational opportunities outside of their homeland--an idea usually uncommon in developing countries. Why did the author write the text? A. To introduce some organisations in developed countries to help developing countries by technology. B. To explain why education and technology revolution are very important to developing countries. C. To describe relationships between developed countries and developing countries. D. To show how educational programmes in developed countries are started. Answer: A
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Question: Just as the English language has changed quickly in the previous century, so has the use of it. After the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) was founded in 1927, the particular style of speech of the BBC announcers was recognized as standard English or Received Pronunciation (RP) English. Now, most people still consider that the pronunciation and delivery of BBC announcers is the clearest and most understandable spoken English. English has had a strong relationship with classes and social positions. However, since the Second World War there has been a clear change of attitude towards speech snobbery , and marks of class distinction such as styles of speech have been gradually diminishing, especially in the younger generation. By the end of the 1960s, it had become clear that it was not necessary to speak standard English or even correct grammar to become popular, successful and rich. The fashionable speech of the day was no longer the special right of a special class but rather a defiant expression of classlessness. The greatest single influence of the shaping of the English language in modern times is the American English. Over the last 25 years the English used by many people, particularly by those in the media, advertising and show business, has become more and more mid-Atlantic in style, delivery and accent. In the 1970s, fashion favored careless pronunciation and a language full of jargon, slang and "in" words, a great quantity of which couldn't be understood by the outside world. What is considered modern and fashionable in Britain today is often not the kind of English taught in schools and colleges. Which of the following is NOT true? A. The use of the English language has not changed much in the previous century. B. BBC announcers speak standard English. C. English has no relationship with classes and social positions now. D. Young people don't like class distinction. Answer: A
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Question: Once upon a time, there was a scholar who wanted to gain more knowledge each day even though he had already gained enough knowledge. One day, he came to visit a saint and wanted to be his student. The saint provided some tea. He slowly filled the scholar's cup: the cup was full, yet he kept pouring and pouring. The scholar burst out, "Stop! You can't add anything to something that's already full!" The saint set down the teapot and replied, "Exactly." Whether it's the silence between notes in music, or some open time in your schedule, you need space to act effectively. Yet most of us, myself included, tend to stuff as much as possible into whatever room is available-closets, schedules, budgets, relationships, and even the mind itself. However, some people know how to avoid overstuffing their life. For example, in Australia, it seemed that most people there operated at about 85% of their capacity ,unlike Americans pushing as close to 100% as possible. So when you run into Australians you know in the street, they have time to hang out and talk with you. Remember the cup: its value is in the space, the emptiness it holds. How to empty your "cup"? Be mindful of the element of space, openness , and emptiness in your life. This includes room in a drawer, the volume of air in a kitchen, and open-mindedness in a friend. Sometimes you're just stuck with a big bucket of tasks yet to do. But at least empty the bucket faster than you fill it with new tasks. Put some space between finishing one thing and staring another. For example, after sending one email, take a breath before replying to another one. Drop the stuff you can no longer afford to _ around. At sea level, you can run with a brick in your backpack, but if you're hiking on a mountain, that brick has got to go. We learn that compared to Americans, Australians _ . A. work much harder B. know less about their capacity C. spare more time for themselves D. spend less time with their friends Answer: C
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Question: Mary had some troubles, so she went to see the doctor. He was a new doctor, and did not know her. So he first asked her some questions. One of the questions was, "What is your age?" "Well..." Mary answered, "I don't quite remember, doctor, but I will try to think." She thought for a while and then said, "Yes, I remember now, doctor. When I married, I was twenty-two years old, and my husband was thirty then. Now he is sixty, I know, and that is twice thirty. And so I am twice twenty-two. That is forty-four, isn't it?" At first the doctor _ . A. asked her some questions B. examined her carefully C. gave her some medicine D. asked her to have a rest Answer: A
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Question: Mr. Jackson lived in the center of London but he had a hotel near the airport. There a lot of foreigners stayed for night. He didn't know any other language but English and he found it difficult for him to understand the foreign visitors. Sometimes he had to use the gesture to talk with them, and tried his best to make himself understood. But he was often misunderstood and it brought him a lot of trouble. A friend of his who taught a few foreign languages in a university would teach him. He was happy and studied hard. At first he learned some, but soon he found it wasn't very easy to remember the words and expressions. His friend advised him to write down the useful expressions in his notebook so that he could use them when necessary. He did as he was told. He found it helpful for him to do so. One evening there were plenty of people in the dining-room. They were all busy eating something except a Japanese. He was wandering there and waiting for his wife who was dressing herself up upstairs. Mr. Jackson thought to himself, " The man wants to eat something but he doesn't know any English. Let me help him." As he knew only a little Japanese, he had to bring out his notebook and showed it to the man, pointing to the sentence "I'm hungry." The Japanese had a look at it and gave him two pounds and left. The Japanese thought _ , so he gave him two pounds. A. Mr. Jackson was a beggar. B. Mr. Jackson was a translator. C. Mr. Jackson could help him. D. Mr. Jackson could ring his wife up. Answer: A
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Question: Mr Smith gave his wife money every Friday evening. His wife always spent it all the next Wednesday, so that for the next three days she had no money to spend at all. One day Mr Smith asked her," But how did you spend all that money?" She answered, "I don't know . "So one Friday evening, Mr Smith gave her money together with an exercise book and a pencil. He said to his wife ,"Please write down how you spend the money . "Next Tuesday, his wife had no money again. Mr Smith took the exercise book to see how she had spent it. "I have done what you told me ,"she said gladly. She had written "Friday, I got 18 pounds from Mr Smith. "on the first page, and on the second page, she wrote ,"Tuesday, I have spent it all. " Mrs Smith always spent all the money _ . A. the next day B. in four days C. in a week D. on next Wednesday Answer: D
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Question: One hot night last August, I tried everything I could think of -- toys, songs etc. to make him fall into sleep, but he just couldn't do it. Since I believed that a long night was waiting for me ahead, I had no choice but to bring a TV into his room to kill off the hours until dawn. I was surprised that the moment I turned on the TV the baby became quiet right away and fixed his little eyes brightly on the screen. Not willing to waste an opportunity for sleep, I then tiptoed out of the room, leaving him to watch the boring TV programs. I heard no more of the baby's crying that night and the next morning when I went into his room, I found him still watching TV by himself. I found there was a metaphor in my baby's behavior for the new generation. When I gave my boy some books to go over, he only spit upon them; when I read to him, he did not feel comfortable. And so it is in the schools with my students. I find that our students don't read and they look down upon reading and make light of those of us who teach it. All they want to do is watch TV. After this experience with the baby, however, I have drawn a conclusion: "Let them watch it!" If television is that much more attractive to children than books, why should we fight against it? Let them watch what they want! Why did the father bring a TV set into his son's room? A. To enjoy some interesting programs together with his son. B. To help himself pass the long hours ahead of him. C. To help his son fall asleep sooner. D. To keep his son from making noises. Answer: B
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Question: I am a student in China now. My name is Kelly Smith. I live with my parents, two sisters and a brother in Beijing. My parents teach English in No.6 Middle School. I study in the same school. I am happy here, because I like my new school and the classmates. They are very friendly to me. They like to play with me because I look different from them. I have blue eyes and long blonde hair. They often say I look like a doll . Also I speak English well, so lots of students like to talk with me to improve their English. Kelly's parents are _ . A. doctors B. teachers C. farmers D. workers Answer: B
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Question: In 1837, the historian Carlyle made the first recorded use of the word " queue" .He spoke of the French and their "habit of standing in a queue".Forty years later prefix = st1 /Pariswas the best place to wait in line. However, queuing became popular in Britain too.The Second World War was the golden age of queuing, and people joined any line in the hope that it was a queue for something to buy.This was the source of many Second World War jokes: Shopkeeper to customer: Excuse me, miss, are you pregnant ? Customer: Well, I wasn't when I joined the queue. Today, according to research inAmerica, we (inBritain) can spend up to 5 years of our lives queuing - as compared to twelve months looking for things we have lost.But things may be changing. Many people no longer have the patience to stand in a queue.The law of the jungle has begun to operate at bus stops, with people using their arms to push others out of the way. One way to make life easier is to introduce "queue management".Customers at supermarket cheese counters can now take a ticket with a number which appears on a screen when it is their turn.And while they wait for their number, they can do a bit of shopping. In some booking offices there is also a system telling customers how long they may have to wait before they are served. One of the latest technical progress is the use of an electronic scanner which can read all the contents of your shopping basket or trolley in just a few seconds.If these become popular, queuing in supermarkets may become a thing of the past. But some people just like queuing.One man queued all night for Harrods famous January sale, and then returned home for breakfast at nine o' clock the next morning without going into the shop. The British try to solve the problem of queuing by all the following EXCEPT _ . A. making a law to prevent queuing B. telling the customers the waiting time C. using numbered tickets to put the customers in order D. checking the price of the goods customers buy with a scanner Answer: A
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Question: Every fall, like clockwork, Linda Krentz of Beaverton, Oregon, felt her brain go on strike. "I just couldn't get going in the morning," she says. "I'd get depressed and gain 10 pounds every winter and lose them again in the spring." Then she read about seasonal affective disorder, a form of depression that occurs in fall and winter, and she saw the light literally. Every morning now she turns on a specially constructed light box for half an hour and sits in front of it to trick her brain into thinking it's still enjoying those long summer days. It seems to work. Krentz is not alone. Scientists estimate that 10 million Americans suffer from seasonal depression and 25 million more develop milder versions. But there's never been definitive proof that treatment with very bright lights makes a difference. After all, it's hard to do a double-blind test when the subjects can see for themselves whether or not the light is on. That's why nobody has ever separated the real effects of light therapy from placebo effects. Until now, in three separate studies published last month, researchers report not only that light therapy works better than a placebo but that treatment is usually more effective in the early morning than in the evening. In two of the groups, the placebo problem was resolved by telling patients they were comparing light boxes to a new anti-depressant device that gives off negatively charged ions . The third used the timing of light therapy as the control. Why does light therapy work? No one really knows. "Our research suggests it has something to do with shifting the body's internal clock," says psychiatrist Dr. Lewey. The body is programmed to start the day with sunrise, he explains, and this gets later as the days get shorter. But why such subtle shifts make some people depressed and not others is a mystery. That hasn't stopped thousands of winter depressives from trying to heal themselves. Light boxes for that purpose are available without a doctor's prescription. That bothers psychologist Michael Terman of Columbia University. He is worried that the boxes may be tried by patients who suffer from mental illness that can't be treated with light. Terman has developed a questionnaire to help determine whether expert care is needed. In any event, you should choose a reputable manufacturer. Whatever product you use should give off only visible light, because ultraviolet light damages the eyes. If you are photosensitive , you may develop a rash. Otherwise, the main drawback is having to sit in front of the light for 30 to 60 minutes in the morning. That's an inconvenience many winter depressives can live with. What is the probable cause of Krentz's problem? A. An unexpected gain in body weight. B. Unexplained impairment of her nervous system. C. Weakening of her eyesight with the setting in of winter. D. Poor adjustment of her body clock to seasonal changes. Answer: D
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Question: Edmund Halley was an English scientist who lived over 200years ago. He studied the observations of comets which other scientists had made. The orbit of one particular comet was a very difficult mathematical problem. He could not figure it out. Neither could other scientists who dealt with such problems. However, Halley had a friend named Isaac Newton. Who was a brilliant mathematician. Newton thought he had already which he had done it. He told Halley that the orbit of a comet had the shape of an ellipse. Now Halley set to work. He figured out the orbits of some of the comets that had been observed by scientist. He made a surprising discovery. The comets that had appeared in the years 1531, 1607 and 1682 all had the same orbit. Yet their appearances had been 75 to 76 years apart. This seemed very strange to Halley. Three different comets followed the same orbit. The more Halley thought about it, the more he thought that there had not been three different comets, as people thought. He decided that they had simply seen the same comet three times. The comet had gone away and had come back again. It was an astonishing idea! Halley felt certain enough to make a prediction of what would happen in the future. He decided that this comet would appear in the year 1758. There were 53 years to go before Halley's prediction could be tested. In 1758 the comet appeared in the sky. Halley did not see it, for he had died some years before. Ever since then that comet been called Halley's comet, in his honor. Halley made a surprising but correct prediction in the year _ . A. 1704 B. 1705 C. 1706 D. 1707 Answer: B
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Question: Alice is a busy girl. Now she is relaxing .She is watching the Friday night weather report on television .She likes sunny weather just like today. She wants to know what the weather will be like tomorrow. She's going to have a picnic .This is what the reporter is saying, "Good evening and welcome to evening weather report. We are going to have a very different weather across the country..."Alice is sad .She doesn't like raining. Which one is right? _ . A. Alice is busy now B. Alice doesn't like raining C. Alice is going to the park D. Alice is happy now Answer: B
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Question: I was in Houston a few weeks ago,and needed to be back home in Austin by midmorning the next day.Though I usually left in the evening,for some reason last time I had to choose to set off after midnight. I was on my way back to Austin when I realized I left an important file,and knew I had to return to get it.I took the first exit I could,but when I rounded the corner,an 18-wheeler was stopped dead in the exit lane.I swerved to avoid it,and then I realized that there was something wrong with my car.So I pulled into a small parking lot and unsurprisingly found the area deserted at 3:15am.I've lived in urban areas most of my life.I'm fairly street-wise and don't become frightened easily,but I knew I was in a pretty tough neighborhood. There was no one in Houston to pick me up.I immediately locked the doors and picked up my phone to call a tow truck.Soon a young man knocked on my driver's side window and asked if he could help me.Judging from his appearance,he was far from a mad man,but I knew he was far more likely to rob than help me.So I lied to him.After a while,he asked again,but this time I politely refused and told him the tow truck was due any minute.He finally said,"Madam,you need help.A tow truck in Houston will arrive anywhere between 45minutes and approximately never (which I knew was true),and you aren't going anywhere until you change your flat tire." After considering thoroughly,I got out.He looked surprised,but got right to work.He changed the tire,returned the seat to its place and said,"Thank you for letting me help you.You gave me a chance when most people would never open the door to someone like me.Would it be okay if I gave you a hug?"When I recovered,I gave him a giant hug.I left with a new tire and a renewed faith in human nature. Which of the following might be the best title for the text? A. Attitude Determines Everything B. Help in the Dead of Night C. The Fight against Robbing on My Way D. An Unexpected Traffic Accident. Answer: B
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Question: If the eyes are the windows of the soul, then the body is the mirror of our feelings. If we are feeling great, we may give our body signals . If we look at someone else's body, we can often tell how they are feeling by their body signals. So reading body language signals is a great tool in daily communication. In case you don't think that learning how to read and use body language is important, here are some numbers for you. 7% of the information we receive is from what people actually say, and 38% of the information we receive is from the tone and the speed of their voice; while 55% of the information we receive is from their body language. These non-verbal signals will help you a lot, but you still need to focus on what people are saying. If you focus too much on their body language signals, you and the person may feel uncomfortable. It is useful to be able to read people's body language, but it is useful to learn how to send the right signals and avoid the wrong signals too. Body language may be given several interpretations. Many signals have different meanings, depending on the person and the situation. Be sure of it when you are trying to read a body language signal. According to the writer, body language is very _ . A. simple to learn B. negative to be used C. hard to understand D. helpful in communication Answer: D
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Question: In the past two years, his wife, Merlie, and their seven children have said "goodbye" to him four times, most recently last month. Each time it has been unnecessary. Mr. Smart had a hip replacement in February at the Burnie hospital but was rushed back two months later with internal bleeding. "The doctors couldn't stop the bleeding," Mrs. Smart said. Medical staff told Mrs. Smart to contact her family, which includes children in Western Australia. "It took two days for them to get here. We had to hope he _ ." he did. "The doctors were there 24 hours a day and they stopped the bleeding. They brought him back," Mrs. Smart said. "I certainly believe in miracles because I've seen one happen, but it wouldn't have happened if the doctors didn't do what they did." It was the second time Mrs. Smart thought she was losing her husband of 54 years. Two years ago, Mr. Smart was admitted to the Launceston General Hospital after a heart attack and a few days later with intense pain caused by a hemorrhage . Again, the family was called to say goodbye---twice. "I was given a 50-50 chance of coming out of it, " Mr. Smart said. Going through the ordeal (,) then was trying on the family, who had prepared themselves for the worst. But to face the same situation only two years later was hard. The Smarts said the support they received at the Burnie hospital helped them through. And it seems the experience has also left an impression at the hospital. Mrs. Smart said when she rang recently and mentioned her husband's name, the reply was "ah the miracle man". When Mr. Smart was rushed back to the hospital with internal bleeding, _ . A. only his wife believed he could survive B. no one believed that he could survive C. he had given up hope of recovering D. it didn't take the doctors long to stop the bleeding Answer: B
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Question: Which is sillier: denying we ever went to the moon or trying to convince the true non-believers? Once upon a time--July 20, 1969, to be specific - two men got out of their little spaceship and wandered around on the moon for a while. Ten more men walked on the moon over the next three and a half years. The end. Unfortunately, not quite. A fair number of Americans think that this whole business of moon landings really is a fairy tale. They believe that the landings were a big hoax staged in the Mojave Desert, to convince everyone that U.S. technology was the "best" in the whole wide world. Which is the harder thing to do: Send men to the moon or make believe we did? The fact is that the physics behind sending people to the moon is simple. You can do it with computers whose entire memory capacities can now fit on chips the size of postage stamps and that cost about as much as, well, a postage stamp. I know you can because we did. However, last fall NASA considered spending $15,000 on a public-relations campaign to convince the unimpressed that Americans had in fact gone to the moon. That idea was mostly a reaction to a Fox television program, first aired in February 2001, that claimed to expose the hoax. The show's creator is a publicity hound who has lived up to the name in more ways than one by hounding Buzz Aldrin, the second man on the moon. Mr. X (as I will call him, thereby denying him the joyous sight of his name in print) recently followed Buzz Aldrin around and called him "a thief, liar and coward" until the 72-year-old astronaut finally lost it and hit the 37-year-old Mr. X in the face. Anyway, NASA's publicity campaign began to slow down. The nonbelievers took the campaign as NASA's effort to hide something while the believers said that $15,000 to convince people that the world was round -- I mean, that we had gone to the moon -- was simply a waste of money. (Actually, the $15,000 was supposed to pay for an article by James E. Oberg, an astronomy writer who, with Aldrin, has contributed to Scientific American.) If NASA's not paying Oberg, perhaps it could put the money to good use by hiring two big guys to drag Neil Armstrong out of the house. Armstrong is an extremely private man, but he is also the first man on the moon, so maybe he has a duty to be a bit more outspoken about the experience. Or NASA could just buy Aldrin a commemorate plaque for his recent touch on the face of Mr. X. According to the writer, which of the following is to blame for the story about the hoax? A. NASA's publicity campaign. B. The Fox television program. C. Buzz Aldrin. D. James E. Oberg. Answer: B
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Question: Ten grams of sugar is dissolved in 100 grams (g) of water. How many grams is the sugar-and-water solution? A. 90 g B. 100 g C. 110 g D. 1000 g Answer: C
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Question: Zhoukoudian is a small village situated about 50 kilometers to the southwest of Beijing. In the 1920s, archaeologists discovered some prehistoric human bones there which changed people's view of China's history. They came from an unknown species of man and were the first evidence of human life in China thousands of years ago. The remains were three teeth! In 1929, a complete skull was also discovered. Eventually, archaeologists found almost 200 items, including six skulls and more than 150 teeth. These discoveries proved the existence of a human species who lived in the area between 700,000 and 200,000 years ago. Four sites where Beijing Man and his relatives lived were discovered on the northern face of Longgushan. They lived in the caves in the area. However, the life span of Beijing Man was short. About 70% of the people probably died before the age of 14. Fewer than 5% lived to the age of 50. Ashes were found alongside the fossils which showed they had used fire for cooking food and also for light, warmth, and protection against wild animals. This is the earliest evidence of the use of fire anywhere in the world. They also made tools of bones and stones. Unfortunately, when Japan invaded China in 1937, excavations at the Beijing Man Site stopped and most of the fossils disappeared, including a Beijing Man skull. After the People's Republic of China was established in 1949, the work started again. Zhoukoudian was listed as a World Heritage Site in December 1987. It has not only given us important information about prehistoric Asian societies, but also provided amazing evidence about the process of evolution. Today, parts of the caves have been badly affected by rain. Some areas are almost completely covered in weeds, causing serious damage. Pollution from the nearby factories has also led to the problem. This is a very serious matter and the Chinese Academy of Sciences is trying to raise public awareness of protecting it. Beijing Man used fire to do all of the following things EXCEPT _ . A. light in the dark B. keep warm C. scare wild animals away D. make tools Answer: D
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Question: Last year Jim was going to join the army( ) and had to take a medical examination . The doctor was sitting at a desk when he went in. He said to the man, "Take your coat and shirt off, and sit on that chair." Jim did so. The doctor looked at him for a moment without getting up from his chair and then said, "All right. Put your clothes on again." "But you haven't examined me at all." the young man said in surprise. "There is no need to do so," the doctor said with a smile. "When I told you to take your coat and shirt off, you heard me all right, so there is nothing wrong with your ears. You saw your chair, so your eyes are good. You could take your clothes off and sit on the chair, so you must be in good health. How did the man feel as soon as the medical examination was over? A. Bored. B. Pleased. C. Uncomfortable. D. Surprised. Answer: D
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Question: You know you have to read "between the lines" to get the most out of anything. I want to persuade you to do something equally important in the course of your reading. You have to "mark between the lines". By marking you can make the most efficient kind of reading. There are two ways in which one can own a book. The first is the property right you have by paying for it, just as you pay for clothes and furniture. While full ownership comes only when you have made it a part of yourself and the best way to make yourself a part of it is by writing marks on it. Why is marking up a book _ to reading? First, it keeps you awake. Second, active reading is thinking, and thinking tends to express itself in words. Finally, marking helps you remember the thoughts you had, or the thoughts the author expressed. Reading a book should be like making a conversation, a conversation between you and the author. Although he knows more about the subject than you do, don't let anybody tell you that a reader is only on the receiving end. Understanding is a two-way operation. Reading doesn't mean being a passive empty receiver, the reader has to question himself and question the author. And marking a book can show his own judgment on author's opinion: agreement or difference. What can be the best title for the passage? A. How to Own a Book B. Mark Between the Lines C. How to Understand Author D. Read Between the Lines Answer: B
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Question: "Dr.Papaderos, what is the meaning of life?" The usual laughter followed, and people stirred to go.Dr.Papaderos held up his hands and stilled the room and looked at me for a long time, asking with his eyes if I was serious and seeing from my eyes that I was. "I will answer your question." Taking his wallet out of his hip pocket, he fished into a leather wallet and brought out a very small round mirror, about the size of a quarter.And what he said went like this: "When I was a small child during the war, we were very poor and we lived in a remote village.One day, on the road, I found the broken pieces of a mirror.A German motorcycle had been broken in that place. I tried to find all the pieces and put them together, but it was not possible, so I kept only the largest piece.This one.and, by scratching it on a stone, I made it round.I began to play with it as a toy and became fascinated by the fact that I could reflect light into dark places where the sun would never shine--n deep holes and crevices and dark closets.It became a game for me to get light into the most inaccessible places I could find. I kept the little mirror, and, as I went about my growing up, I would take it out in spare time and continue the challenge of the game.As I became a man, I got to understand that this was not just a child's game but a metaphor for what I might do with my life.I came to understand that I was not the light or the source of light.But light--truth, understanding, knowledge--is there, and it will shine in many dark places only if I reflect it. I am a fragment of a mirror whose whole design and shape I do not know.Nevertheless, with what I have I can reflect light into the dark places of this world--into the black places in the hearts of men--and change some things in some people.Perhaps others may see and do likewise.This is what I am talking about.This is the meaning of my life. How did Dr.Papaderos get the small round mirror when he was a child? A. He found it on the road and made it round. B. A dying German soldier gave him as a present. C. He bought it by chance on his way home. D. He put the broken pieces together and made it. Answer: A
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Question: Get ready to cycle your heart out at these local and overseas destinations perfect for cycling. 1. Amsterdam, The Netherlands. With more bikes than people, the city has a large number of cyclists. Low speed limits in the centre control the impact of cars, while bike racks( ) on public transport make it easy to travel long distances. You can also find rental shops everywhere. 2. Berlin, Germany. With over 1000 km of bike paths, the vast majority of which are protected lanes, it's no wonder Berliners love to get around by bike. For the traveller, the major sights are within easy reach on a bicycle. The "Call A Bike" share system allows you to simply lock the bike to any fixed object and call in a code to return it. 3. Paris, France. Home to the Velib' public bike sharing system that has over 20, 000 bikes, and with 500km of bike paths, Paris cyclists can enjoy the city safe from motorists. A Velib' station is almost always within sight, or just around the next corner. 4. Tokyo, Japan. Despite being home to one of the most developed public transportation networks on the planet, Tokyo residents still cycle in large numbers. Though the extent of bike lanes is limited, safe drivers ease the tension between car and cyclist. Unique automatic underground bike parking garages are provided when you need to store your bicycle. 5. Perth, Australia. A large part of Perth's intelligent basic facilities are made up of bike paths, which allow commuters to get into and around their city with ease. There are free bike lockers and racks across the city. For the visitor, numerous scenic routes line the coastline and the local Swan River. In which country can you find the "Call A Bike" system? A. The Netherlands. B. France. C. Germany. D. Australia. Answer: C
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Question: Which action forms a different chemical substance? A. crushing a rock B. burning a piece of wood C. mixing salt and pepper D. melting an ice cube Answer: B
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Question: More and more, the operations of our businesses, governments, and financial institutions are controlled by information that exists only inside computer memories. Anyone clever enough to modify this information for his own purposes can get big reward. Even worse, a number of people who have done this and been caught at it have managed to get away without punishment. It's easy for computer crimes to go undetected if no one checks up on what the computer is doing. But even if the crime is detected, the criminal may walk away not only unpunished but with a glowing recommendation from his former employers. Of course, we have no statistics on crimes that go undetected. But it's disturbing to note how many of the crimes we do know about were detected by accident, not by systematic inspections or other security procedures. The computer criminals who have been caught may have been the victims of uncommonly bad luck. Unlike other lawbreakers, who must leave the country, commit suicide, or go to jail, computer criminals sometimes escape punishment, demanding not only that they not be charged but that they be given good recommendations and perhaps other benefits. All too often, their demands have been met. Why? Because company executives are afraid of the bad publicity that would result if the public found out that their computer had been misused. They hesitate at the thought of a criminal boasting in open court of how he juggled the most confidential records right under the noses of the company's executives, accountants, and security staff. And so another computer criminal departs with just the recommendations he needs to continue his crimes elsewhere. What may happen to computer criminals once they are caught? A. With a bad reputation they can hardly find another job. B. They may walk away and easily find another job. C. They will be denied access to confidential records D. They must leave the country to go to jail. Answer: B
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Question: Mary is an American girl. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Smith find work in China. So Mary is living in China now with her parents. Mr. Smith works in a big shop. Mrs. Smith teaches English in a middle school. Mary goes to school from Monday to Friday. On Saturdays she goes to the library with her mother. She likes reading magazines there very much. Then she eats dinner at a restaurant with her parents. On Sundays, Mary often helps her mother do the housework. That makes her mother very happy. But last week Mary had a busy Sunday. On Sunday morning, she stayed at home and studied for an exam. On Sunday afternoon she went to the park and played tennis with her friend, Lee. Mary comes from _ . A. the USA B. England C. Australia D. China Answer: A
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Question: Winter is a very special time in Northern Norway. Winter also means skiing, and Narvik can offer some of the best skiing in Norway. The view and light change frequently and no two days are the same. For many people, the northern lights are an unforgettable sight, and in Narvik the sky is especially clear and great for watching at night. The tourist season lasts from February to April, although May can be fascinating too, often with fantastic dry snow and an unbelievable light lasting well into the evening. Ski hire It is possible for adults and children to hire skiing equipment such as snowboards. All equipment is prepared for us. If you would like to book your equipment, please email Narvikfjellet. Cross-country skiing There are 12 kilometers of cross country ski run in Narvik. You need to bring your own skis as there is no cross-country hire. However, equipment can be bought at local sports shops in and around Narvik. Off-piste skiing In order to explore Narvik's off-piste opportunities you need to know the dangers when choosing routes. It is suggested that you bring necessary equipment such as a shovel and a GPS locator. Ask Narvikfjellet for an experienced guide. With a guide you can explore Narvik's special off-piste areas in a safe manner. Sometimes it is nice to do something different and not everybody enjoys skiing. Then you can go horse-riding, or visit the local museums. Price examples for the 2013--2014 season Time Children(8-15 years old) Adults 1 day NOK 230 NOK 325 3 days NOK 590 NOK 835 5 days NOK 815 NOK 1,170 7 days NOK 970 NOK 1,375 Children 0-7 years can enjoy the service for free . In Northern Norway, the tourist season may last _ . A. one month B. two months C. three months D. four months Answer: C
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Question: Why is competition among males during mating season important in some animal species? A. It ensures that genes from the fittest animals are passed on. B. It allows females to distinguish between adult and juvenile males. C. It provides the species with new ways of communication. D. It speeds the process of reproduction. Answer: A
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Question: If you have a little child, who hates sitting in a car seat, then the FreedomRide is the answer to your problem. Would you want to be stuck in an unchangeable position every time you're in the car? No. You wouldn't. When an adult sits in a car for any length of time, we stretch, we change the position, we move our legs again and again. We do this without thinking. But kids in a traditional car seat can't do this. They are stuck in one position, and they can't move. We move because the circulation of blood needs to be recovered in our legs as we sit in the same position for any longer. In a traditional car seat, the child can't move to reduce the pain, so it puts them in anger. The FreedomRide lets them have a little freedom, and still be safe. The 5-Point Harness gives them additional safety over a traditional child car seat. I am the Webmaster for islandbreeze.com, and when JoeySafe asked us to redo their website, I was attracted by this system. That is because I have two small children, both girls, aged 3 and 4 and we obviously use car seats. I lived in Southern California, and every couple of months, my wife, the girls and I, go to see grandma who lives in Nevada. It's a 5-hour drive, so the FreedomRide works well. Our trips are so much better now, especially since there is more room in the car without the car seats. The FreedomRide really did make it easier to go on trips. The only thing you need when you use the JoeySafe instead of your old child car seat is a pillow. Besides, my kids want to take a pillow anyway! As a dad, I feel safe driving with the kids in the FreedomRide. I am a very safety-oriented person. From the text we can infer the FreedomRide is a _ . A. car seat B. car for children C. safety belt D. game on islandbreeze.com Answer: C
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Question: "Tiger Mother" parenting raises media storm. A new book written by a self-described Chinese descent on her super-strict parenting--Battle Hymn of the Tiger Motherhas raised media storm and fierce debates in the U.S. Amy Chua is a Yale Law School professor and the mother of two teenage girls. She is the daughter of immigrants of Chinese descent. In the Chinese culture,the tiger symbolizes strength and power. In her book Ms.Chua writes about how she demanded excellence from her daughters. For example,her daughters,Sophia and Louisa,were never allowed to attend a sleep-over,be in a school play,watch TV or play computer games. They couldn't choose their own after-class activities or get any grade less than an A.They had to play piano or violin--and no other musical instruments. She writes that if a Chinese child gets a B--which she says "would never happen"--there would be a screaming,hairtearing explosion".She describes making her 7-year-old daughter play a piano piece perfectly--yelling and not letting her leave the bench even to use the bathroom--until it was. Many people have criticized Chua. Some say her parenting methods were abusive. She even admits that her husband,who is not Chinese,objects to her parenting style. But she says that was the way her parents raised her and her three sisters. Stacy DeBroff,who has written four books about parenting,says Amy Chua's parenting style is not limited to Chinese families. She says it represents a traditional way of parenting among immigrants seeking a better future for their children. But she also sees a risk. When children have no time to be social or to follow their own interests, they might not develop other skills that they need to succeed in life. Stacy DeBroff advised parents not to just repeat the way they were raised. Alison Lo,an assistant professor of marketing at the University of Washington's Bothell campus said, "I don't think Amy is advocating a best practice of parenting style, or that success and achievements are critical yardsticks of a good life. But I can imagine how strong her daughters' college applications are going to be. For many parents whose dreams are seeing their kids graduating from a competitive university,Amy is sharing with the readers that it is achievable by persistent,dedicated parental guidance,"Lo said in an interview with Julie Muhlstein,a columnist with the US-based Heraldnet.com."In that sense,a young adult's giftedness can be born,or made,"Lo continued. According to the passage, which is TRUE of Amy Chua? A. She is an easy-going woman. B. She is an assistant professor. C. She is a demanding parent. D. She is a cruel teacher. Answer: C
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Question: Students who date in middle school have significantly worse study skills. They are four times more likely to drop out of school and report twice as much alcohol and tobacco use as their single classmates, according to new research from the University of Georgia. "Romantic relationships are a trademark of adolescence, but very few studies have examined how adolescents differ in the development of these relationships," said Pamela Orpinas, study author and professor in the College of Public Health and head of the Department of Health Promotion and Behavior.[: _ Z _ X _ X _ K] Orpinas followed a group of 624 students over a seven-year period from 6th to 12th grade. Each year, the group of students completed a survey indicating whether they had dated and reported the frequency of different behaviors, including the use of drugs and alcohol. Their teachers completed questionnaires about the students' academic efforts. He found some students never or hardly ever reported dating from middle to high school, and these students had consistently the best study skills according to their teachers. Other students dated infrequently in middle school but increased the frequency of dating in high school. "At all points in time, teachers rated the students who reported the lowest frequency of dating as having the best study skills and the students with the highest dating as having the worst study skills," according to the journal article. Study skills refer to behaviors that lead to academic success such as doing work for extra credit being well organized, finishing homework, working hard and reading assigned chapters. "Dating a classmate may have the same emotional complications of dating a co-worker," Orpinas said, "When the couple break up, they have to continue to see each other in class and perhaps witness the ex-partner dating someone else. It is reasonable to think this could be linked to depression and divert attention from studying." "Dating should not be considered a ceremony of growth in middle school," Orpinas concluded. Orpinas' attitude towards dating in middle school is _ A. supportive B. positive C. negative D. indifferent Answer: C
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Question: To make Chinese students healthier and stronger, China's Ministry of Education has started a campaign. The campaign asks students to run every school day. Te campaign has started since October last year and will last until April this year. Kids at primary schools have to run 1km per day. It's 1.5kms for middle school students and 2 kms for high school and university students. And records will be set for every student. By the end of April 2009, a primary school student has to run 120kms in total/ A middle school students have to run 240kms by that time. Since the campaign started, people have had different ideas about it. Some people think it is good for students. They think the campaign can make students healthier. Some students have little exercise and the campaign can make them run. But some people don't think so. They think some schools don't have enough place for students to do running. If students have to run on the road, maybe it is not safe. They also think there are many ways to become healthier; running is not the only way. So they think the campaign is not a right decision. Why Chinese government started the running campaign? Because _ A. they think Chinese students like running very much B. they hope Chinese students become healthier and stronger C. they know Chinese students have no time to exercise D. they find out Chinese students are too lazy Answer: B
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Question: People have always wanted to speak with animals. There are many books about this, especially children books. Now there are also movies, such as Dr. Doolittle. When you watch animals, it seems clear that they can communicate with each other. Many people wonder why people can't also communicate with them. Scientists know how some animals communicate. Bees, for example, use their bodies. They do a kind of dance to give information about food. Birds, on the other hand, share information with sounds. They use certain sounds to protect their homes and to stay together when they fly. Some male birds use lovely songs to attract a female . Other animals communicate with both body movements and sounds. For example, dogs wag their tails when they are happy, and they bark when they are excited. People used to think it was possible to teach human language to animals. Parrots and other birds, for example, can learn to say words. But the birds just repeat the words. They don't understand them. Some American scientists tried to teach English to chimpanzees , close s of human beings. However, this was impossible. Chimpanzees can't move their mouths the right way. They could never learn to speak like people. Then scientists tried to teach human language to chimpanzees in other ways. Some tried with American Sign Language (ASL). Others tried with a simple computer. But chimpanzees could only learn to use a few words. They could never learn to use grammar. Their brains are very different from the brains of human beings. Now some scientists are studying the same points between human and animal language. In fact, some animals use sounds like people do. Dogs, for example, use an unpleasant, low sound to tell other dogs to stay away. People, too, use that kind of voice to say the same things. A dog's noisy bark communicate that something is happening. People use the same high tone when they shout, "Watch out!" Scientists want to understand the language of other animals, such as whales and bears. To do this, they go out to the animals' natural homes. They watch the animals for days or even years. They take pictures and make tape recordings and share the information with other scientists. In this way, they hope to learn more about the way animals communicate, and maybe someday we'll be able to communicate better with them. This passage is mainly about _ . A. how scientists communicate with each other B. how scientists are studying animals' communication C. how people might communicate with animals D. how animals communicate with each other Answer: B
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Question: Alia Sabur, from Northport, N. Y., US, went to college at age 10. And four years later, Sabur became a bachelor of science in. Applied Mathematics summa cum laude from Stony Brook University -- the youngest female in US history to do so. Her education continued at Drexel University, where she earned a Master of Science and a Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Science and Engineering. With an unlimited future ahead of her, Sabur directed her first career choice to teaching. "I really enjoy teaching," she said. She was three days short of her 19th birthday in February, 2008, when she was hired to become a professor at Konkuk University in Seoul, Korea. This distinction made her the youngest college professor in history, according to the Guinness' Book of Worm Records, beating the previous record held by Colin Maclaurin, a student of Isaac Newton, in 1717. Although she doesn't start until next month, Sabur has taken up teaching math and physics courses at Southern University in New Orleans. Sabur is old enough to teach in the city, but not to join her fellow professors in a bar after work. In Korea, where the drinking age is 20, _ . In traditional Korean culture, children are considered to be 1 year old-when they are born, and add a year to their age every New Year instead of their actual birthday, so in Korea Sabur is considered 20. On top of her unprecedented academic achievements, Sabur has a black belt in Tae Kwon Do . She is also a talented clarinet player who has performed with musicians like Lang Lang and Smash Mouth. So is there anything Sabur can't do? According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE? A. Alia Sabur is the youngest female doctor from Stony Brook University. B. Colin Maclaurin has once been the youngest college professor in the world. C. In Korea, Alia Sabur is not allowed to drink for she is still underage. D. Alia Sabur knows anything but Tae Kwon Do. Answer: B
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Question: Sue is an English girl. She is twelve years old today. She has a birthday party now. Her friends Amy, Lily and Kate come to her home. Sue: Sit down and have a cup of tea. Her friends: Thank you. Happy birthday, Sue! Amy: Here is a cake for you. I'm sorry it's too small. The shop doesn't sell the big ones and Lily likes it very much. Lily: Here is a card for you. Happy birthday to you, Sue! Kate: Sue, this hat is my gift for you. Do you like it? Sue: Thank you very much. I like all of your gifts for me. Let's sing and eat the cake. A little dog on TV: Happy birthday! Do I smell birthday cake? "Ha! Ha! Ha!" They jump with joy and begin the birthday party. Sue is blowing out the candles on the birthday cake. And all her friends are singing, "Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday..." What does Sue like? A. The card. B. The hat. C. The cake. D. All of the above. Answer: D
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Question: The invention of the camera goes far into the past. In the 1500s, men were experimenting with cameras that made images. But it was not until the early 1800s that man found a way to make the pictures permanent. Even then, photography was a new field. Most families had their pictures taken by a photographer. People did not own cameras because taking pictures and developing the film were too difficult. In 1884, George Eastman changed photography by inventing a kind of film that fit into a small camera. Because the new film was easy to use, many people began to buy cameras. When they had used up their film, people returned their cameras to the factory. There, the film was developed, and pictures were printed. Then more film was put into the cameras, which was sent back to the owners, along with their pictures. Eastman's camera made it easy to take pictures. Today's cameras are even easier to use, and people can put in their own film. Photography has become a growing hobby. There are also many new jobs in the field of photography. One of the most important kinds of work is in news reporting. Newspapers, magazines, and television all need pictures to tell their stories. Photographers aid scientists by taking pictures through microscopes and telescopes. Deep-sea divers take pictures of ocean plants and animals, while astronauts take cameras into space. Man finds new uses for the cameras every day. Long ago, people sent their cameras to a factory because _ . A. they wanted to have the cameras cleaned B. they wanted their film developed C. they broke their cameras when taking pictures D. they wanted to have their pictures taken by a photographer Answer: B
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Question: We've all heard the story of Three Little Pigs. The third pig foiled the hyperventilating wolf by building his house out of bricks, rather than with straw or sticks as his brothers had done. Less commonly known is that the pig later improved his home's safety profile by installing convex security mirrors at key points along the driveway. Well, why not? In the current issue of Animal Behaviour, researchers present evidence that domestic pigs can quickly learn how mirrors work and will use their understanding of reflected images to scope out their surroundings and find their food. The researchers cannot yet say whether the animals realize that the eyes in the mirror are their own, or whether pigs might rank with apes, dolphins and other species that have passed the famed "mirror self-recognition test" thought to be a marker of self-awareness and advanced intelligence. The finding is just one in a series of recent discoveries from the nascent study of pig cognition . Other researchers have found that pigs are brilliant at remembering where food stores are cached and how big each stash is to the rest. They've shown that Pig A can almost instantly learn to follow Pig B when the second pig shows signs of knowing where good food is stored, and that Pig B will try to deceive the pursuing pig and throw it off the trail so that Pig B can hog its food in peace. They've found that pigs are among the quickest of animals to learn a new routine, and pigs can do circus worth of tricks: jump hoops, bow and stand, spin and make word like sounds on command, roll out rugs, herd sheep, close and open cages, play videogames with joysticks, and more. For better or worse, pigs are also slow to forget. "They can learn something on the first try, but then it's difficult for them to unlearn it," said Suzanne Held of the University of Bristol. "They may get scared once and then have trouble getting over it." Pigs can play all the tricks, except _ . A. herd sheep B. play video games with joysticks C. sing and dance D. bow and stand Answer: C
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Question: Michael Jordon is the greatest basketball player of all time. Once he was making a television advertisement, all he needed to do was to miss a shot. For Michael, this was difficult. He had conditioned himself to succeed whenever he was throwing the ball. Every time he threw a basketball, it went in. Every time he tried to miss a shot, he couldn't. In total, it took him over 20 attempts before he missed a shot. For Michael, success is a strong habit. It took him a lot of time to break it. Just like drinking, smoking and collecting things, success is also a habit. Once it is formed, it is difficult to break. Many people think that success is difficult to keep. They feel that it will be hard work and will need too much action and focus. The truth is that it is simply a habit, and as easy to keep as any other habit. Spend some time making success a habit in your life. Once you have developed it, it is not something you want to change again. Which of the following is not the habit mentioned in the passage? A. drinking B. smoking C. collecting things D. working hard Answer: D
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Question: If you want to stay dry in the park you should avoid A. sunshine B. showers C. covered awnings D. the car Answer: B
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Question: During Nelson Mandela's 19 years in the prison on Robben Island, one particular commanding officer, Badenhorst, was the cruelest of them all: "A few days before Badenhorst's leaving the prison, I was called to the main office. General Steyn was visiting the island and wanted to know if we had any complaints. Badenhorst was there as I went through a list of demands. When I had finished, Badenhorst spoke to me directly. He told me he would be leaving the island and added: 'I just want to wish you people good luck'. I do not know if I looked dumbfounded , but I was amazed. He spoke these words like a human being and showed a side of himself we had never seen before. I thanked him for his good wishes and wished him good luck too. I thought about this moment for a long time afterwards. Badenhorst had perhaps been the most cold-blooded and cruelest commanding officer we had had on Robben Island. But that day in the office, he had showed that there was another side to his nature, a side that had been hidden but still existed. It was obvious that all men, even the most seemingly cold-blooded, have a heart of kindness and that, if their hearts are touched, they are able to change. Actually, Badenhorst was not evil; his inhumanity had been encouraged by an inhuman system. He behaved cruelly because he was rewarded for cruel behavior." When did the story happen? A. Before Badenhorst left the prison. B. Before Mandela gave demands. C. After General Steyn took over the prison. D. Just when Mandela was set free. Answer: A
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Question: During the week days, they are luckily busy office people; but on weekends, they are just a brood of stay-home animals. A recent survey shows that office workers in China prefer quiet and easy ways to spend their weekends. In the survey, conducted by job seeking and offering website Zhaopin.com, 32.8 percent of the 6,000 respondents choose to stay home at weekends and have a good rest, the Beijing Morning Post reported. Twenty percent use their days-off to do housework. And only 19.3 percent are willing to have fun during the break time from work. Their first choice of fun is shopping. Other choices, though practiced by few, include meeting friends, accompanying the children, trips to the suburbs, and lessons for more skills. When they. go shopping, 54.5 percent of the white-collars actually shop in supermarkets, while 27.9. percent attend other stores, especially when discounts are offered. These activities don't seem to cost much, as 60 percent spend average less than 200 yuan (US$26) during weekends, and 30 percent no more than 500 yuan. When asked whom they would spend the weekends with, about 40 percent mention their partners, and 30 percent prefer a weekend all by themselves. Less than 20 percent hang out with friends. Only 5.8 percent would kill the time with their colleagues. This is because we tend to avoid too many personal contacts with our co-workers when we don't have to work with them, according to some experts. Why will less than ten percent of office workers kill the time with their colleagues at weekends? A. Because they can't spare time to play with them. B. Because they tend to avoid too many personal contacts with hem when they don't have to. C. Because. they have many things to deal with at weekends. D. Because some experts suggest they should not keep in touch with their colleagues. Answer: B
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Question: HAS Travel Dot is a travel agency which offers many interesting travel packages. _ $ 2900 Depart : Mar. 21, 2014 Return: Mar. 29, 2014 Australia's Gold Coast is a modern city of high-rise buildings, built around beautiful beaches. There are international theme parks, first-class restaurants, and lively nightclubs. _ $3500 Depart: Apr. 1, 2014 Return: Apr. 6, 2014 In every corner of Britain, you'll find many great attractions, from small local museums to world-famous attractions like Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. _ $ 3200 Depart: Apr. 3, 2014 Return: Apr. 12, 2014 It is a wonderful place in Canada. Fresh water, lakes and rivers, as well as the St. Lawrence River make it a perfect destination for boating, fishing, and camping. _ $700 Depart: Mar. 23, 2014 Return: Mar. 28, 2014 Penang, a state in Malaysia, is one of the most famous islands in South-East Asia. It is well-known for its culture and food. It is also a shopping paradise . You will be able to find things like handicraft, jewellery, clothes and many more at attractive prices. For more information, please visit our website at _ . Ontario is an excellent place for you to _ . A. boat, fish and shop B. fish, camp and boat C. boat, fish and eat D. shop, eat and camp Answer: B
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Question: How men first learnt to invent words is unknown; in other words, the origin of language is a mystery. All we really know is that men, unlike animals, somehow invented certain sounds to express thoughts and feelings, actions and things, so that they could communicate with each other; and that later they agreed upon certain signs, called letters. These letters could be combined to represent those sounds, and which could be written down. Those sounds, whether spoken, or written in letters, we call words. The power of words, then, lies in their associations---the things they bring up before our minds. Words become filled with meaning for us by experience, and the longer we live, the more certain words recall to us the glad and sad events of our past; and the more we read and learn, the more the number of words that mean something to us increases. Great writers are those who not only have great thoughts but also express these thoughts in words which appeal powerfully to our minds and emotions. This charming and telling use of words is what we call literary style. Above all, the real poet is a master of words. He can convey his meaning in words which sing like music and which by their position and association can move men to tears. We should therefore learn to choose our words carefully and use them accurately, or they will make our speech silly and vulgar . The power of words lies in_. A. the fact that it can associate the things in the world with the ideas in our minds. B. the fact that once word is connected with another C. the fact that it can associate one person with another D. the fact that it can recall to us the events of our past Answer: A
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Question: Are you still doing the V for victory sign? It's out. The latest popular hand gesture is to curl both of your hands and put them together to make a heart shape. Known as "Hand heart", many young stars in the US including Justin Bieber, Blake Lively and Taylor Swift have done the gesture in recent photos. "The heart hand gesture means something between I love you and thank you." said the country singer Taylor Swift. It's a sweet, easy message which you can send without saying a word." Taylor Swift often puts her hands above her head in the heart shape at her concerts. And she is believed to be the first to make the gesture popular. Last month during a charity show, Justin Bieber and his superstar friends did the hand heart and put the photo online. They did it to help three kids whose parents were killed in a car accident. The gesture became more popular after that. "It used to take longer for nonverbal culture to move. But now, with smart phones and the Internet, it's much faster," said Patti Wood, an American language expert . In our neighbor country--South Korea, the hand heart has been popular for a long time. In a different way, people there like making a "bigger heart" by putting their hands above their heads and making a heart shape with their arms. It means "I love you." The best title of this passage may be _ . A. The Heart Gesture B. A sweet Gesture C. Nonverbal culture D. Smart phones Answer: A
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Question: Having learned much about the War of Resistance against Japan, Mao Jingxin didn't like the Japanese when she was a child. "I thought they were cruel and rude," said the 18-year-old girl from Hebei Province. But she began to change her mind after she met some Japanese teenagers in a history museum six years ago. These fashionable high school students looked seriously at the history displays and talked to Mao in a friendly way. "I found that they are not bad as I thought," she said. Like Mao, many Chinese teenagers' are caught up in this confusion. A survey by 21st Century Teens shows about 51 per cent of Chinese teenagers say they dislike Japan. But most of them still want to have a Japanese friend. Also, Japan lies third on their list of Asian countries that they want to visit, following Singapore and South Korea. Teens did a survey just before the 60th anniversary of the victory day of the War of Resistance against Japan, which fell on September 3. The survey aimed to encourage understanding and communication between young Chinese and Japanese. Teens also wanted to understand Chinese teenagers' attitudes towards Japan, and how much they actually know about the country. As Teens found, more than 60 per cent of Chinese teenagers learn about Japan through the media or books. Only 16 per cent have ever met a Japanese person. "Most of my friends hate Japan for what it did to China during World War II. But people should not live in hatred. I think the best way to figure it out is to have contact with the Japanese people myself," Zhang Yuyuan, a Senior 2 girl, told us in the survey. "Japan has done wrong to Asian countries including China and it has caused pain to everyone," said Hikaru, a 17-year-old girl in Kawasaki . Having visited China four times and learned much, she understands the importance of communication between the two peoples. She plans to join in an exchange programme with Chinese youth. "Welcome to Japan, my Chinese friends!" She says it with a smile. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the survey? A. Many teenagers have met a Japanese. B. South Korea is the most popular Asian tourist places for Chinese teenagers. C. More than half of the teenagers in the survey don't like the Japanese. D. Most Chinese teenagers learn about Japan through exchange activities. Answer: C
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Question: The global population is living longer,and getting older,which presents new challenges. "The question becomes:who will take care of everyone? While people will always be the best caregivers for people,there just aren't enough people. That's where robotic technology can really make a difference," says Professor Maja Mataric at the University of Southern California. Her group is developing robots to work with stroke patients and elderly people. The research team has found that people react well to a robot gym instructor,and seem to get less frustrated with it than with instructions given on a computer screen. The robot can act as a perfect trainer,with infinite patience. "People say things like 'I prefer this robot to my husband!Can I take it home?'" according to Professor Mataric. "In fact there's a really important point here. As we create these care giving technologies,we're helping not only the people that need the care,but also the people caring for them. We can give them a break,and help them avoid _ ." People are going to have to like,and importantly trust robots before they welcome them into their homes,and several groups around the world are working on making it easier to communicate with them. Much of human communication takes place through body language. Gestures, eye contact , and concepts of personal space are all things that robots are being taught. In learning about how people interact with machines,researchers are also discovering new roles for robots in our lives. Robots can communicate with humans in ways that other technologies can not. "If someone finds the robot to be more persuasive and more reliable,that's going to affect how they interact with it," says Dr Cynthia Breazeal, director of the Personal Robots Group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "We can now start to think about fields where it's the social interaction,which is the main means by which a robot helps someone." Dr Breazeal says that means robots could be used in education,learning,and health care,where social support is important. Professor Maja Mataric mainly focused on robots' function of _ . A. teaching B. exploring C. making things D. giving care Answer: D
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Question: An old problem is getting new attention in the United States--bullying.Recent cases included the tragic case of a fifteen-year-old girl whose family moved from Ireland.She hanged herself in Massachusetts in January following months of bullying.Her parents criticized her school for failing to protect her.Officials have brought criminal charges against several teenagers. Judy Kaczynski is president of an anti-bullying group called Bully Police USA.Her daughter Tina was the victim of severe bullying starting in middle school in the state of Minnesota.She said, "Our daughter was a very outgoing child.She was a bubbly personality, very involved in all kinds of things, had lots of friends.And over a period of time her grades fell completely.She started having health issues.She couldn't sleep.She wasn't eating.She had terrible stomach pains.She started clenching her jaw and grinding her teeth at night.She didn't want to go to school." Bullying is defined as negative behavior repeated over time against the same person. It can involve physical violence.Or it can be verbal -- for example, insults or threats.Spreading lies about someone or excluding a person from a group is known as social or relational bullying. And now there is cyberbullying, which uses the Internet, e-mail or text messages.It has easy appeal for the bully because it does not involve face-to-face contact and it can be done at any time. The first serious research studies into bullying were done in Norway in the late 1970s.The latest government study in the United States was released last year.It found that about one-third of students age twelve to eighteen were bullied at school. Susan Sweater is a psychologist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and co-director of the Bullying Research Network.She says schools should treat bullying as a mental health problem to get bullies and victims the help they need.She says bullying is connected to depression, anxiety and anti-social behavior, and bullies are often victims themselves. Which of the following is NOT bullying? A. To beat someone repeatedly. B. To call someone names. C. To isolate someone from friends. D. To refuse to help someone in need. Answer: D
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Question: The Brown Bear My wife Laura and I were on the beach, with three of our children, taking pictures of shore birds near our home in Alaska when we spotted a bear. The bear was thin and small, moving aimlessly. Just a few minutes later, I heard my daughter shouting, "Dad! The bear is right behind us!" An agreesive bear will usually rush forward to frighten away its enemy but would suddenly stop at the last minute. This one was silent and its ears pinned back---- the sign of an animal that is going in for the kill. And it was a cold April day. The bear behaved abnormally, probably because of hunger. I held my camera tripod in both hands to form a barrier as the bear rushed into me. Its huge head was level with my chest and shoulders, and the tripod stuck across its mouth. It bit down and I found myself supporting its weight. I knew I would not be able to hold it for long. Even so, this was a fight I had to win: I was all that stood between the bear and my family, who would stand little chance of running faster than a brown bear. The bear hit at the camera, cutting it off the tripod. I raised my left arm to protect my face; the beast held tightly on the tripod and pressed it into my side. My arm could not move, and I sensed that my bones were going to break. Drawing back my free hand, I struck the bear as hard as I could for five to six times. The bear opened its mouth and I grasped its fur, trying to push it away. I was actually wrestling with the bear at this point. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the fight ended. The bear moved back toward the forest, before returning for another attack----- The first time I felf panic. Apparently satisfied that we caused no further threat, the bear moved off, destroying a fence as it went. My arm was injured, but the outcome for us could hardly have been better. I'm proud that my family reminded clear-headed when panic could have led to a very different outcome. The brown bear approached the family in order to _ . A. catch shore birds B. start an attack C. protect the children D. set up a barrier for itself Answer: B
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Question: Suzanne Clement first met Xavier Dolan when he was 17 -- an "ambitious, intelligent, hyperactive" young director who wanted to make a film called "J'ai tue ma mere" ("I Killed My Mother"). The Quebecois actress never doubted his talents. Now eight years later, she stars in his acclaimed film "Mommy," which has been selected as Canada's foreign-language entry to the Oscars. "I think 'Mommy' is like a continuation of this amazing authenticity that he puts into his work," said Clement in a recent telephone interview. "He's saying something very deep. And he started to say those deep things about his life when he was doing his first movie." The film focuses on a trio of troubled characters: widowed mother Diane (Anne Dorval), her violent son Steve (Antoine-Olivier Pilon), and Kyla, a shy, mysterious neighbour with a terrible stammer who offers to help (Clement). While the dynamic between Diane and Steve is perhaps the most important, Kyla's character is equally _ . The viewer knows she is on leave from her teaching job and she recently stammered, but the reasons are left somewhat vague. She said Dolan contacted her last summer, shortly before "Mommy" began filming, and sought help in fleshing out Kyla's story. "He told me, 'I have this third character and I'd love you to play her, but she's not very, very definite now. If you want to talk about her and give your input, I'd like to build her.'" she recalled. "Mommy" opens in Toronto on Friday before screening in other Canadian cities. It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May, where audiences gave it a lengthy standing applause before it was awarded with the prestigious Jury Prize. After appearing in Dolan's "J'ai tue ma mere" in 2009, Clement went on to star in his film "Laurence Anyways," for which she won the Cannes Un Certain Regard award for Best Actress in 2012. Which statement is True according to the passage? A. Xavier Dolan made a film called "J'ai tue ma mere" when he's 17. B. When Suzanne Clement first met Dolan, she doubted his talents. C. Dolan made the film "Mommy" at the age of 25. D. Dolan's film "Mommy" has received the Oscars. Answer: C
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Question: Soils change both through natural processes and as a result of human activity. Which of the following soil changes is due only to natural causes? A. degradation of nutrients due to pesticides B. formation of deserts due to tree felling C. flooding due to dam construction D. removal of nutrients due to heavy rains Answer: D
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Question: Early that day the weather turned and the snow was melting into dirty water. Streaks of it ran down from the little shoulder-high window that faced the backyard. Cars slushed by on the street outside, where it was getting dark. But it was getting dark on the inside too. He was in the bedroom pushing clothes into a suitcase when she came to the door. I'm glad you're leaving! I'm glad you're leaving! She said. Do you hear? He kept on putting his things into the suitcase. Son of a bitch! I'm so glad you're leaving! She began to cry. You can't even look me in the face, can you? When she noticed the baby's picture on the bed and picked it up. He looked at her and she wiped her eyes and stared at him before turning an d going back to the living room. Bring that back, he said. Just get your things and get out, she said. He did not answer. He fastened the suitcase, put on his coat, looked around the bedroom before turning off the light. Then he went out to the living room. She stood in the doorway of the little kitchen, holding the baby. I want the baby, he said. Are you crazy? No, but I want the baby. I'll get someone to come by for his things. You're not touching this baby, she said. The baby had begun to cry and she uncovered the blanket from around his head. Oh, oh, she said, looking at the baby. He moved toward her. For god's sake! She said. She took a step back into the kitchen. I want the baby. Get out of here! She turned and tried to hold the baby over in a corner behind the stove. But he came up. He reached across the stove and tightened his hands on the baby. Let go of him, he said. Get away, get away! She cried. The baby was red-faced and screaming. In the scuffle they knocked down a flowerpot that hung behind the stove. He crowded her into the wall then, trying to break her grip. He held on to the baby and pushed with all his weight. Let go of him, he said. Don't, she said. You're hurting the baby, she said. I'm not hurting the baby, he said. The kitchen window gave no light. In the near-dark he worked on her fisted fingers with one hand and with the other hand he gripped the screaming baby up under an arm near the shoulder. She felt her fingers being forced open. She felt the baby going from her. No! She screamed just her hands came loose. She would have it, this baby. She grabbed for the baby's other arm. She caught the baby around wrist and leaned back. But he would not let go. He felt the baby slipping out of his hands and he pulled back very hard. In this manner, the issue was decided. At what time of day does the story occur? A. In the morning B. At noon C. In the afternoon D. In the evening Answer: D
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Question: China is very famous for its food in the world. There are many kinds of food in China. They're Cantonese food, Sichuan food, Shanghai food, Hunan food and so on. And I like Sichuan food best. Now, Sichuan food is very popular. There are many Sichuan food restaurants all over the country. Sichuan food is very hot , but people love it. In some famous Sichuan food restaurants, you can see many people waiting there. Now in Beijing, there are more and more Sichuan food restaurants. There are many Sichuan food restaurants _ . A. only in Sichuan B. only in Beijing. C. only in big cities D. all over our country Answer: D
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Question: The painter Georgia O'keeffe was born in Wisconsin in 1887 and grew up on her family's farm. At seventeen she decided she wanted to be an artist and left the farm for schools in Chicago and New York, but she never lost her bond with the land. Like most painters, O'Keeffe painted the things that were most important to her, and nearly all her works are simplified portrayals of nature. O'Keeffe became famous when her paintings were discovered and exhibited in New York by the photographer Levered Stieglitz, whom she married in 1924. During a visit to New York in 1929, O'Keeffe was so moved by the bleak landscape and broad skies of the Western desert that she began to paint its images. Cows' skulls and other bleached bones found in the desert figured prominently in her paintings. When her husband died in 1946, she moved to New Mexico permanently and used the horizon lines of the desert, colorful flowers, rocks, barren hills, and the sky as subjects for her paintings. Although O'Keeffe painted her best known works in the 1920's, 1930's and 1940's, she continued to produce tributes(, ) to the Western desert until her death in 1986. O'Keeffe is widely considered to have been a pioneering American modernist painter. While most early modern American artists were strongly influenced by European art, O'Keeffe's position was more independent. She established her own vision and preferred to view her painting as a private endeavor. Almost from the beginning, her work was more indentifiably American than that of her contemporaries in its simplified and idealized treatment of color, light, space, and natural forms. Which of the following is most similar to O'Keeffe's relationship with nature? A. A photoghrapher's relationship with a model. B. A writer's relationship with a publisher. C. A student's relationship with a teacher D. A carpenter's relationship with a hammer. Answer: A
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Question: Each day water-related diseases kill 3,900 of the world's children. Across the world, 1.1 billion people have no access to clean drinking water. More than 2.6 billion people lack basic sanitation . The combination proves deadly. Each year, diseases related to inadequate water and sanitation kill between 2 and 5 million people and cause an estimated 80 percent of all sicknesses in the developing world. Safe drinking water is a precondition for health and the fight against child death rate, inequality between men and women, and poverty. Consider these facts: * The average distance that women in Africa and Asia walk to collect water is 6 kilometres. * Only 58 percent of children in sub-Sharan Africa are drinking safe water, and only 37 percent of children in South Asia have access to even a basic toilet. * Each year in India alone, 73 million working days are lost to water-borne diseases. Here are three ways you can help: 1) Write Congress Current U.S. foreign aid for drinking water and sanitation budgets only one dollar per year per American citizen. Few members of Congress have ever received a letter from voters about clean drinking water abroad. 2) Sponsor a project with a faith-based organization Many U.S. religious groups already sponsor water and sanitation projects, working with partner organizations can make safe water a reality for thousands of people. 3) Support nonprofit water organizations Numerous U.S. based nonprofits work skillfully abroad in community led projects related to drinking water and sanitation. Like the sample of non-profits noted as follows, some organizations are large, others small-scale, some operate world-wide, others are devoted to certain areas in Africa, Asia, Latin America. Support them generously. The intended readers of the passage are _ . A. Americans B. overseas sponsors C. Congressmen D. U.S. based water organizations Answer: A
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Question: Today, the biggest killers stem as much from our lifestyles as from bacteria and viruses. One of the worst of these is heart disease, and specifically high blood pressure. It's a slow, but efficient killer that robs many people of what should be the last 10, 20 or 30 years of their lives. Scientists are claiming that they have now separated unusual ingredients in a rare seaweed discovered by fishermen off the coast of Korea that offer incredible health benefits--including the ability to restore blood pressure to normal levels. Dr. Haengwoo Lee, a famous biochemist conducted a clinical study on these two ingredients. The first is Seanol, an extremely rare seaweed extract from Ecklonia Cava that's proven to be 100 times more powerful than any land-based antioxidant . That's because it stays working in your body for 12 hours, compared to land-based antioxidants that work for 30 minutes. "Its secret is its make-up of special chemicals that are a huge 40% fat soluble( )," Dr. Lee explains. "Unlike nearly all land-based antioxidants that are water soluble, Seanol's protective compounds can get into things like the fatty tissues of your brain and penetrate all three layers of your cells, including the outside, the oil-based cell membranes , and your DNA." Indeed, Seanol is so powerful, it's the only FDA-approved Ecklonia Cava marine-algae extract in existence. The second ingredient is Calamarine, a deep-sea omega-3 discovery that delivers 85% more DHA omega-3s to your heart, brain, joints, and eyes. It's known to reduce the problems from tiredness and poor memory, joint pain, mood swings and depression. With that research in mind, Dr. Lee combined Seanol and Calamarine with a high dose of vitamin D to form Marine-D3, the newest supplement in the fight against age-related illnesses and high blood pressure. Dr. Lee found that Calamarine delivers some of the greatest concentration of omega-3s known to science. Combined with Seanol's ability to reduce body inflammation , as well as help cells get the nutrients they need to thrive, stay healthy and protected, Marine-D3 is able to boost a body's entire well being. The makers of Marine-D3 are so confident that you'll see fast dramatic results from this product, that if you aren't happy after two full months, simply return the unused portion and they'll buy it back. They'll even give you ten dollars extra just for giving it an honest try! That kind of faith, combined with Dr. Lee's exhaustive research, shows that Marine-D3 really is a one-of-a-kind product. What's the makers' attitude toward Marine-D3? A. pessimistic B. indifferent C. doubtful D. Optimistic Answer: D
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Question: Did you ever wonder who invented products like Liquid Paper, Kevlar or paper bags? Most would think a man invented these items. Guess what? Women invented each of these. What? You don't believe me? Well, read this: Liquid Paper was invented by Bette Nesmith Graham in 1951 and originally called Mistake Out. Being a typist, Bette was increasingly _ with being unable to erase her typing mistakes. The messy business left her hands black and the paper dirty. Bette was good at painting and remembered that an artist paints over mistakes. She applied that same principle to typing mistakes and Liquid Paper was born, making Bette into a self-made millionaire. Kevlar, yes, the Kevlar of the bullet proof vest --what police officers and soldiers wear, was invented by Stephanie Kwolek. Stephanie worked for the DuPont Company as a research chemist. She was asked to find a high-performance fiber. Originally, this fiber was intended to be used for car tires . However, the fiber she developed in 1964 was amazing and is still used in products such as sailboats, skis, shoes, and yes, bullet proof vests. In 1995 Stephanie was named to the National Inventor's Hall of Fame. Margaret Knight invented a machine that revolutionized the making of paper bags. Paper bags had been made like envelopes but Margaret developed a machine that would fold and paste a flat-bottom paper bag, the very same type we still use today. Margaret's family was poor and she started working at the age of nine. Her first invention at the age of twelve was a safety tool for a loom . Later she worked for the Columbia Paper Bag Company. It was there that she worked on improving the making of paper bags. She was issued her patent in 1870. So next time you use a new product or an old one, will you wonder who made it? Do some research on the web and answer a few questions like: Who invented it? How was it invented? You may be surprised at some of the stories you uncover. What would be the best title for the passage? A. How inventions were made B. Amazing inventions by women C. Women and modern technology D. You can also be an inventor Answer: B
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Question: New York is one of the last large American cities to have some of its policemen on horseback. The New York police have 170 horses working in certain parts of the city. The horses are expensive to feed, but it is even more expensive to look after them. Because the horses must walk on the streets, they need special horseshoes. In fact , they need more than 8,000 of them each year. Every police horse in New York gets new shoes every month. Keeping these shoes in good repair is the job of six blacksmiths. There are only about thirty-five of these blacksmiths in the whole United States. The cost of shoing a horse is between twenty dollars and thirty-five dollars, and it takes a good blacksmith two or three hours to do the job. A blacksmith's job is not an easy one. He must be able to shape a shoe from a piece of metal and then fit it to the horse's foot. The blacksmith must bend over all the time when he is fitting the shoe and must hold the weight of the horse's leg while he works. Clearly, a blacksmith must be very storng. But even more important, he must be able to deal with horses---for before the blacksmith can begin his work, he has to get the horse to lift its leg. One of the blacksmiths in New York is James Corbin. He came to the country from Ireland in 1948. He not only makes horseshoes for the police but also works for a group of horse owners near the city. Corbin became interested in blacksmithing because his father did it, and,as the puts it, "It's a good way to make a living." According to the reading passage, a blacksmith must be likely a _ man. A. clever B. rich C. strong D. lucky Answer: A
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Question: A new concept vehicle, Pod was introduced by Toyota and Sony at the Tokyo motor show. The car is intended as a four-wheeled friend. It aims to provide affection, sympathy and encouragement. Like a dog welcoming its master, the car sits up, wags its tail and acknowledges its owner's presence using hydraulics and a multi-coloured LED display panel across the front. While on the road, the car constantly monitors the driver's mood with pulse and sweat sensors on the joystick . Cameras focused on the eyes keep watch for any sigh of _ . If a driver appears to be losing his or her cool, Pod will display warnings, play soft music and blow cold air at the face. Drivers are shaken awake with loud music and a shaking chair. To improve driving skills, Pod uses a comparison to score drivers, offer advice and rank all Pod owners. Toyota claims that the car will eventually be able to learn its owner's likes and dislikes by monitoring passenger conversations. If the car hears a favorite song being discussed, it will download the track from the Internet and play it without being asked. It will also recommend restaurants that might suit the driver's taste and take photographs of passengers when they sound particularly happy. In keeping with the moodiness that is the car's main selling point, Pod expresses a form of road anger. If a driver brakes or swerves suddenly, the LED panel shows an angry red and the tail rises at the back. Anger is one of the car's ten "emotional states". Another is sadness --- a blue front with tear-shaped lights seemingly dropping from headlights --- which appears after a flat tire or when gas is low. "We wanted to show that the cars can be cheerful and entertaining," said Yasunori Sakamoto, part of the Toyota design team. Mr Sakamoto said Toyota has no plans to put Pod on the market. Sad, really. According to the text, Pod can _ . A. rank the restaurant nearby B. recommend a song to passenger C. have a conversation with drivers D. test the driver's driving skills Answer: D
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Question: Which objects are the most useful for collecting data on the speed of a toy car? A. microscope, computer, ruler B. thermometer, calculator, magnet C. stopwatch, calculator, meter stick D. camera, digital recorder, safety goggles Answer: C
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Question: Dear Santa Claus, My name is Amy. I am 17 years old. I have a problem at school. Can you help me, Santa? Kids laugh at me because of the way I walk and run and talk. I have cerebral palsy. I just want one day when no one laughs at me or makes fun of me. Love, Amy At radio station WJLT in Fort Wayne, Indiana, letters poured in for the Christmas Wish Content. When Amy's letter arrived at the radio station, Manager Lee Tobin read it carefully. He thought it wound be good for the people in Fort Wayne to hear about this special girl and her unusual wish. Mr. Tobin called up the local newspaper. The next day, a picture of Amy and her letter to Santa made the front page of the "News Sentinel". The story spread quickly. All across the country, newspapers and radio and television stations reported the story of the girl in Fort Wayne, Indiana, who asked for such a simple, yet remarkable Christmas gift--just one day without teasing. Suddenly the postman was a regular at the Hagadorn house. Envelopes of all sizes addressed to Amy arrived daily from children and adults all across the nation. They came filled with holiday greetings and words of encouragement. Some of the writers had disabilities; some had been teased as children. Each writer had a special message for Amy. Through the cards and letters from strangers, Amy saw a world full of people who truly cared about each other. Many people thanked Amy for being brave enough to speak up. Others encouraged her to ignore teasing and to hold her head high. Amy did get her wish of a special day without teasing at South Wayne High School. Teachers and students talked together about how bad teasing can make others feel. That year, the Fort Wayne mayor officially declared December 21stas Amy Jo Hagadorn Day throughout the city. The mayor explained that by daring to make such a simple wish, Amy taught a universal lesson. "Everyone," he said, "wants to and should be treated with respect, dignity and warmth." Amy's letter showed that _ . A. she wanted to win Christmas Wish Contest B. she is more independent than before C. she is often ignored in and out of class D. her schoolmates can't understand her disability Answer: D
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Question: I teach geography at UNLV three times per week. Last Monday, at the beginning of class, I cheerfully asked my students how their weekend had been. One young man said that his weekend had not been so good. He had his wisdom teeth removed. The young man then asked me why I always seemed to be so cheerful. "I choose to be cheerful." I said. Then I told them a story. In addition to teaching here at UNLV, I also teach out at the community college in Henderson, 17 miles down the freeway from where I live. One day I drove those 17 miles to Henderson. I exited the freeway and turned onto College Drive. I only had to drive another quarter mile down the road to the college. But just then my car died and wouldn't start again. So I left my car there and marched down the road to the college. As soon as I got there I called AAA and arranged for a tow truck to meet me at my car after class. The secretary in the office asked me what had happened. "This is my lucky day." I replied, smiling. "Your car breaks down and today is your lucky day?" She was puzzled. "What do you mean?" "My car could have broken down anywhere along the freeway but it didn't." I replied, "Instead, it broke down in the perfect place: off the freeway, within walking distance from here. I'm still able to teach my class, and I've been able to arrange for the tow truck to meet me after class." The secretary's eyes opened wide, and then she smiled. I smiled back and headed for class. So ended my story. I scanned the sixty faces in my class at UNLV. Despite the early hour, no one seemed to be asleep. Somehow, my story had touched them. Or maybe _ In fact, it had all started with a student's observation that I was cheerful. An Indian wise man once said, "Who you are speaks louder to me than anything you can say." I suppose it must be so. What happened to the author on his way to the community college? A. He parked his car in a perfect place. B. He called AAA for a tow truck to meet him. C. He covered the last quarter mile on foot. D. He drove off the freeway at a wrong exit. Answer: C
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Question: TIME IS IT.Over 92% of people who own exercise equipment snd 88% of people who own health club memberships do not exercise.A 4-minute complete workout is no longer hard to believe for all the people who have bought our excellent Range of Motion machine (ROM) since 1990.Over 97% of people who rent our ROM for 30 days end up buying it,due to the health benefits experienced during that tryout and the ROM performance score that tells the story of health and fitness improvement.At under 20 cents per use,the 4-minute ROM exercise is the least expensive full body complete exercise a person can do.How do we know that it is under 20 cents per use?Over 90% of ROM machines go to private homes,but we have a few that are in commercial use for 12 years and they have endured over 80,000 uses each,without need of repair.The ROM 4-minute workout is for people from 10 to over 100 years old and highly trained athletes as well.The ROM balances blood sugar,and repairs bad backs and shoulders.Too good to be ture?Get our free video and see for yourself.The best proof for us is that 97% of rentals become sales.Please visit our websit at www. Fitness.com or call (800)123-6460. Factory Showroom : EOMFAB. 823 Main Street , Batom Ronge , LA70893 Fax(800)123-6461 Email: sakes @fitness. Com One selling point of ROM is that _ . A. it makes full body exercise possible in 4 minutes B. it can kill back and shoulder pains in 10 minutes C. it needs no repair in the first 20 years D. it is sold on a 3-month trial basis Answer: A
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Question: People who speak or perform before the public sometimes may suffer from "Stage Fright. " Stage fright makes a person nervous. In the worst case it can make one's mind go back and forget what one ought to say, or to act. Actors, musicians, dancers, lawyers, even radio show hosts have suffered from stage fright at one time or another. Diana Nichols is an expert in helping people free from stage fright at a medical centre in New York City. She helps actors learn to control themselves. Miss Nichols says some people have always been afraid to perform before the audience. Others, she says, develop stage fright after a fearful experience. She offers them ways to control the fear. One way is to smile before going onto the stage. Taking two deep breaths also helps. Deep breathing helps you get control of your body. Miss Nichols persuades her patients to tell themselves that their speech or performance does not have to the perfect. It's all right to make a mistake. She tells them they should not be too cautious while they are performing. It is important that they should continue to perform while she is helping them. After each performance, they discuss what happened and find out what advice helped and what did not. As they perform more and more, they will fear less and less as much as 50%. Miss Nichols says the aim is only to reduce stage fright, not to _ it completely. This is because a little stage fright makes a person more cautious, and improves the performance. The wrong way to overcome stage fright is _ . A. to smile before going to the stage. B. to take two deep breaths to calm oneself C. to pay less attention to one's mistakes in performance D. to perform less and to watch more Answer: D
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Question: Jealousy is a horrible feeling that weeds its way into your life and relationships before you know it. You might want something someone else has, or feel like they're happier than you. It might seem like an uncontrollable emotion, but it's truly not! Remember your big accomplishments. If your coworker gets the promotion you wanted, it doesn't mean you haven't done great work. List out your accomplishments and think about how you got them and what you've done since then. You'll quickly find that you're just as worthy as the person you're envying! Appreciate your own good fortune. Think of where you are in your life and how you got there. Did you just buy your first car? Are you able to save one paycheck each month? Are you surrounded by loving family and amazing friends? You have a lot of good things,and you have a lot of good fortune coming your way. Stop letting jealousy eat you alive and realize that you can better spend that energy on furthering your own success and happiness. Appreciate that others can do what you can't. How boring would life be if everyone was the same? What if the entire population of your city was applying for your job, and they all had the same qualifications? Appreciate that everyone is different. Some people are better in powerful management positions, while maybe you're better working with people. A friend might be an excellent artist--a quality you're envious of, but don't forget that you're a great musician! Acknowledge that people need to be different, need to be better at various things. Jealousy is an emotion that _ . A. you feel others do better than you B. can go into your soul without being noticed C. positive enough to make yourself do better D. makes you as worthy as the person you're envying Answer: B
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Question: Convection vs. Conventional Ovens If you are in the market for a new oven and you've already begun shopping for one, you've probably noticed that there are a few different types. Two of the most popular oven types are conventional and convection. The difference in these two types of ovens is the way in which the heat in the oven is spread during the cooking process. Convection ovens A convection oven uses a fan which is usually located on the back side of the oven. The purpose of the fan is to force the heated air inside of the oven and circulate it around the item being cooked. The heater air is constantly pushed over and around the food, and therefore a convection oven cooks food much faster than a conventional oven. Not only does a convection oven cook food more quickly than a conventional oven, but it can also thoroughly cook food at lower temperatures. The average amount of time saved when cooking with a convection oven is about 20 percent of the food's normal cooking time. The temperature a convection oven uses to cook food is also about 20 percent lower than a recipe's suggested cooking temperature. Convection ovens are speedier and more efficient than conventional ovens, and therefore may be more expensive. However, professional chefs from around the world swear by them and rely on them for delicious tasting food. Also, since the air circulation in a convection oven is the same throughout, food will cook at the same rate no matter where it is placed in the oven....on the top or bottom rack or near the front or back. Conventional Oven Traditionally, most personal residences in the United States come equipped with a modern conventional oven. These are the most common types of household ovens, and are used every day to cook all sorts of meals, desserts, breads, and many other types of food. Conventional ovens are similar to convection ovens in that they both cook food using heat. They both have the ability to use either gas or electricity, depending on the hook-up in a home. Some may use either gas or electricity simply depending on what is plugged in to them, and some are made to be either gas specific or electricity specific. In a conventional oven, the heat circulation in the oven can become blocked by pots and pans inside of the oven, which will result in uneven cooking. Uneven cooking is especially noticeable when both the bottom and top racks in the oven are being used at the same time. The items on top will cook faster because heat rises to the tops and when there is a lot in the oven, the heat gets trapped there. There are pros and cons to both conventional and convection ovens. Conventional ovens have been serving people for years and years and food has been cooked successfully in them for many decades. Convection ovens have many followers and fans, but these types of ovens can be hard to get used to...especially for novice cooks. According to the passage, which of the following may be expected to occur with the use of a conventional oven? A. Food will have a gas-like smell. B. Food will be cooked evenly. C. Items on the top rack will cook faster. D. Breads will rise better, be lighter and crispier. Answer: C
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Question: "I will never marry," the future Elizabeth I declared at the age of eight, and, to the terror of her people, the Great Queen kept her word. For four centuries, historians have guessed why Elizabeth never married.In her own day, her decision to remain single was considered absurd and dangerous.A queen needed a husband to make political decisions for her and to organise and lead her military campaigns.More important, she needed male heirs to avoid a civil war after her death. There was no shortage of suitors for the Queen, both English courtiers and foreign princes, and it was confidently expected for the best part of 30 years that Elizabeth would eventually marry one of them.Indeed, although she insisted that she preferred the single state, she kept these suitors in a state of permanent expectation.This was a deliberate policy on the Queen's part, since by keeping foreign princes in hope, sometimes for a decade, she kept them friendly when they might otherwise have made war on her kingdom. There were, indeed, good political reasons for her avoiding marriage.The disastrous union of her sister Mary I to Philip II of Spain had had an unwelcome foreign influence upon English politics.The English were generally prejudiced against the Queen taking a foreign husband, particularly a Catholic one.Yet if she married an English, jealousy might lead to the separation of the court. There were other, deeper reasons for Elizabeth's unwillingness to marry, chief of which, I believe, was her fear of losing her autonomy as Queen. In the 16th century, a queen was regarded as holding supreme dominion over the state, while a husband was thought to hold supreme dominion over his wife.Elizabeth knew that marriage and motherhood would bring some harm to her power. She once pointed out that marriage seemed too uncertain a state for her. She had seen several unions in her immediate family break down, including that of her own parents. Some writers, based on very fragile evidence, have argued that Elizabeth was frightened or incapable of the sex act, but it is more likely that she feared childbirth. Two of her stepmothers, her grandmother and several acquaintances had died in childbed. Elizabeth's father, Henry VIII, had had her mother, Anne Boleyn, killed; her stepmother Catherine Howard later suffered the same fate. When Elizabeth was 14 she was all but attracted by Admiral Thomas Seymour, who also went to the prison within a year. Witnessing these terrible events at an early age, it has been argued, may have put Elizabeth off marriage. Elizabeth had to decide her priorities. Marriage or being single? Elizabeth was far too intelligent.The choice she made was courageous and revolutionary, and, in the long run, the right one for England. To the suitors including English courtiers and foreign princes,Elizabeth _ . A. held back the truth B. gave a definite answer "no" C. kept them expecting deliberately D. said she preferred the single state Answer: C
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Question: Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the guest room. Instead the angels were given a space in the cold basement. As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it. When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied, "Things aren't always what they seem. " The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had, the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night's rest. When the sun came up the next morning, the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their only income, lay dead in the field. The younger angel was very angry and asked the older angel, "How could this happen? Why did you not watch out for the cow? The first man had everything, yet you watched over his house," she accused. "The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you did not help. " "Things aren't always what they seem," the older angel replied. "When we stayed in the basement, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so greedy and unwilling to share his good fortune, I asked God if I could seal the wall so he couldn't find it. Then last night as we slept in the farmer's bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I ask God if the angel could take the cow instead. Things aren't always what they seem. " Why did the older angel let the farmer's cow die? A. Because God wanted the older angel to take the cow. B. Because she wanted to teach the youngest angel a lesson. C. Because she wanted to save the farmer's wife. D. Because she was sympathetic to the rich. Answer: C
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Question: Donald was not very good at maths. He could not understand the teacher's explanations. Even when the teacher explained something a second time, Donald still could not understand it. "Never mind," Donald told himself. "I'm quite good at other subjects. I'll cheat in the maths exam, then I won't be in trouble." "I will sit next to the boy who's best at maths," he thought, "and copy down his answers." The day of the exam came, and Donald sat next to Brian Smith, who always was at the top of the class in maths. Donald carefully copied Brian's answers onto his own exam paper. At the end of the exam, the teacher collected the papers and graded them. Then she said, "Well, boys and girls. I've decided to give a prize to the student who got the highest grade. However, it's difficult for me to decide who to give the prize to, because two students, Doanld and Brian, got the same grade." "Let them share it," one of the other students said. "I have thought about that," the teacher said, "but I have decided to give the prize to Brian." Donald was angry when he heard this. He stood up and said. "That is not fair. I got the same grade as Brian." "That is true," the teacher said. "However, Brian's answer to Question 18 was 'I don't know,' while yours was 'Neither do I.'" The teacher knew it was Donald who cheated because _ . A. his answers were the same as Brian's B. he wrote "I don't know" as an answer C. he got the same wrong answers as Brian D. he wrote the words "Neither do I" Answer: D
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Question: With the development of science, more and more students don't like taking notes by hand. Instead, they use digital cameras to take pictures of the words that their teachers write on the blackboard or record what their teachers say in class. The children might think there are too many notes to take or their teachers write or speak so fast that they can't take more specific notes. They are trying to find ways to make things easier, so they use digital cameras. In fact, children are very clever to make use of technology . But do digital cameras really make taking notes easier? Not really. Before you read notes from digital cameras, there are a lot of things you have to do. To begin with, you have to find a computer. Then you need to copy the photos into the computer. Next, you have to find a printer to print the photos. Another thing is that you can't hear the sound from the digital cameras clearly because there is usually lots of _ . You will have to listen to it slowly several times before you understand everything. In fact, taking notes by hand has many advantages. For example, it can help you remember and understand what you are learning. In order to save time, you can choose the most important things or the things you don't understand to write down. You don't have to write down everything. Don't be afraid to take notes by hand. It's really an effective way. Which of the following is TRUE about taking notes? A. You shouldn't be afraid to write down everything. B. To save time, you should memorize instead of taking notes. C. You should write down all the words that your teachers write on the blackboard. D. You only need to write down what you don't understand or some key words. Answer: D
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Question: Astronauts aboard the space station celebrated a space first on Wednesday by drinking water that had been recycled from their urine , sweat and water got from air. They said "cheers," clicked drinking bags and toasted NASA workers on the ground. The urine recycling system is needed for astronaut stations on the moon and Mars. It also will have NASA money because it won't have to ship up as much water to the station by space shuttles or cargo rockets. Besides, it's important as the space station is about to expand from three people living on board to six. The recycling system had been brought up to the space station last November by space shuttles Endeavour, but it couldn't be used until samples were tested back on earth. So when it came time to actually drink up, NASA made a big deal of it. The three-man crew stood holding their drinks and congratulated engineers in two NASA centres that worked on the system. "This is something that had been the stuff of science fiction," American astronaut Michael Barratt said before taking a small mouthful. "The taste is worth trying." The new system takes the combined urine of the crew from the toilet, moves it to a big tank, where the water is boiled off, and the vapor is collected. The rest of the urine is thrown away. Then the water vapor is mixed with water from air, and then it goes through filters . When six crew members are aboard it can make about six gallons from urine in about six hours. "Some people may find the idea of drinking recycled urine distasteful, but it is also done on earth, but with a lot longer time between urine and the tap," said Marybeth Edeen, the space station's national lab manager. The technology NASA developed for this system has already been used for quick water purification after the 2004 Asian tsunami. What is the best title for the passage? A. The Research of NASA Has Made Great Progress. B. New Technology Is Used in the Space Station. C. Drink up: Space Station Recycles Urine to Water. D. Good News: Water Recycled from Urine Tastes Good Answer: C
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Question: Clothes are very important in our life. Different people wear different clothes. Now let's listen to some people in France talking about clothes. Hello, I'm Betty. I started working this year, so I'm able to get new clothes more often than before. I think what I look like is really important to me, so I spent much money on clothes. I like to wear bright colors and always dress up when I go to parties. I often buy all kinds of clothes and try to follow the latest fashion. Hi, I'm Jack. I don't have much to say about clothes. _ aren't the thing I'm interested in. I know little about the way of dressing. In summer, I always wear a T-shirt or something else. My name is Alice. I would like to say that clothes must be comfortable and feel easy to put on. Sometimes I buy clothes in some small street markets -- they are cheap there. I change the look of my clothes quite often -- put some flowers on them or use different buttons, just for a change. They'll look good all the time. I go shopping for clothes about once a month. I see something comfortable and fashionable and it fits me well, I would go for it and then... How many people are talking about clothes? A. Three. B. Five. C. Four. D. Two. Answer: A
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Question: Is this a car? Is it a smart phone? Is it a gaming machine? Yes to all three. The Toyota Fun-Vii is a pleasure palace on wheels. If Toyota has its way, paint jobs could become a thing of the past, because it has introduced an amazing car that can change its whole look in an instant. The Vii in Fun-Vii, which stands for "Vehicle, Interactive, Internet" It is a small three-seater car that looks like a smart phone, so it is called a smart phone on wheels.Inside and out, most aspects of the car can interact with the internet and be controlled by a smart phone.The magical car allows the owners to download pictures from their phones onto the outside, so that the look of the car could be changed instantly.The color inside could also be changed to reflect the owner's mood.Just as the company president Akio Toyoda said, "A car must appeal to our emotions.If it's not fun, it's not a car." Its outside and inside are not made of solid paint but touch screens that can display pictures and videos.A network update function downloads all the latest software to make sure the car is always up-to-date, and it can provide the latest entertainment as well as information about its surroundings to the driver.As you drive around, the thoughtful car allows you to communicate with your friends in the nearby cars.It also helps you find your way from one place to another. It's all because the car is networked with all the other cars on the road and drives itself. The smart car is a practical, family sized vehicle fuelled by hydrogen, and it is one of the futuristic concept cars under the theme of "fun to drive, again".It heralds a not-too-distant future where people, cars and society are linked. Which of the following may not be a key word for the concept car? A. Fun. B. Interactive. C. High-speed. D. Smart. Answer: C
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Question: We are always using body language in our daily life. When we have a conversation with someone, we may be using more body language than words. However, the same body language may mean different things in different countries. That's why people sometimes do not understand each other correctly. Pointing to one part of the body can mean differently in different cultures. For example, in the USA people point to their heads when they think someone is clever. However, in Europe it means 'He or she is stupid or something is wrong with his or her head'. In our Chinese culture, nodding our head up and down means 'yes' and shaking our head from side to side means 'no'. However, in parts of India, Greece and Turkey, it means just the opposite . In England or the USA, when you raise your hand and make a circle with the thumb and the second finger, it means 'You're all right or Everything is OK'. However, if we do this in France or Belgium, it means 'You're worth zero'. In Greece or Turkey, we should not make this gesture . Or we are thought to be very rude. The meaning of gestures can also change over time. In the 1960s, the V sign meant 'peace'. However, during World War II, it meant 'victory'. In Greece, it is a very insulting sign. Though the meaning of body language is different, there are some expressions having the same meaning throughout the world, such as smiling and crying. Which country's body language is most different from our usual thinking? A. France B. England C. Greece D. India Answer: C
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Question: Today's drivers may feel shocked by the high price of petrol when they drive to the gas station. However, the car industry has the technology to solve _ . It's the hybrid car . What is a hybrid car? Any car that uses two or more sources of power is a hybrid car. Most hybrid cars on the road right now are petrol-electric hybrids. The petrol-electric hybrid car is just what it sounds like -- a cross between a petrol-powered car and an electric car. A gas-powered car has a fuel tank , which supplies petrol to the engine. An electric car, on the other hand, has a set of batteries that provides electricity for the car. To be useful to you or me, a car should be able to run at least 300 miles (483 km) before refueling, be capable of being refueled quickly and easily and fast enough to keep up with the other traffic on the road. A petrol car meets these requirements but produces a large amount of pollution. An electric car, however, produces almost no pollution, but can only go 50 to 100 miles (80 to 161 km) between recharging . And the problem has been that the electric car is very slow and inconvenient to recharge. A petrol-electric car combines the advantages of the two power sources into one system that uses both gas power and electric power. Some experts believe that the hybrid car is "the next generation of smart cars". A hybrid car can go up to 50% further than a traditional car can on the same amount of gas! It saves driver's money on gas and cuts air pollution! The author thinks that electric cars _ . A. are smart vehicles B. are popular vehicle C. are not practical D. are not slow Answer: C
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Question: The easy way out isn't always easiest. I learned that lesson when I decided to treat Doug, my husband of one month, to a special meal. I glanced through my cookbook and chose a menu which included homemade bread. Knowing the bread would take time, I started on it as soon as Doug left for work. As I was not experienced in cooking, I thought if a dozen was good, two dozen would be better, so I doubled everything. As Dong loved oranges, I also opened a can of orange and poured it all into the bowl. Soon there was a sticky dough covered with ugly yellowish marks. realizing I had been defeated, I put the dough in the rubbish bin outside so I wouldn't have to face Doug laughing at my work, I went on preparing the rest of the meal, and, when Doug got home , we sat down to Cornish chicken with rice . He tried to enjoy the meal but seemed disturbed. Twice he got up and went outside, saying he thought he heard a noise. The third time he left, I went to the windows to see what he was doing. Looking out, I saw Doug standing about three feet from the rubbish bin, holding the lid up with a stick and looking into the container. When I came out of the house, he dropped the stick and explained that there was something alive in out rubbish bin . Picking up the stick again, he held the lid up enough for me to see. I felt cold. But I stepped closer and looked harder. Without doubt it was my work. The hot sun had caused the dough to double in size and the fermenting yeast made the surface shake and sigh as though it were breathing. I had to admit what the 'living thing 'was and why it was there. I don't know who was more embarrassed by the whole thing Doug or me. Why did the woman put the dough in the rubbish bin? A. She didn't see the use of keeping it B. She meant to joke with her husband. C. She didn't want her husband to see it. D. She hoped it would soon dry in the son. Answer: C
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Question: The influence of America is increasing in my country. Spanish people drink Coca Cola, wear blue jeans, watch Hollywood movies, listen to American music, and eat fast food, and they do these things every day. I think that American movies are a good way to spread American culture because people are often influenced by what they see in the movies. Most of the programs and documentaries we watch on TV are from America, and most of the movies we go to see are made in Hollywood. In the last few years, the government has tried to protect the Spanish movies. Now, in our cinemas, at least twenty percent of the movies which are shown must be from Spain or from other countries in Europe. American culture is a part of Spanish life now. It's certain that many things from America are as much a part of people's lives as Spanish things. For example, Coca Cola is as familiar to everybody as any typical Spanish product. I've known about Coca Cola for my whole life. However, it's different with Western fast food. For example, I don't think McDonald's is as successful in Spain as it is in other countries. In my opinion, one of the reasons may be the lifestyle of the Spanish people. The Spanish people normally eat at home. On the other hand, maybe McDonald's hamburgers will eventually replace the famous Spanish tapas. It's true that in every city in Spain you can find a McDonald's, and it is more popular among the Spanish children than among the adults. In any case, it's obvious that American culture is becoming more and more a part of our lives every day. Why did the government set some rules for the films shown in Spain? A. To protect foreign culture in Spain. B. To earn more money from Spanish films. C. To limit the number of foreign movies. D. To unite the European Community. Answer: C
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Question: Although American children still spend part of their days reading, they are spending less time doing it for pleasure than years ago, with large gaps in proficiency ,according to a recent report. "It raises an alarm," said Vicky Rideout, the lead author of the report. "We're witnessing a really large drop in reading among teenagers and the speed of that drop is getting faster and faster." The report found that the percentage of nine-year-old children reading for pleasure once or more per week had dropped from 81 percent in 1984 to 76 percent in 2013, based on government studies. About a third of 13-year-olds and almost half of 17-year-olds reported in one study that they read for pleasure less than twice a year. Of those who read or are read to, children often spend on average between 30 minutes and an hour daily with that activity, the report found. Older children and teenagers tend to read for pleasure for an equally long time each day. Rideout warned that there may be differences in how people come across texts and the included studies may not take into account stories read on line or on social media. The report also found that many young children are struggling with literacy . Only about one-third of fourth grade students are "proficient" in reading and another one-third scored below "basic" in reading skills. Despite the large percentage of children with below-basic reading skills, reading scores among young children have improved since the 1970s, according to one test that measures reading ability. The reading scores among 17-year-olds, however, reminded relatively unchanged since the 1790s. About 46 percent of white children are considered "proficient" in reading, compared with 18 percent of black children and 20 percent of Hispanic kids. Those gap remained relatively unchanged over the past 20 years, according to the report. "To go 20 years with no progress in that area is shameful", Rideout said. The report stresses some behaviors that have been tied to children being more frequent readers. Those behaviors include parents setting aside time to read with their children and parents reading themselves to model good behavior. What is the Vicky Rideout's attitude towards the report findings? A. Uncaring. B. Doubtful. C. Positive. D. Worried. Answer: D
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Question: If you are a Lefty , then Left Handers Day is just for you ! The world is built for right handers. In school, have you ever seen a left handed desk ? They don't exist . Many left handed items cost more . The computer mouse is designed for right handers . Scissors for right handers . Only a lefty would understand this . But do you know that right handed people operate in the left side of the brain . Left handed people use the right side . Therefore, only left handed people are in their right mind . Left Handers certainly earned the right to have a day special for them . This special day was first declared and celebrated on Friday , August 13, 1979 by an organization called Lefthanders International . They chose to open their business on that day to address the myths and misconceptions about left-handers . They published a magazine for left-handers and they sold left-handed products for more than twenty years before going out of business a few years ago. The holiday is celebrated annually on the 13th of August . But Left-handers Day is not merely a celebration of the creative superiority of lefties , it also aims at raising awareness of the difficulties presented by a right-handed world . This is a day for left-handers to show their pride and pay tribute to famous left-handers past and present , including some of our greatest artists , athletes and entertainers . Furthermore , this day is to praise the creativity and talents of those left-handers who are less famous but equally productive members of our society . So take a minute to appreciate your left handed friends and loved ones . Don't forget to send them a Left Handed Day E-card to show your respect . Remember that "Leftis have rights!" Which statement is not included in the passage ? A. There are many famous left-handed artists , athletes and so on in the past and at present . B. All left-handers are proud of themselves . C. Relatively , left-handers have more difficulties to overcome than right-handers . D. a lot of ordinary left-handers can also make great contributions to society . Answer: B
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Question: This is Tom's bedroom. It is very nice. A pair of shoes is behind the door. They are black and blue. He likes them very much. His desk is near the bookcase. It is not too big. A red sofa is behind the desk. You can see a clock and some books on the desk. His English books are in his schoolbag. The bag is on the red sofa. You can see _ on the desk. A. a book and a clock B. some books and clocks C. some books and a clock D. a book and some clocks Answer: C
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Question: The Sports Championship Revenue Enhancement Act is a federal statute that was enacted as part of a comprehensive program to eliminate the federal budget deficit. That act imposed, for a period of five years, a 50% excise tax on the price of tickets to championship sporting events. Such events included the World Series, the Super Bowl, major college bowl games, and similar major college bowl games, and similar championship sports events. This federal tax is probably A. constitutional, because the compelling national interest in reducing the federal budget deficit justifies this tax as a temporary emergency measure. B. constitutional, because an act of Congress that appears to be a revenue raising measure on its face is not rendered invalid because it may have adverse economic consequences for the activity taxed. C. unconstitutional, because a 50% tax is likely to reduce attendance at championship sporting events and, therefore, is not rationally related to the legitimate interest of Congress in eliminating the budget deficit. D. unconstitutional, because Congress violates the equal protection component of the Fifth Amendment by singling out championship sporting events for this tax while failing to tax other major sporting, artistic, or entertainment events to which tickets are sold. Answer: B
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Question: Surgeons in Spain have successfully carried out the world's first organ transplant using new stem cell technology. Some people are calling it the greatest medical breakthrough so far this century. But what are stem cells? As we know, most cells in our bodies are designed to serve specific purposes - for example, a liver cell develops to work in the liver and cannot become a heart cell. But stem cells are different. They are very young, and in the laboratory scientists can grow them into different types of cell. Claudia Castillo needed a new windpipe after getting a serious disease. Scientists from the University of Bristol in the UK took a donor windpipe, or trachea, from someone who had recently died. They used strong chemicals to remove the donor's cells, leaving a tissue scaffold . This was refilled with cells from Ms Castillo's windpipe, and stem cells from her bone. After four days the cells had grown sufficiently for the windpipe to be transplanted into Ms Castillo. Currently, transplant patients have to take drugs for the rest of their lives to prevent their bodies rejecting the new organs. These drugs can have bad side-effects, and do not always prevent rejection. But by using Ms Castillo's own cells, doctors were able to trick her body into thinking the new windpipe was her own organ. Five months on, Claudia Castillo is in perfect health. This ground-breaking procedure could be used in other transplant operations in the future. Scientists also believe stem cells might be used to treat Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, diabetes, burns and so on. However, stem cell research is extremely controversial. The most effective stem cells do not come from adults but from embryos created in laboratories and which are just a few days old. Many people have religious or ethical objections to growing embryos, even if they can be used to cure diseases. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? A. Human bodies always reject transplanted organs even with their own cells B. The donor's cells had to be removed because they were unhealthy C. The transplanted organ was refilled with the stem cells only D. Claudia will not have to take drugs to prevent rejection. Answer: D
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Question: OLYMPIA, March 24--Luo Xuejuan, a swimming gold medalist at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, became the first Chinese person to relay the Olympic Flame in Greece on Monday, receiving the flame from the first Olympic torchbearer , Greek Alexandros Nikolaidis. Despite her previous experience as a torchbearer in the Beijing leg of the Athens 2004 torch relay, Luo felt honored and proud of being chosen as the first Chinese torchbearer, the Xihua News Agency reported Luo as saying in an interview. She talked about the great responsibility that she felt, as she believed she was representing every Chinese athlete and even Chinese person by running her _ of the relay. Regarding missing the torch lighting ceremony because she had to be in an assigned location to wait for the flame, Luo felt no regret. "Even though I couldn't see it, I was able to feel the flame light and knew that it was happening at a place nearby," she said. Luo expressed her belief that even if people couldn't communicate with words, the Olympic Flame enables the transmission of the Olympic spirit and brings smiles wherever it might go. In Luo's mind, the Olympic spirit represents purity, competition, friendship, enthusiasm, peace and harmony. Why didn't Luo see the torch lighting ceremony? A. She was late for the ceremony. B. She was not allowed to go there. C. She waited for the flame as the next torchbearer. D. The ceremony took place at a place far away. Answer: C
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Question: Everything has a name. All people, places and things have names.Cities and towns have names,too.Schools and office buildings also have names. Names are important. We use names every day.When we meet a new person, we usually ask"What's your name?" It's important to learn a person's name. Most people have two names. Some have more names. Names are different all over the world, so it is very difficult to remember all of them. In the USA, most people have a first name, a middle name and a last name. Parents choose the first name and middle names for their babies.There are names for boys and names for girls. For example, John, Peter, Tom and Mike are all names for boys, Elizabeth, Bonnie, Susan and Mary are all girls' names. The last name is the family name. Usually it is the father's family name. It is difficult to remember names all over the world because names are _ A. too long B. too many C. too different D. too easy Answer: C
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Question: Water vapor is an example of what? A. moistness B. warmth C. heat D. coldness Answer: A
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Question: In the United States and several other countries, 2.5 million children play baseball in an organization called Little League. They play on teams in their hometowns. Their parents and other adults in the community coach or instruct them and serve as umpires to make sure that everyone follows the rules. Local businesses give money for the ball fields and the uniforms. Local teams compete against each other and the winners get to play teams that are more distant. Eventually, the top teams go to the Little League World Series. One hundred years after Abner Doubleday invented baseball in Cooperstown, New York, in 1839, Little League got started in Pennsylvania. Three men started the game for neighborhood boys with a smaller playing field and fewer innings than adult baseball. Little League became popular after World War II when the game spread across the United States. By 1955 it was played throughout North America and within five years it had spread to Europe. Children's baseball really caught on in Japan and Taiwan of China and teams from those areas won the World Series seven out of eight years. After this, the organization tried banning foreign teams from the World Series, but the ban came to an end after one year. At first, Little League was only for boys aged nine to twelve. However, in 1974, the parents of girl baseball players brought a law suit. The courts ruled that Little League had to include both boys and girls. Later Little League added on softball and other games for teenagers up to age eighteen. Occasionally a Little Leaguer becomes a professional player. For example, Gary Carter went from Little League to play nineteen seasons in the Major Leagues, ten of them as an All-Star player. But, by and large, youngsters play baseball for fun and because their parents are proud of them. What is true about players today? A. Little League is only for neighbourhood boys. B. Girl players have to buy their suits. C. Girls and boys can participate to age eighteen. D. Children can only play until age twelve. Answer: C
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Question: NEW YORK (Reuters)-- The average number of monthly visitors to U. S. newspaper websites rose by nearly a third in the first half of 2006,a study released on Wednesday said,though print readership at some larger papers fell. The study, released by the Newspaper Association of America, underlines the internet' s importance to papers beset by failing circulation and advertising income in their print editions. The average number of unique visitors to online newspaper sites in the first half was more than 55.5 million a month ,the study said. That compares with 42.2 million a year earlier. "Newspaper websites have become a significant addition to the print product, and are driving large audience growth, " said John Kimball9the association' s chief marketing officer. The number of page views at newspaper sites rose by about 52 percent in the first half, the association added. US Newspaper publishers have been fighting to hold on to advertisers as many of them lose readers to other media, including the Internet, Key to the latest report is the finding that websites are bringing in more younger readers, the association said. The Washington Post, s website increased its audience reachamong readers aged25 to 34 by more than 60 percent, the report said. Audience reach^combines the average weekly print audience and the net 30 - day website audience. Overall, newspaper websites helped drive a 15 percent increase in the total newspaper audience for 25 - to - 34 - year olds and a 10 - percent increase for 18 - to 24 - year olds, the association said. It did not provide comparisons to the same period last year for total print newspaper readership. Readership numbers, which were provided by Scarborough Research, include circulation, shared copies and any other way that someone could end up reading a newspaper. Print readership fell, according to a comparison of figures from the two periods conducted by Renter,. ' The New York Times readership dropped 5. 8 percent, while the largest U. S. paper, USA Today, fell 3 percent. The Wall Street Journal saw readership remain nearly the same. Which would be the best title for the passage? A. Online Newspaper Readership Grows B. Convenient Way to Read Newspapers C. rThe Internet Is Taking over in the World D. Print Newspapers Have Lost Their Advantages Answer: A
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Question: Americans get really annoyed when people drive badly, smoke in no-smoking zones, or don't pick up after their dogs, but the rude behavior that annoyed them most is workplace discrimination, according to a survey. The survey found workplace discrimination featured highly on the "Terrible Ten" list of rude behaviors. In the survey,615 people from two companies in Baltimore and the University of Baltimore were asked to rank 30 examples of rude behavior ranging from text messaging when talking to someone, taking other people's food from the office fridge, to snubbing people. Dr Forni, who conducted the survey, said he was surprised discrimination topped the list above other more usual bad habits in the workplace such as colleagues brushing their teeth in the water fountain. "When a worker felt they weren't chosen for a project because they did not speak English as well as others, or felt they weren't promoted because of their national origin, age or sexual preference, they were really upset," he said. "The American workplace is the most diverse in the world and the American worker is very sensitive to any kind of treatment that seems to be unfair." Aggressive--behavior typical of rush hours--came second in the list with taking credit for someone else's work rounding out the top three, followed by treating service providers as inferiors. Forni said it seemed from this survey that people were starting to focus more on the big issues. He said people were far more forgiving when family or friends behaved in a way seen as rude than work colleagues. "With the long hours that are so common today in the workplace, the real determinant of our ability to have a good or bad day is linked to the people we work with," he said. How does Dr Forni seem to feel about the results of the survey? A. Unexpected. B. Doubtful. C. Worried. D. Hopeful. Answer: A
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Question: A water bearer in India had two large pots,each hung on each end of a pole which he neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full load of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For two years this went on daily. The perfect pot was proud of its accomplishment. Of course,the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection. After two years of this sense of bitter failure, it spoke one day to the water bearer by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you. " "Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?" "I have been able for these last two years to deliver only half my load, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back. And you do no get full value for your efforts" the pot explained. The water bearer, hearing this, said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path. " As they wnet up the hill, the cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it a little. The bearer said, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side ?" That is because I have known about you, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you have watered them. For two years I have been able to pick those beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty in his house. " How would the cracked pot feel at the end of the story? A. Much happier with itself. B. Disappointed with itself. C. Prouder than the perfect pot. D. Still ashamed of itself. Answer: A
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Question: Have you ever suddenly felt that someone you know was in trouble -- and he was? Have you ever dreamed something that came true later? Maybe you have ESP. ESP stands for Extra Sensory Perception. It may be called a sixth sense. It seems to let people know about events before they happen, or events that are happening some distance away. Here is an example: A woman was doing washing. Suddenly she shouted, "My father is dead! I saw him sitting in the chair!" Just then, a telephone came. The woman's father had died of a heart illness. He died sitting in a chair. There are thousands of stories like this on record. Scientists are studying them to find out what is behind these strange mental messages. Here's another example ---- one of hundreds of dreams that have come true. A man dreamed he was walking along a road when a horse and carriage came by. The driver said, "There's room for one more." The man felt the driver was Death, so he ran away. The next day the man was getting on a crowded bus. The bus driver said, "There's room for one more". Then the man saw the driver's face was the same face he had seen in the dream. He wouldn't get on the bus. As the bus drove off, it crashed and burst into fires. Everyone was killed! Some people say stories like these are lies or coincidences. Others say that are ESP in true, from studies of ESP, we may some day learn more about the human mind. The example of the man shows the ability to _ . A. avoid traffic accidents B. know the good and bad of a person C. know about the events happening some distance away D. sense a danger that will happen later on Answer: D
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Question: The world's native languages are dying out at an unprecedented rate, taking with them irreplaceable knowledge about the natural world, according to a new study. The study identified five global "hot spots" where languages are _ faster than anywhere else ---- eastern Siberia, northern Australia, central South America, the US state of Oklahoma and the US Pacific Northwest. "Languages are suffering a global extinction crisis that greatly goes beyond the pace of species extinction," linguistics professor David Harrison noted, who said half of the world's 7,000 languages were expected to disappear before the end of the century. Native people had an intimate knowledge of their environment that was lost when their language disappeared, along with other certain things often unfamiliar to us, Harrison stressed. "Most of what we know about species and ecosystems is not written down anywhere, it's only in people's heads," he said. "We are seeing in front of our eyes the loss of the human knowledge base." Harrison was one of a team of linguists who carried out the study. The researchers traveled to Australia this year to study native languages, some of the most endangered. According to Harrison, in Australia, they were heartened to see a woman in her 80s who was one of the only three remaining speakers of the Yawuru language passing on her knowledge to schoolchildren. He said such inter-generational exchanges were the only way native languages could survive. "The children had elected to take this course, no one forced them," he said. "When we asked them why they were learning it, they said,'This is a dying language, we need to learn it'." Also, while there they found a man with knowledge of the Amurdag language, which had previously been thought extinct. The researchers said all five of the hot spots identified were areas that had been successfully colonized and where a dominant language such as Spanish or English was threatening native tongues. According to Harrison, language extinction _ . A. causes the researchers lots of worries B. speeds up the pace of species extinction C. threatens the existing of Spanish and English D. brings about a loss of knowledge about the environment Answer: D
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