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Question: "I never expected that I would be so busy. Why can't there be 25 hours in a day?" complained Liu Ran in Hong Kong as mid-term exams were going on. The 18-year-old was Shandong Province's top scorer in this year's college entrance examination. After graduating from Tai'an No.1 High School, she chose the Chinese University of Hong Kong , although both Peking University and Tsinghua University promised her a place. "I want to experience a more international school and social life in Hong Kong. I'm majoring in journalism, so Hong Kong will surely help widen my horizons," Liu said. It is two months since Liu first set foot on Hong Kong. She missed home a lot at the beginning, because of the food and language problems. "The canteen offers mostly Western or Guangdong food, but it's convenient to cook for ourselves in our dorm if we like. People speak Cantonese and almost all classes are in English," Liu explained. Her English and Cantonese are now both improving, but she still needs more time to adapt to the new environment. "I'm happy that I made the right decision to study here. With a mix of the Eastern and Western cultures, there is so much to discover and learn," she said. Liu has 18 credit hours of classes every week and 23 non-credit hours every other week. She has signed up for four associations including the Chinese Language Debating Team and the drama club. Essays, book reports and presentations also take plenty of time to prepare. And , of course, there are various parties to attend. "I wasn't a party animal before, but that may be interesting part of college. I sense myself changing," Liu said. Liu Ran had to overcome the difficulties in many aspects EXCEPT _ . A. food B. language C. missing home D. no friends Answer: D
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Question: something could get wedged during winter if which of these happens? A. trapped water changes physical form repeatedly B. water flows down a stream C. water drank by a person D. none of these Answer: A
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Question: Light in the evening will do what as fall approaches A. glow longer B. end sooner C. last longer D. stay later Answer: B
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Question: Dear friends, My name is Tony. I am English. I am thirteen years old this year. I am tall, and I am good at playing football. I am in Grade Seven. There are thirty boys and twenty girls in my class. We are learning Chinese in our school. Our Chinese teacher is Mr. Wu. He is a little short, but he is very strong. He is very nice to us. I have some good friends in my class. Tom is a tall boy and has short black hair. He is good at playing football, too. Alice is short and she loves wearing red dresses. She is good at English. Shelly has long hair. She can speak Japanese and she likes running. We all study hard. What about your school and your friend? Please write soon. Yours, Tony How many students are there in Tony's class? A. 30 B. 20 C. 50 D. 52 Answer: C
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Question: Chinese students have tended to come to the UK at a younger age in recent years, which means they come to Britain not only for higher education, but also for high school or even primary school. Asian investors have followed this trend, and started to buy independent schools to serve this demand. An article carried by theTimes of London on October 17 reported that last year Chinese-owned company Achieve Education bought Chase Grammar, a boarding and day school in Cannock, Staffordshire. Chase Grammar includes a program that offers extra support for pupils from China. "This trend is very good and I am not at all surprised," Barnaby Lenon, chairman of the Independent Schools Council, told theGlobal Times, adding that Chinese people like the English education system. "We welcome Chinese investors in British private education." "Chase Grammar School is small, and the classes are small. It gives the school a family atmosphere," Jackie Medhurst, principal of Chase Grammar School, said in a welcome note on the school's website. Small class sizes, personal care, good exam result, and entry to world famous universities are features that are most attractive to Chinese students. But many parents are also worried that foreign investors might expand the proportion of international students, and that might _ the British tradition. It seems that Chase Grammar does not intend to hide their attempts to attract Chinese families. It has set up a China office in Shanghai to facilitate Chinese parents' communication with the school. Tong Zhou, a director of Chase Grammar, told the media that the school does not intent to change the ratio of local students and international students. Some international branches of British boarding schools are very popular in Asia. In recent years, the Chinese passion for the British boarding school system has led some of the best-known schools such as Harrow and Wellington to set up satellite schools in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. And the trend continues. It seems that the rising wealthy class in Asia is not satisfied with international branches in their own countries. They want to send their kids to the original British boarding schools to be surrounded by English people and immersed in the British culture. To support their children studying in the UK, Chinese parents are buying houses in Britain. According to a survey by UK Property Weekly, houses near universities and outstanding primary and secondary schools are the most preferable location for Chinese buyers. Compared to the independent school system, universities are more open. It is reported that China remains the leading source of international students for London. Which of the following is NOT among the attractions of the British schools? A. The small size of classes. B. The entry to world-famous universities. C. Good exam results. D. Good living conditions. Answer: D
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Question: It's very early in the morning and I'm sitting outside. It's also very cold and dark. With me is Jim Nightingale, and he is the reason I'm up so early. He passes me a hot cup of coffee. "Not long to wait now," he says. I hope he's right. After a few minutes there is a very weak light in the east, and then I hear a bird singing. It sings very loud and very clear. "That's the robin ," says Jim. A few more birds start singing with the robin and Jim knows the names of them too. Half an hour later, there are more and more birds singing, and it's very loud! Suddenly, all around us the air is full of the sound of birdsong. This is the dawn chorus , and it's beautiful. "Wow, this is amazing!" I tell Jim, who is smiling. "Is there a dawn chorus every morning?" "Birds can sing any time of the year but the best time is the end of winter and during the spring. This is when the birds sing most." "Really? So, why do they sing?" I ask. "Well, there are two reasons," explains Jim. "Most of the songbirds who sing are males. They want to find a female so they sing to show how strong they are. The females listen and choose the best singer! The birds also sing to tell other males to go away. They need their own area; they don't like sharing with another male." I listen to the birds; the songs seem too much to me. "Do the birds sing a special song in the morning?" "That's a good question," replied Jim. "The successful birds have many kinds of calls and songs. Sometimes they copy the songs of other birds. This makes it sound like there are many birds in that place already and other males stay away. Also the female likes songs with different notes. Some birds, for example the European wren, have songs that contain over 700 different notes per minute!" So, how does Jim know so much about birds? Well, he works as a volunteer for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. He is trying to help the birds live in the modern world. "More and more of the birds' habitat disappears every year. The sparrow, for example, was a very common bird in the UK, now it's in danger." By now the sun is up and the birds are quiet. It's light so they can start looking for food, they need a big breakfast after all that singing. The text is mainly about _ . A. the robin's songs B. the birds' habitat C. why birds sing D. how to protect birds Answer: C
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Question: Hello , boys and girls ! I'm Anna Green . Look ! This is my bedroom . The wall is white . And this is my bed . B-E-D , bed . It's green . What's this on the bed ? It is a quilt . It's a yellow quilt . And that's a jacket . It's green , too . What are those on the sofa ? They are my books . Oh , what's this on the wall ? It's a map of China . What color is it ? It is green . Oh , no . It's yellow . No , it's blue , yellow and brown . I like my bedroom very much . _ is ( are ) green . A. The bed B. The jacket C. The map D. The bed and the jacket Answer: A
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Question: I stood there listening to my father shout at top of his voice. The look on his face said that one of us had done something wrong. "Which one of you did this?" We all looked down at the step. There was child's handwriting in chalk there. I was very frightened. I hope no one could see it. Would he guess it was me? I was so scared. When he asked me, I lied, "Not me, dad." The other denied it as well. Of course, we all knew that one of us must have done it. But as the youngest and smallest of the three, I just couldn't find courage to tell the truth. To find out who had written on the step, Father gave us each a piece of paper and a pencil. "I want each of you to write exactly what you see on the step." I tried my best to write the words differently. I didn't want dad to be able to tell it was me. He gathered up our paper and looked at them. "Since none of you will say yes, then I will punish you all." I stood there and said nothing. The last thing I wanted was for Dad to punish me! "I did it." My sister walked forward and said she had done something she hadn't. she was punished for a month. We didn't talk about that day for many years. Not until we were all older and I knew it was safe to finally tell my dad it was really me. I always felt sorry because of it. That was the last time I let anyone _ for me. I told myself, "One must see to what he or she has done." Which of the following statements is true? A. The writer kept telling lies. B. Her sister told the truth. C. The writer's father punished the children. D. None of the children told the truth. Answer: D
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Question: I am a sophomore at Princeton University, where I am majoring in chemical engineering. I chose to study at UCD in the spring of 2015 primarily because I have always been interested in Ireland and Irish culture, but also to take advantage of UCD's courses in pharmacology , a field not offered at my home school. I also chose UCD because of its Introduction to Scientific Research module, which matches visiting students with professors for a term-long research project, and because of the Science office's friendliness and helpfulness. I am convinced that I made the best possible decision! While at UCD I lived on campus, which allowed me to throw myself into everything the university has to offer. I was given the opportunity to work with Geraldine Butler's lab. I loved it so much that I ended up heading to the lab almost every weekday, whenever I wasn't attending my always-interesting classes in pharmacology. After lab, I enjoyed a variety of after-school activities--that was certainly a new experience for me. Living in Dublin provided a great opportunity for seeing the rest of Ireland and Europe. I spent my weekends and spring break traveling to every corner of the island, amazed at all of the history and natural beauty. I was also able to visit the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and Sweden. After every trip, it was nice to return to friendly Dublin and head out with my roommates to one of our favorite pubs. I would highly recommend studying abroad at UCD. I learned so much from my courses and my research project and had a wonderful time exploring Ireland. I can't wait to come back! Which is NOT the reason why the author chose UCD ? A. He was attracted by Ireland and Irish culture. B. There was a chance for him to change his major. C. It offered visiting students a guided research project. D. The staff in the Science office were friendly and helpful. Answer: B
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Question: Most American students have to say goodbye to fancy fruits these days. In school restaurants across the country, cheaper fruits like apples and oranges have taken their place. "People are afraid to spend now." said Linda Morrow, who owns a shoe and handbag store. "They don't know what the future will bring". During the financial crisis , several of the country's biggest banks have been forced to sell or close. This has made lots of Americans afraid to buy expensive things. The crisis began last year. Experts think it was because US banks lend money too easily. Last year a lot of people and companies, who borrowed money, found themselves unable to pay it back. This left the banks, as well as the people who put their money in the banks, without money. Since the banks borrowed money between themselves and even across borders , the whole world was in trouble. This month the US government agreed on a $700 billion plan to try to save the financial market. But no one is sure whether it will help or not. Last week presidents from 20 countries promised to work together to find a way out of the money trouble. The best title for the passage is _ . A. Ways to Save Money B. Financial Crisis facing the World C. Banks in the USA D. The USA Becoming Poor Answer: B
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Question: In the next few years, battery technology is going to grow rapidly. No more charging your smart phone every day... No more "range anxiety" for electric cars, as new lithium batteries allow them to drive hundreds of miles on a single charge, just like a tank of gas. And a tiny Chinese company is to be the leader of it all. It already counts Motorola, Nokia, and Samsung as customers for its advanced batteries. But the real money is going to come when it starts selling electric cars. Right now, the stock is trading at an extreme discount, offering in-the-know investors a chance to get in and _ . You need to know all the details about this opportunity today -- and not a day later. To do that, and to gain access to all the information you'll need to invest confidently, simply sign up for the free e-Letter from Energy & Capital by entering your email address below... Once you do, we'll rush you our latest report, China's $2.00 Lithium Linchpin. After getting your report, you'll begin receiving the Energy & Capital e-Letter, delivered to your inbox daily. Become a member of Energy & Capital today. It is free and there is absolutely no obligation , ever. NO-JUNK: By no means will we EVER rent, sell or give away your email address for any reason. Unsubscribing from Energy & Capital is quick, easy, and painless... with just a few clicks. View our Privacy Policy. Where is this material probably from? A. A magazine. B. A newspaper. C. A website. D. A booklet. Answer: C
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Question: Our plan was to drive into Cambridge, catch the 7:34 train to Liverpool Street Station, then to separate and meet again for lunch. We should have arrived at Liverpool at 9:19, but due to a typical London fog, the train had to move along so slowly that it was not until 10:30 that it got there. In spite of our late arrival, Joan, my wife's sister, decided that she would go to see the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London while we went shopping. It was only after her sister had disappeared into the fog that my wife realized that we hadn't decided where we should meet for lunch. Since I had our three tickets for the concert in my pocket, this was indeed a problem. There seemed to be nothing we could do except taking a taxi to the Tower of London, and try to find her there. Needless to say, we didn't find her. It was now one o'clock, and the concert began at 2:30. "Perhaps she will think of waiting outside the concert hall," suggested my wife hopefully. By this time the fog was so thick that road traffic had to stop, and the only way to get there was by underground railway. Hand in hand we felt our way along the road to where we thought the nearest station should be. An hour later we were still trying to find it. Just as I was about to lose my temper completely when we met a blind man tapping his way confidently through the fog. With his help we found Tower Hill tube station just fifty yards down the road. By now it was far too late even to try to get to the concert hall before the performance began at 2:30, so we decided to return to Cambridge. It took seven long hours instead of the usual two to make that journey. Nor were we able to get any food and drink on the train. Tired and hungry we finally reached home at ten, opening the door to the sound of the telephone bell. It was Joan; she had seen the Crown Jewels, had managed to get another ticket for concert, and had had a wonderful dinner at a restaurant near the hotel where she decided to stay for the night. Now she was ringing to discover whether we had had an equally successful day. Why was Joan separated from her sister and her brother-in-law? A. they could not see each other because of the fog. B. Joan had not seen Crown Jewels. C. They planned to do different things until lunch time. D. The writer didn't want to go to the concert. Answer: C
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Question: LONDON(AP)---A suburban house that starred onscreen as Harry Potter's childhood home is on the market---complete with a cupboard under the stairs. Fans of the boy wizard will recognize 12 Picket Post Close as 4 Privet Drive, home of Harry's cruel aunt and uncle, the Dursleys. The couple unwillingly took Harry in after his parents were murdered and made him sleep in a cupboard under the stairs. The house in Bracknell, 30 miles(50 kilometers)west of London, was a location featured in the 2001 film "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone." A studio set of the house was built for later films of the eight series. Real estate agency Chancellors says the three-bedroom house has recently been made over to an extremely high standard." It's listed at a price of 475,000 pounds$616,000.)" Real estate agent Paul Bosanko said, "the original plan was to take this property to market without using any reference to Harry Potter. But since news of the connection got out, interest has shot up, and that may or may not influence the final price that we achieve at this property," Bosanko said. Neighbor Karen Field said that the house still attracts Potter fans a decade-and-a-half after the film crews left. When the movie first came out, "there were tour buses, literally tour buses coming down the road," Field said. "It's a lot quieter now," she said. "School holidays, you still get people coming along." What is not true with the house? A. It is now on the market B. It belongs to the Dursleys C. It was related to Harry Potter D. Potter fans keep coming to it Answer: B
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Question: Every year Chris Brogan posts his three words for a new year. I and many others have followed his lead for the past three or four years. They helped me a lot.My words for last year were"passion","focus"and"delegate"and I stayed true to them.This year,2012,my goals are more personal and less professional. FOCUS Focus is making a repeat appearance on my list this year because I'm too much of a multitasker. The problem is that I have trouble finishing one thing with so many things calling me. When I was working as a writer,all my projects were handled via a schedule,which kept me organized.This year I'm going to have each task scheduled.I'm putting a fitness and housekeeping routine into my schedule. HEALTH I get so busy taking care of everyone else,I forget to take care of myself and this has to change. My health suffers and my weight suffers.I have to get my 1}ealth in check,not only for me-but because I promised my 9 year-old son.I'11 make sure to take time to exercise every day and make good food and lifestyle choices. I miss beingthin,and it's time to get it back. CELEBRATE What good is having it all if I'm not taking time to enjoy it?I have a wonderful job,a happy family,and so much to be thankful for. So how come I spend all my time working? Last summer my family took our first vacation in four years,the best thing I've done for myself and my family in a long time.This year,I'm making sure to take time to enjoy life and celebrate its many blessings. Do you have any words for 2012? What can we learn from the passage? A. The word"celebrate"can remind the writer to enjoy life. B. The writer has a vacation with his family every four years. C. The word"focus"can help the writer focus on his family. D. The writer used to be overweight for lack of exercise. Answer: A
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Question: Babysitter Wanted I am seeking a babysitter for my 6-month-old son. A few hours on Saturdays and Sundays to help me and then other times as needed. He or she should be over 18, responsible, loving, warm, and have some experience in caring for babies. This position also suits a college student with experience looking for a part-time job. The pay is $10 an hour. If this sounds like a good job to you, please reply to rebecharv@aol.comor call 800-4964. Office Manager Wanted Our company is looking for a full-time experienced manager to run the business. Strong skills in organisation and business management are required for this position. The office manager will be responsible for keeping financial records, so he or she should be familiar with computers. Please reply to jim@californiaaquatics.comor call 800-6978 to apply. Waiter/ Waitress Wanted A restaurant is looking for an experienced waiter / waitress. Knowledge of wines and experience in dining are necessary. Must work well under pressure and understand the basics of fine dining and customer service. If you're interested, please contact us at job-tkupe-1329358152@craigslist.orgto apply. This is a part-time job. Office Cleaner Wanted Looking for a Part-time job? A position in the Mississauga area needs an office cleaner! Part-time 4 hours a day from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. Duties include: *Cleaning the washrooms *Cleaning the furniture *Sweeping the floors *Other general cleaning Some experience is necessary. Pay:$15 per hour Replyto:job-p3b7u-1365632206@craigslist.orgor call 800-8197. Which of the following is necessary for a waiter / waitress? A. Being familiar with computers. B. Having knowledge of wines. C. Knowing more about menus. D. Working well with others. Answer: B
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Question: As a youngster, I liked to stay at my grandfather's farm as there were stone walls around the house, which could provide me endless hours of fun. Since my first visit to the farm, I wanted to climb them. My parents would never agree. The walls were old and some stones were missing and others loose and falling. However, my idea grew so strong. Then, I had all my courage to enter the living room, where all the adults had gathered. "I... I want to climb the stone walls," I said. At once voices of disagreement went up from the women in the room. "Heavens! No! You'll hurt yourself!" I wasn't too disappointed because the result was just as I'd expected. But before I could leave the room, I was stopped by my grandfather's loud voice. "Hold on just a minute." I heard him say. "Let the boy climb the stone walls. He has to learn to do things for himself." "Go," he said to me, "and come to see me when you get back." For the next two and a half hours I climbed those walls, and had a good time of my life. Later I met with my grandfather to tell him about my adventures. I'll never forget what he said. "Fred," he said, smiling. "You made this day a special day just by being yourself. Always remember, there's only one person in this whole world like you, and I like you exactly as you are." Many years have passed since then, and today I host the television program, which is being seen by millions of children throughout USA. There have been changes over the years, but what my grandfather said never left me. We can learn from the passage that the writer was _ . A. smart B. funny C. adventurous D. generous Answer: C
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Question: My name is Jeff. I'm English. But now I live in China. I am a student. This is my classroom. Fifteen small desks and thirty chairs are in the classroom. They are for classmates and me. A big desk is in the classroom, too. It's for my teacher. A clock is on the back wall of the classroom. Next to the clock is a map. It's a map of China. My classroom is nice and clean. I like _ very much. Who is Jeff? A. An English schoolboy B. A Chinese schoolgirl C. A Chinese student D. An American boy Answer: A
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Question: Worrying about how you'll perform on a math test may actually contribute to a lower test score, US researchers said on Saturday. Math anxiety--feelings of dread and fear and avoiding math--can weaken the brain's limited amount of working capacity, a resource needed to calculate difficult math problems, said Mark Ashcrafi, a psychologist at the University of Nevada Las Vegas who studies the problem. "It turns out that math anxiety occupies a person's working memory," said Ashcraft, who spoke at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in San Francisco. Ashcraft said while easy math tasks such as addition require only a small part of a person's working memory, harder calculations require much more. Worrying about math takes up a large part of a person's working memory stores as well, _ disaster for the anxious student who is taking a high-stakes test . Stress about how one does on tests like college entrance exams can make even good math students choke. "All of a sudden they start looking for the short cuts," said University of Chicago researcher Sian Beilock. Although test preparation classes can help students get over this anxiety, they are limited to students whose families can afford them. Finally, she said, "It may not be wise to rely completely on scores to predict who will succeed." While the causes of math anxiety are unknown, Ashcraft said, "People who manage to get over math anxiety have completely normal math ability." Sian Beilock points out that stress _ . A. can't be avoided before college entrance exams B. contributes to scores in college entrance exams C. has no effects on good math students D. has side effects on students in college entrance exams Answer: D
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Question: Since the pre-historic times, man has had an urge to satisfy his needs.For food, shelter or a mate, he has always controlled the circumstances to the best of his advantages.Probably this might be the reason why we human are the most developed of all living beings on the earth, and probably also in the universe.As we climbed the steps of evolution, we somehow left behind common sense and logical thinking--we forgot that we have stopped thinking ahead of time. If you are hungry, what do you do? Grab a piece of your favorite meal and stay quiet after that? Just like your stomach, even your mind is hungry.But it never lets you know, because you keep it busy thinking about your dream lover, favorite star and many such absurd things.So it silently began to pay attention to your needs and never let itself grow.When mind looses its freedom to grow, creativity gets a full stop. Hunger of the mind can be actually satisfied through extensive reading.Now why reading and not watching TV? Because reading has been the most educative tool used by us right from the childhood.Just like that to develop other aspects of our life, we have to get help from reading.You have innumerable number of books in this world which will answer all, your "How to?" questions.Once you read a book, you just don't run your eyes through the lines, but even your mind decodes it and explains it to you.The interesting part of the book is stored in your mind as a seed.Now this seed is unknowingly used by you in your future to develop new ideas.The same seed if used many times, can help you link and relate a lot of things, of which you would never have thought in your wildest dreams! This is nothing but creativity.The larger number of books you read, your mind will open up like never before.Also this improves your speaking skills to a large extent and also makes a significant contribution to your vocabulary.Within no time you start speaking English or any language fluently with your friends or other people and you never seem to run out of the right words at the right time. Actually, I had a problem in sped king English fluently, but as I read, I could improve significantly.I am still on the path of improvement.So, give food to your thoughts by reading. Which of the following is the most important in creating new ideas? A. Enlarging vocabulary. B. Keeping reading books. C. Making public speeches. D. Acquiring knowledge on TV. Answer: B
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Question: Several days ago, a Beijing - based IT company fired about 400 people overnight. No one had expected the job cuts, which broke with traditional ways of letting go of workers in China. Moreover, what was special about this case was that the day before the 400 were fired, they all received from their boss a gift - the book "Who Moved My Cheese?". The book - a bestseller in the US - is being used by men and women to deal with changes in their lives and work. Some large organizations, including Coca- Cola, Kodak and General Motors, ask their employees to read it in order to encourage them to be active towards changes. Cheese is something related to everyone's livelihood - our jobs, the industries we work in, relationships and love as well. With China's official entry into WTO, the whole nation will face up to more changes and challenges. So what should we do once this "cheese" on which we are so dependent is moved? "Whatever challenges and changes we meet, we should face up to them bravely" Jiang Hengwei, a civil servant said after reading the book. Professor Yang in Renmin University of China agrees. "We should change our way of thinking. The coming competitive foreign companies and products provide us with great chances to learn from them and improve our own products to meet international standards and be more competitive." "With hard work and wisdom, we will create a much larger and better piece of cheese. "Zhang smiled confidently. The whole passage is about _ . A. a bestseller in the US B. what people think about China's entry into the WTO C. people's attitude toward changes and challenges D. how a book influences the Chinese workers Answer: C
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Question: Saturday, March 20, 2010 Dear Mom and Dad, The time has come: I'm graduating, and I thank you both for all your help during these 15 years. I still remember when you used to say, "You can be whatever you want". I'm so glad you are my parents, especially when I hear kids say they don't get on well with theirs. I'm glad that you support me when I decide to do anything. You always try to help, and that's important to me. Dad, I remember when you first took me fishing. I loved going even though I never caught anything. I also remember when you would get angry with me. I realize you were only trying to show me the right way. When I would cry, you would always be there to try to cheer me up. That's what I call a good, loving, caring dad. Sometimes you and Mom don't agree with me, but you are there by my side in anything that I do, and that's why I love you both so much. Mom, I enjoy going out with you and having our happy time every Friday night, and I hope that never changes. I love telling you everything; the best part about you is that you listen. I'm glad we do a lot together. You love to have fun, and _ You always give me your opinion and I listen. Thank you for bringing me up. Love always, Allison Allison writes the letter to show _ to her parents. A. wishes B. support C. help D. thanks Answer: D
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Question: The idea of not having a phone at ail could be beneficial sounds crazy to people who are addicted to the global Internet or even just Facebook. Indeed, it sounds like a pain. But some luxuries of a phone-free lifestyle make us realize that freedom has long been absent from our lives with a phone. According to The Wall Street Journal's Anton Troianovski. people expect less of you when you don't have a cell phone. Melissa Hildebrand, for example, doesn't even own n phone. She just leaves if her friends don't turn up on time for an event or meeting. "She gives them 15 to 30 minutes to show up," writes Troianovski. With a cell phone in hand, one receives apology calls, which will lengthen the waiting. Without a phone, that responsibility seems to reduce. Dean Obeidallah of CNN believes that not having a cell phone gives him the ability to see things; A beautiful woman burning past while fixing her makeup; Asian tourists busy taking photos; a businessman talking on his phone and looking important. "Instead of texting or checking my e-mail, I began to actually, look at the people I sharing the streets with. It is truly like a movie set filled with extras from all walks of life, Obeidallah said. Along with these small benefits of not having a phone, however, come all its inconvenience. Nancy Kadlick told The Wall Street Journal that she once missed an airport pick-up due to not having a phone. For Rebecca Greenfield, a columnist for the Atlantic Wire, the inconvenience of not having a phone outweigh(;) these small luxuries. But she also said: "Not having one every once in a while sounds like a nice practice." According to the text, the author believes that_. A. all the people will be crazy without cell phones B. the phone free lifestyle will not bring much inconvenient C. cell phones rob us of some freedom D. the phone-free lifestyle is what people seek Answer: C
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Question: An interesting study posted on Facebook recently shows how men and women develop new interests as they mature . While women tend to take exercise seriously from the age of 34, men will wait until their 45th birthdays before working hard to get in shape. The average woman spends more time talking about sports, politics, career and money as she gets older. Women's interest in books reaches its peak at the age of 22, while that of men does so when they are in their 50s. Men start to change their focus from the workplace to other things after age 30, while women do not do so until eight years later. Both, however, care most about fashion at age 16. The research used anonymous data donated by thousands of Facebook users, recording the statuses, 'likes' and 'interests' they had posted on their profiles. It found the average woman talks about television most at 44, while men peak much younger, at age 31. Men are also most likely to see a film in a cinema at age 31, while women go out to see films most when they are only 19. Men are most interested in travel at 29, women at 27, while women talk most about food and drink at 35, and men at 38. And if you are middle aged, a safe topic for any audience is the weather, which is a key interest for many as they approach 60. Stephen Wolfram, the British scientist who carried out the research, says, "It's almost shocking how much this tells us about the changes of people's typical interests. "People talk less about video games as they get older, and more about politics." When do women love books best? A. At the age of 22. B. At the age of 50. C. At the age of 30. D. At the age of 15. Answer: A
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Question: First, open the lid (-) and put water, salt, and rice in the pot. Then put the cover on the pot and close the lid. Next, press the button for "white" or "brown", and then press the "start" button. Let the rice cook for about 30 minutes. You'll hear a beeping sound when it's finished, but you should wait about five minutes before eating. Finally, take out the pot. Bring it to the table and enjoy your meal. How long should you wait before eating the rice in total? A. Five minutes. B. Ten minutes. C. Thirty minutes. D. Thirty-five minutes. Answer: D
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Question: Every day, Daisy wakes up next to a man, who has to convince her they are married. When she expresses doubt, he takes out a photo album and shows her pictures of their wedding 13 years ago. Only then does _ Daisy accept that she has been married, and that everything he has told her is true. The lady's condition was caused by brain injuries suffered in two road accidents, a motorbike crash in 1985 and a car accident in 1990. Daisy can recall everything up to 1994, but since then everything that happens on one day is forgotten the next day. She has no day-today memory after the car crash. And it is not just loved ones Daisy struggles with. She uses hundreds of notes and reminders on her mobile phone's calendar to keep her informed of appointments and everyday duties. Anything she has done or anyone she has met must be logged for future reference. And on the rare occasions when she takes the risk of going out of her home alone, she has to be armed with navigation programmed with her address. There are some benefits, however. There is no such thing as a repeat on TV and every joke is funny, because it seemed she has heard it the first time."It's like I am living the same day, day after day, said Daisy, who does voluntary work at a charity for people with disabilities three days a week. Dr Peter Nestor said Daisy was suffering from anterograde( , ) amnesia. He added, "It is reasonably rare, but it does exist. You are able to carry out daytoday things, and don't forget how to do certain things like speaking. But if someone was to ask you what you did yesterday, you wouldn't have a clue." Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage? A. Daisy could still enjoy a lot in spite of her illness. B. The only thing Daisy kept in mind was her home. C. Daisy couldn't do anything but stay at home. D. Daisy didn't want to trust anyone else. Answer: A
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Question: When Mr. David retired , he bought a small house in a village near the sea. He liked it and hoped to live a quiet life in it. But to his surprise, many visitors came to see his house in summer holidays, for _ was the most interesting building in the village. From morning to night, there were visitors outside the house. They kept looking into the rooms through the windows and many of them even went into the house. He decided to drive the visitors away. So he put a notice on the window. The notice said,"If you want to satisfy your curiosity ,come in and look around. Price: twenty dollars."Mr. David was sure that the visitors would stop coming, but he was wrong. More and more visitors came and Mr. David had to spend every day showing them around his house. "I came here to retire, not to work as a guide ", he said angrily. In the end, he sold the house and moved away. After Mr. David put up the notice _ . A. the visitors didn't come any more B. fewer and fewer visitors came to see his house C. more and more visitors came for a visit D. no visitor would pay the money for a visit Answer: C
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Question: Why was Bastille important to the citizens of Paris? The building of the Bastille had been started in 1370 under Charles V. By the seventeenth century, it had stopped to be important for defense. Cardinal Richelieu turned it into a prison. It was not an ordinary prison to punish common crimes. Its huge doors closed only on enemies of the King. The Bastille's workings were secret. Prisoners were taken to it in closed vehicles. Soldiers on guard duty had to stand with their faces to the wall. No talking was allowed. Worst of all, a prisoner never knew if he would be there a day, a week, a year, or forever. Only the King's letter could set him free. Over the years, the number of arrests by King's letter had become fewer. By the time of its fall, most of the prisoners were writers who had written against the corruptions of the government. Voltaire, the famous French writer, spent a year there in 1717-1718, and another 12 days in 1726. For those who believed in free speech and free thinking, the Bastille stood for everything evil. The day it was captured, only seven prisoners were found inside. Still, the Bastille was hated by the people. It was a symbol of the King's complete power. The Bastille had been a prison _ . A. since the time of Charles V B. since the time of Cardinal Richelieu C. before the seventeenth century D. since 1370 Answer: B
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Question: John Smith,an office worker,lives in Washington.He inherited a million dollars when he was 23,but he wasn't happy at all.When his college friends were looking for their jobs,he didn't have to.Jack decided to living a simple life like everyone else.He gave $l0,000 of his money to a charity to help poor children live a better life.Today he is 36.He still wears cheap shoes and clothes and drives a small car only,but he is very happy. Up to now John has helped some children from poor countries all over the world,by sending them each $200 a month.The money was used for the children's study, food, medicine and clothing.John receives a report each year on the children's progress.They can write to each other, but usually the children do not speak English. When John first heard about these children,he wanted to help them."It was nothing special," he said."Until I went to these countries and met the children I was helping,I didn't know anything about their life." Once John went to meet a little girl in Africa.He said that the meeting was very exciting."When I met her.I felt very ,very happy."he said."And I saw that the money was used for a good cause.It brought me happiness.I want to do everything I can to go on helping those children." John learned about the children's progress by _ . A. visiting them each year B. getting a report every year C. staying with them D. talking to them in English Answer: B
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Question: Boys and girls love to watch TV. Some children spend six hours a day in school and four to six in front of the TV set. Some children even watch TV for eight or more hours on Saturday. TV programmes are like books and films. A child can learn bad things from some of them and good things from others. Some programmes help children know the news from the other parts of the world. Some programmes show people and places from other countries or other times in history. With TV, a child doesn't need to go to the zoo to see animals or to the sea to see a ship. Boys and girls can see a film, a play or a basketball match at home. Some programmes can teach children how to cook or how to use tools. It's interesting to watch TV, but it is also interesting to read a book or to visit friends. Which of the following is wrong? A. Watching TV is the only interesting thing in life. B. Reading a book is also interesting C. Visiting friends is interesting, too D. A child should learn useful things from TV programmes. Answer: A
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Question: Not only did the students ask for changes in the list of required subjects,but they also demanded the right to choose their courses according to their own taste and future needs.No more fixed programs,no guidance from educators and professors.All they wanted was to get their degree as fast as possible and go to work. Although the educators didn't all agree;a majority recognized that time had indeed changed and that education should perhaps adapt itself to the realities of modern society.Colleges and universities revised their programs to include a large number of specialized courses in business,nursing,engineering,and other professional fields.In the 1960s they also added courses requested by the students because they considered them"relevant "(Women Studies,Revolution,or Black History)or useful(glass blowing,infant care,slow running,or family life).The students were granted the right to choose their courses as they wished.Many traditional subjects had to be dropped,including history and foreign languages;the liberal education courses that were still useful were often neglected by the students,who didn't feel like working hard to learn something that was not required for graduation. Whether the revised programs have helped college graduates to find employment quickly is not clear.But after fifteen or twenty years of experimentation,they have raised a lot of criticism.Some of it comes from the graduates themselves,who discover that their practical knowledge is neither deep nor flexible .As soon as they progress to higher positions,they find that they need management training and more study in their own field.Besides,they feel disabled by their lack of general knowledge,for example,by their ignorance of the language and culture of the foreigners with whom they are doing business. Most of all they suffer from their inability to use English,their own language,easily and properly. Who is it that criticized the new system of education? A. Graduates B. Parents C. Employers D. Educators Answer: A
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Question: One day a family visited the school where I taught deaf children. They said they would move here and planned to send their deaf daughter to my school as a first grader. They were upset that their child's kindergarten teacher told them not to have high hopes for her. Standing behind them was Katherine, a beautiful five-year-old with long hair and dark eyes. The whole time her parents were there, she didn't make a sound or use sign language, even when her parents asked her to do so. After a few weeks with Katherine, I discovered she was a very smart child. Although she joined in different learning activities, writing was always a problem . I tried all kinds of ways to get her interested in writing, but she always refused to write. One day Katherine got off the school bus and stood in front of the school crying. The teachers there did not know enough sign language to ask her what happened. Finally they led her into the office and gave her a pen and a piece of paper. Katherine wrote:"PACBAK". Then the teachers realized she had left her backpack on the bus. They called the bus driver back to school and soon Katherine got her backpack back. That day _ . From then on she fell in love with writing. She is a young woman now and has become an excellent writer, public speaker and student leader. What was Katherine's problem after a few weeks with the writer? A. She didn't get along well with her classmates B. She didn't like to write C. She had no interest in learning activities. D. She couldn't use sign language Answer: B
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Question: Women wearing skirt suits are viewed as more successful than those wearing trouser suits, scientists have found. They are seen as the uniform of the high-flying career businesswoman, but it seems trouser suits are not the best way to make a good first impression . Research has shown women who wear skirts and jackets are considered as more confident, higher-earning and easier to adjust to society than those wearing a trouser suit. Scientists also found that opinions of others, based just on the clothes they are wearing, are formed within seconds of first meeting. So while trouser suits are linked with strong will and success, a skirt suit gives a better first impression.Professor Karen Pine, who co-led the research at the department of psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, said, "We make very rapid judgments about people within the first few seconds of meeting based on their clothing. " "It was surprising that studies have suggested that women who dress in a more mannish style were seen as having greater professional status .The skirt suit seems to balance professionalism with attractiveness," added Pine. Researchers showed 306 volunteers a series of pictures of a man or a woman wearing suits before asking them to rate them on a number of personality traits . The facial features of the man and woman in the pictures had been covered so the volunteers were only making judgments about what they were wearing. The woman was rated more confident and: having a higher salary and easy to adjust to society when she was wearing skirt suits. The text mainly talks about _ A. women wearing skirt suits seem to be more successful in society B. trouser suits are not suitable for career businesswomen C. mannish style suits are viewed as having greater professional status D. we can make rapid judgments about people just based on their clothing Answer: A
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Question: "Last week was Road Safety Week at Jason's school. All the students had to take part in a talk on road safety which was given by a police officer. The following is what the police officer said. " "Most traffic accidents shouldn't happen. They happen because people are careless. A frequent cause of traffic accidents is speed. Some people drive too quickly. This means that if they have to stop suddenly, they cannot stop quickly enough to avoid hitting other vehicles or people. You need to remember this when you are crossing the street or walking along the sidewalk. " "It's not only drivers who cause accidents, however. People on foot-pedestrians, and bicycle riders often cause accidents, too. Pedestrians sometimes walk out into the street without looking. You should always look on both sides before stepping into the street. " "Do any of you ride a bike? Bicycle riders can cause accidents by changing directions suddenly or without warning other road users. Before you turn left, for example, you should check behind you to make sure there aren't any cars, trucks or buses coming. You should show with your left hand to tell that you want to turn left. You should not turn until the street is clear. " "The rules of the road are very simple. If we learn them and obey them, we should not have accidents any more. " Which of the following is the best title of this passage? A. Road Safety Week B. A Talk on Safety C. Safety First D. Safety and Accidents Answer: B
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Question: It is time to go home now. I am on a bus on a rainy day, and a woman with a dog gets on the bus. It is a big dog and its feet are not clean. I don't want the dog to sit next to me. But the woman says to the conductor, "oh, I pay for my dog. Can he sit here like the other people?" The conductor looks at the dog and says, "yes, madam. But like other people , he must put his feet under the chair." why do the woman and the dog get on the bus? Because _ . A. it is a rainy day B. no one is on the bus C. the dog can sit D. the woman is a conductor Answer: A
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Question: Blackacre was a tract of 100 acres retained by Byron, the owner, after he had developed the adjoining 400 acres as a residential subdivision. Byron had effectively imposed restrictive covenants on each lot in the 400 acres. Chaney offered Byron a good price for a five-acre tract located in a corner of Blackacre far away from the existing 400-acre residential subdivision. Byron conveyed the fiveacre tract to Chaney and imposed the same restrictive covenants on the five-acre tract as he had imposed on the lots in the adjoining 400 acres. Byron further covenanted that when he sold the remaining 95 acres of Blackacre he would impose the same restrictive covenants in the deed or deeds for the 95 acres. Byron's conveyance to Chaney was promptly and properly recorded. However, shortly thereafter, Byron conveyed the remaining 95 acres to Dart for $100,000 by a deed that made no mention of any restrictive covenants. Dart had no actual knowledge of the restrictive covenants in Chaney's deed. Dart now proposes to build an industrial park which would violate such restrictive covenants if they are applicable. The recording act of the jurisdiction provides: "No conveyance or mortgage of real property shall be good against subsequent purchasers for value and without notice unless the same be recorded according to law." In an appropriate action by Chaney to enforce the restrictive covenants against Dart's 95-acre tract, if Dart wins it will be because A. the deed imposing the restrictions was not in the chain of title for the 95 acres when Dart bought. B. the disparity in acreage means that the covenant can only be personal to Byron. C. negative reciprocal covenants are not generally recognized. D. a covenant to impose restrictions is an illegal restraint on alienation. Answer: A
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Question: Smart phones that react to your moods and televisions that can tell it's you who's watching are in your future as Intel Corporation's top technology expert sets his sights on context-aware computing. Chief technology officer Justin Rattner showed how personal devices will one day offer advice. "How can we change the relationship so we think of these devices not as devices but as assistants or even companions?" he asked. Handheld devices could combine already common geographic location technology with data from microphones, cameras, heart and body monitors and even brain scans to offer their owners advice that today only a friend or relative could give. "Imagine a device that uses a variety of sensors to determine what you are doing at an instant, from being asleep in your bed to being out for a run with a friend, " Rattner said, "Future devices will constantly learn about who you are, how you live, work and play.'' Rattner also demonstrated a television remote control that figures out who is holding it based on how it is held, and then learns the viewer's entertainment preferences. As the world leader for decades in microchips for servers and desktop computers, Intel is hurrying to catch up in the profitable market for smart phones like Apple's iPhone and Research in Motion's Blackberry. Telephones with e-mail, global positioning and media players are pointing the way to a future where ever more functions are packed into ever smaller mobile devices. The smart phone industry, including technology giants like LG and Samsung, is likely to sell 270 million phones this year and grow 25 percent in 2011, according to market research company IDC. "I think you can expect to see features that support context-aware computing starting to appear in Intel products in the near future," Rattner said. But analysts say Intel faces an uphill battle getting its microchips into new phones as Nvidia, Marvell and Qualcomm have already made headway with cheap, lower-power processors based on designs by ARM Holdings. Rattner recognized that questions about privacy and people's willingness to be intimate with their computers will have to be settled before the future generation of smart phones he described takes off. "If you think identity threat is a problem today, imagine when your whole context is readily available on the Net.", he said. The best title for the passage is likely to be _ . A. Smart phones and Televisions B. Context-aware Computing C. Personalized Televisions D. Personalized Smart phones Answer: D
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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. According to the text,technology can _ . A. improve people's reading ability B. solve the problems facing the whole world C. help the poor to reduce poverty D. cause poverty in developing countries Answer: C
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Question: Fruit or juice, which is nutritionally superior? This is almost the same as the age-old question: The chicken or the egg, which came first? Usually, juicers remove the juice and some pulp from fruits and/or vegetables.It takes a lot of fruit to make a container of juice.We do get all of the vitamins, minerals, beneficial plant chemicals and carbohydrates in juice out of a whole fruit.But we do not get much of the fiber, the part that aids our digestive process, fills us up, and may help protect us against heart diseases and certain cancers. However, you may be surprised to discover that some juices actually contain more necessary nutrients .For example, apples are not a good source of vitamin C, but many types of apple juice are fortified with vitamin C. Juice has more calories than fresh fruit due to added sugar and less fiber.If calories are your primary concern, choose fresh fruit over juice and drink water if you are thirsty.We do not feel as filled up from juice because it does not contain any fiber.For many people, drinking a caloric beverage , such as juice, is not as satisfying as eating the same amount of calories in food.For those of us who need to increase caloric intake (such as athletes, children, or teens) juice is a GREAT choice. Kids love the taste of pure fruit juice, and parents love it because it is a healthy source of nutrients.But avoid junk fruit beverages which are mistaken for juice blends that contain various fruits like grape, apple and pear.These juices do not have the natural levels of vital nutrients that 100 percent pure juices like orange juice provide. What can we learn from this passage? A. We can get out of fruit all the nutrients which aid our digestive process. B. We can hardly determine which provides more nutrients, juice or fruit. C. People may prefer juice to food in taking in the same amount of calories. D. If you want more calories, fruit might be your better choice. Answer: B
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Question: Police received information from an undercover police officer that she had just seen two men (whom she described) in a red pickup truck selling marijuana to schoolchildren near the city's largest high school. A few minutes later, two police officers saw a pickup truck fitting the description a half block from the high school. The driver of the truck matched the description of one of the men described by the undercover officer. The only passenger was a young woman who was in the back of the truck. The police saw her get out and stand at a nearby bus stop. They stopped the truck and searched the driver. In the pocket of the driver's jacket, the police found a small bottle of pills that they recognized as narcotics. They then broke open a locked toolbox attached to the flatbed of the truck and found a small sealed envelope inside. They opened it and found marijuana. They also found a quantity of cocaine in the glove compartment. After completing their search of the driver and the truck, the police went over to the young woman and searched her purse. In her purse, they found a small quantity of heroin. Both the driver and the young woman were arrested and charged with unlawful possession of narcotics. If the driver moves to suppress the use as evidence of the marijuana and cocaine found in the search of the truck, the court should A. grant the motion as to both the marijuana and the cocaine. B. grant the motion as to the marijuana but deny it as to the cocaine. C. deny the motion as to the marijuana but grant it as to the cocaine. D. deny the motion as to both the marijuana and the cocaine. Answer: D
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Question: In ancient Greece,there were four major athletic meetings and the Olympian meeting played the most important part in the lives of the people. As time passed,the Olympian meeting gradually lost its local character and became first a national event and then international. No one knows exactly how far back the Olympic Games go but some official records date from 776 BC. The Games took place every four years on the plain by Mount Olympus. Thousands of people came from all parts of the Greek world to watch the games. The winner of the foot race had the great honor of giving his name to the year of his history. After a long history of almost 1,200 years,the Games were stopped for religious reasons. It was then decided in 1896 to start the Olympic Games again. The meeting was held in Athens and 311 athletes from 13 countries took part in it but the idea of such an international meeting attracted the world's attention. After the 1908 London Olympics,many nations sent their best athletes. Although the Games have been time and again threatened by some unfavorable political events, the Games have taken place every four years. Nowadays, the Games are held in different countries in turn. As the biggest international gathering of any kind in the world,athletes from different countries play games together and this provides them with good chances to learn to live together. The friendly feelings in the Olympic Village make people think of the world as one big family. The Olympic Games will be hosted in Beijing in 2008. It is believed that the Games will be a wonder of the world. The first old Olympic Games took place _ . A. a thousand years ago B. in the seventh century AD C. in modern times D. before 700 BC Answer: D
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Question: Commodities are basic materials that are used and traded worldwide. The price of commodities helps determine how much a business can charge for a product and the profit it can make. Commodity prices have reached a two-year high since falling sharply during the world financial crisis. Hard commodities are materials like iron ore, oil and gold. Agricultural products are soft commodities. These include wheat, cotton and rice. Economic measures show the world economy is recovering. China and India, for example, have reported strong growth in manufacturing . Developed nations have had slower growth. John James, a business professor at Pace University, says demand in developing economics can push up prices for commodities like oil and iron are used for making steel. But, he says, changing currency values can also influence prices. Gold prices have reached record levels in recent months. That means gold dealers must pay more for the commodity now than they did only a year ago. That affects current prices. Not surprisingly, manufacturers want some control over the prices they pay for commodities. Futures contracts are agreements between a buyer and a seller to exchange something at a set price at some time in the future. These contracts let buyers lock in a price for basic materials. But some traders in futures markets only want to make a profit. They buy or sell contracts depending on the direction they believe prices will go. These speculators get _ when prices rise, or fall, too quickly. The United States, Germany and France are looking into ways to limit this kind of trading. Some experts say exporting commodities is not a good path to long-term economic growth. The United Nations recently reported that the least developed countries must change their economics to provide good incomes for their citizens. A UN official says the least developed countries need to cut dependence on commodities and manufacture products for export. He says only this will let them gain from world trade. What is the leading factor for this round of growth of commodity prices? A. The growth of gold prices. B. The speculators' seeking higher profits. C. Growth of demands in developed economics. D. Growth in manufacturing in developing nations. Answer: D
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Question: Winning a race requires you to be reach the finish line in a before your opponents, so using what will measure how much faster you win or lose by? A. a rabbit B. a cup C. a cotton swab D. a stopwatch Answer: D
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Question: During the day we work and play; at night we sleep. Our bodies rest while we sleep. In the morning we are ready to work and play again. While we are asleep our bodies grow most. Children usually need more sleep. We can get our lessons better and we feel better too, when we have plenty of rest. Boys and girls need ten hours of sleep every night when they are eight or nine years old. Our bodies need lots of air when we sleep. If we do not get enough fresh air we'll feel tired when we wake up. While in bed we must not cover our heads. If we do, our lungs will not get enough fresh air. If we open our windows at night we can have plenty of fresh air. Cool air is better then warm air. Boys and girls must get enough sleep if they want to grow and be strong. Too little sleep makes us _ . A. nappy B. hungry C. tired D. grow Answer: C
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Question: People all over the world today are beginning to hear and learn more and more about the problem of pollution.Pollution is caused either by man's release of completely new artificial substances into the environment,or by releasing greatly increased amounts of a natural substance,such as oil from oil tankers into the sea. The whole industrial process which makes many of the goods and machines we need and use in our daily lives,is bound to create a number of waste products which upset the environmental balance,or the ecological balance as is also known.Many of these waste products can be prevented or disposed of.But while more and more new and complex goods are produced,there will be new,dangerous waste to be disposed of,for example,the waste products from nuclear power stations.Many people,therefore,see pollution as only part of a larger and more complex problem,that is,the whole process of industrial production and consumption of goods.Others again see the problem mainly in connection with agriculture,where new methods are helping farmers grow more and more on their land to feed our ever-increasing population.However,the land itself is gradually becoming worn out as it is being used,in some cases,too heavily,and artificial fertilizers can not restore the balance. Whatever its underlying reasons are,there is no doubt that much of the pollution caused could be controlled if only companies,individuals and governments would make more efforts.In the home there is an obvious need to control litter and waste.Food comes wrapped up three or four times in packages that all have to be disposed of;drinks are increasingly sold in bottles or tins which can not be reused.This not only causes a litter problem,but also is a great waste of resources,in terms of glass,metals and paper.Advertising has helped this process by persuading many of us not only to buy things we neither want nor need,but also to throw away much of what we do buy.Pollution and waste combine to be a problem everyone can help to solve by cutting out unnecessary buying,excessive consumption and careless disposal of the products we use in our daily lives. Many people see pollution as only part of . A. our daily life B. the environmental balance C. the consumption of goods by man D. the whole process of industrial production and consumption of goods Answer: D
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Question: Smartphone, poor sight Look around and you will see people busy on their smatrphones . Smartphones do make our lives easier. But have you ever thought about what they mean to your eyes? According to a study, half of the British people own smartphones and they spend an average ( ) of two hours a day using them. There has been a 35% increase in the number of people in the U.K who suffer from short-sightedness since smartphones were introduced there in 1997. Staring at smartphones for a long time gives you dry eyes. When looking at something in the distance, your eyes automatically blink a certain number of times. However, when you look at the things closer to your face, the blink slows down. This reduces the amount of tears and causes discomfort in your eyes. Another bad habit is using smartphone in dark rooms before going to sleep. If you look at a bright screen while your pupils become larger, too much light goes into your eyes. This can be bad for your eyes and causes a disease called glaucoma . Maybe it is possible for you to stop using your smartphone, but there are a few things you can do to protect your eyes. * Hold your phone at least 30 centimeters away from your eyes when using it. *Take a break every hour and try the following: look at something at least 5 meters away from you and then focus on your nose. Repeat this several times. It should reduce the discomfort in your eyes. ,. The passage advises people _ . A. not to buy smartphones B. to stop using smartphones C. to make good use of smartphones D. to use smartphones in right ways Answer: D
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Question: In 1880, fourteen-year-old Matthew Henson loved to hear sailors tell tales of their exciting lives at sea. The travel, the adventure, the danger, and the steady pay were all attracting young Henson. One day, he found a job as a cabin boy on a beautiful ship called the Katie Hinds. For the next five years, Henson sailed around the world. With the help of the ship's captain and other members of the crew, Henson learned mathematics, navigation, history, geography, and many other subjects. By the time he left the Katie Hinds in 1885, Henson was well educated and had become an excellent seaman. Unable to find work anywhere else, Henson took a job in a hat shop in Washington, D.C. One day in 1887, a man came in to buy a hat. The man, Robert Peary, asked the owner if he knew anyone with experience at sea. Peary would soon travel to South America for the U.S. government. He needed experienced men to accompany him. The shop owner knew about his young employee's skills and experience on ocean journeys, so he introduced Peary to Henson. Using his map-reading and sailing skills, Henson proved himself to be a worthy and smart seaman. Peary soon made Henson his assistant, and they became close friends. One day Peary told Henson about his real dream: to be the first man to stand on "the top of the world" at the North Pole. He asked Henson to help him make his dream come true. Over the next five years, the two explorers made two trips together to the Arctic. However, they were not able to reach the pole either time. The cold, wind, and ice were worse than either of them had ever imagined. In 1908, Peary and Henson were ready to make their final attempt at reaching the North Pole. Both men were over forty years old. The years of hardship in the arctic cold had made them suffer a lot. This would be their last chance. With four Inuit guides, they made a mad rush straight across the ice toward the pole. Peary's feet were injured and he had to be pulled on a dogsled. In April 1909, Henson's instruments showed they were standing at the North Pole. Together Henson and Peary planted the American flag in the snow. In later years, Robert Peary and Henson were greatly honored for their achievements. Today, the two friends and fellow explorers lie in heroes' graves not far apart in the Arlington National Cemetery. The information presented in this passage is mainly organized _ . A. by cause and effect B. by comparing and contrasting C. in the order that the events happened D. with main ideas and supporting examples Answer: C
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Question: When I came home to London at the end of my first term at university in December 1968, I was flat broke, and more broke because it was Christmas, so I went to an employment agency for a job. "Would you like to work for the Beatles? " they asked. "Don't you have anything better?" I asked. Fifteen minutes later I got the job. When I asked why they accepted me when millions would have done the job for free, the answer was "That's just the problem." Yes. I owed the job to the fact that I was not a crazy fan. But of course I was a fan. It was difficult not to be. I worked over the winter holiday in 1968 and also during Easter 1969. I had to take a taxi in the days to deliver papers sealed in envelopes to the Beatles' house. I took the envelopes to the address, handed them over to whoever answered the door and lift. Who would entrust such papers to an unknown student today - the envelopes would be opened and the contents of the papers copied and sold to the Press. It never occurred to me to do that. Much has been lost in 40 years! I am always asked how many autographs I collected, and the answer is none. How uncool would it have been to ask for an autograph? Far better just to hear the Beatles' s greets--"Hi, boy." How's it going?" More than 40 years later, this remains the best job I have ever had. It met my immediate material need and provides a memory that can be my life treasure. For a child of the 60s, this was its peak. If some details of the memory are not so fresh, it's because they weren't important then. At 19, you take the things that happen for granted. At 61, they become gold dust. If I had known that then, I would have kept a diary. The author was offered the job as a mail boy because_. A. the agency was in urgent need of helping hands B. the Beatles wanted to help poor young men C. the boy seemed not to be a fan of the Beatles D. the poor boy couldn't do heavy physical work Answer: C
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Question: On May 8, last Thursday morning, the Olympic flame was lit on the top of prefix = st1 /MountQomolangma! It was a historic moment forChinaexactly three months ahead of the Beijing Games. Tibetan female climber Cering Wangmo reached the summit with a special extreme-altitude Olympic torch. This event is what Chinahas promised to the world as thehigh pointof the torch relay, the longest and most challenging of all time. Five torchbearers finished the highest relay ever--three of the climbers are Tibetan athletes. Team members said "Beijingwelcomes you!" in Chinese, English and Tibetan, as they stood at the summit celebrating, with the event broadcast on national television. "I finally fulfilled the last dream of my husband," said Gyigyi with tears in her eyes. She was the first torchbearer. Her husband lost his life in an attempt to climb all 14 mountains in Chinamore than 8,000 meters three years ago. "We are on top of the world! One world, one dream," shouted Nima Cering, at the top of his voice. He said that although he had climbed the peak several times, this was the most significant ascent . "As a Tibetan and a Chinese I pray for the success of Beijing 2008," he added. The special torch is different form the one currently touring the Chinese mainland, after an around-the-world relay. Officials organizing the trek up the peak had earlier set an April 26 target to begin the ascent, but high winds and heavy snow had delayed the mission. The Xinhua News Agency said that the Qomolangma _ of the torch relay represents the Olympic motto, "higher, faster and stronger," in practice and will promote unity among all 56 ethnic groups inChina. Which is RIGHT according to the whole passage? A. All the five torchbearers are men. B. Only the five torchbearers reached the summit. C. Team members said "Beijingwelcomes you!" in their native language. D. At least two of the five torchbearers are females. Answer: D
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Question: Honesty, my mum always used to tell me, is the best policy. Of course, this didin't include her when she told me that if I didn't eat all my vegetables Father Christmas would find out and wouldn't give me any presents. But when it comes to medicine, I had assumed it was important to always be honest with my patients. After all, the doctor patient relationship is based on trust, and therefore honesty is essential, Or so I thought. I had just started working in geriatrics . Mr. McMahon was brought in when his baby was faound very swollen. I took a medical history from his daughter would accompanied him in the ambulance. She'd been his main carer for years. I stood looking at him as she gave a detailed history. "Has he lost any weight recently?" I asked, "Well, it's funny you should mention that, but yes." She said slowly. There was silence for a few moments. "Why? What are you worried about?" she asked, I hesitated. She was obviously very involved in his care and it was only fair that I told her the truth. "Well, we need to prove it's not cancer." I said and talked briefly about some of the tests I was going to order. Half an hour later, a nurse called me: "Mr. McMahon's daughter broke down-she said you told her he had cancer." My heart sank. By the time I arrived at the ward, my consultant was already there, explaining that we still had to run lots of tests and that it was by no means confirmed that he had cancer. I stood silently at the end of the bed. My consultant was obviously angry with me and as we left Mr. McMahon, she turned to me. "Why on carch did you do that?" she asked to disbelief. I looked at her andbit my hp. "She asked me what I was worried about and I told her." I said, hanging my head. "And give her more to worry about?" replied my consultant. "You don't say the word 'cancer' until it's confirmed. Even if you suspect it, think very carefully before you tell people." As it turned out, it wasn't cancer. But I did learn that when somecone is stressed and worried about their loved one they're sometimes selective in what they hear-and as a doctor it's important to be mindful of this. In being truthful, I'd made the situation worse. The author's consultant was angry with him because_. A. he told the daughter what he suspected. B. he delayed running the necessary tests. C. he failed to confirm the parent's disease. D. he forgot what the consultant had advised. Answer: A
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Question: Twothirds of the world's major rivers have now been disrupted with more than 50,000 dams in an attempt to store water and provide power.In the US,there are more than 85,000 dams,disrupting large and small rivers,and in most cases transforming natural flow.The most famous of these,the Hoover Dam,constructed in the 1930s,is mainly responsible for the fact that the Colorado River no longer reaches the ocean. Dams,besides all their attractive benefits,also have negative impacts.Creating a reservoir means a large area must be flooded.Communities may lose their land,houses and culturally important sites. Environmentally,the new reservoir can be a paradise for wildlife,especially birds;however,it can cause greenhouse gas emissions and poison the water.Also,the dramatic rise and fall of water levels during dam releases is too extreme for plants and animals to cope with,resulting in dead zones around the shores of reservoirs.Fish that lay their eggs in the shallows,for example,may find a few hours later that those sites are high and dry. Downstream of a dam,the flow may be reduced so that farmers cannot irrigate their fields.Many rivers run through national borders,which may cause conflict over precious water.Disputes have been continuing between India and Pakistan,and Turkey,Syria and Iraq,for example. Dams don't just block the flow of water.They also prevent fish migrations,and dams are a barrier to sediment flows.Instead of rushing downriver,sediments get backed up against the dam wall,which causes the reservoir level to increase over time.However,sediments which are rich in nutrients have become a problem.The fertility of the entire system can be influenced,with soils lost during seasonal rains not being replaced. Perhaps the biggest problem can be seen in deltas,which are sinking into the oceans.Groundwater is being extracted to feed the city,causing the city to sink,and sediments washed away by the ocean are no longer being replaced.The result is that sea level rises in cities from Shanghai to Alexandria. How can dams influence large cities like Shanghai? A. Their entire system will be influenced. B. The rainy season will last longer. C. They will lie below sea level in future. D. Rich soils will be washed away. Answer: C
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Question: The French spend more time sleeping and eating than anyone else among the world's rich people, according to a survey. The average French person sleeps almost nine hours every night, more than an hour longer than the average Japanese and Korean, who sleep the least in a survey. And while more and more French people have meals at fast food restaurants, they still spend more than two hours a day eating. That means their meals are twice as long as those of the average Mexican, who spends just over an hour a day on food. The Japanese spend close to two hours a day eating and drinking, placing them third behind New Zealanders. The Japanese like to spend their free time watching television or listening to the radio. This takes up 47 percent of free time in Japan. Turks, on the other hand, spend more than a third of their free time staying with their friends.The survey showed that the difference between work and free time within certain countries is clear. As for Italians, men have nearly 80 minutes a day of free time more than women. Much of the additional work time of Italian women is clearly cleaning the house. Japanese and Korean people usually sleep about _ a night. A. six hours B. eight hours C. nine hours D. ten hours Answer: B
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Question: Luggage We ask you to keep a medium - sized suitcase per person, but a small holdall can also be taken onto the coach. Seats Requests for particular seats can be made on most coach breaks when booking, but since seats are booked on a first come, first serve basic, early booking is advisable. When bookings are made with us, you will be offered the best seats that are available on the coach at that time. Travel Documents When you have paid your deposit we will send you all the necessary documents, so that you receive them in good time before the coach break leaving date. Certain documents, for example, air or boat tickets, may have to be reserved and your guide will then give them to you during the break. Special Diets If you require a special diet, you must inform us at the time of booking with a copy of the diet. This will be told to the hotels on your coach break. The hotels for certain coach breaks are tourist class and they may not have the equipment to deal with special diets. Any extra costs must be paid by yourself before leaving the hotel. Accommodation On any coach break there are only a limited number of single rooms. When a single room is available, it may be subject to an extra charge and this will be shown on the brochure page. Entertainment Some of our hotels arrange extra entertainment which could include music, dancing, films, etc. The nature and frequency of the entertainment presented is decided by the hotel and therefore not guaranteed and could be withdrawn if there is a lack of demand or insufficient numbers in the hotel. It may be necessary to pay extra for _ . A. single rooms B. particular seats C. entertainment D. hand luggage Answer: A
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Question: Contests from the Community Annual Playwright Challenge Attention, students! Unleash your creativity and writing skill by submitting an original story for an opportunity to have your entry produced as a full-length musical by the Scripps Performing Arts academy this fall. The winner will also get the opportunity to perform in the show or serve as the assistant director of the production. Also, the winner will attend two playwright workshops with the director to work on the musical together. Entries can be submitted in paragraph, story or script form (1-3 pages) to info@ scrippsperformingarts.com with the subject line: Playwright Challenge Entry. For ages 18 & under. Students are allowed to work individually or as a team of two for each submission. Deadline: April 1. Kids' Poster Contest The City of San Diego's Public Utilities Department invites students, grades 1-6, to make a poster with the theme: "Sam Diegans Waste No Water. All Days. All Ways. " Three winners will be selected for each grade level and will receive gift cards and a Certificate of Excellence. Also, winning posters will be on display in the lobby of the City Society's Gallery and the San Diego County Fair's Kids Best Art Exhibit. Open to students in the cities of San Diego, Coronado and Imperial Beach. To enter, go to www.wastenowater.org. Deadline: March 28. Kohl's Cares Scholarship Program Outstanding young volunteers, ages 6-18, can be rewarded through this annual program. Regional winners will each receive a $1,000 scholarship for higher education, while national winners will each be rewarded a total of $10, 000 in scholarships plus a $ l, 000 donation from Kohl's to a nonprofit of the student's choice. Nominations are now accepted at www.kohlskids.com. Deadline: March 14. Dream House Raffle Enter to win a $ 4 million home in Rancho Santa Fe or $ 2.1 million in cash in this annual raffle that includes more than 1,300 prizes to be given away! In addition to the grand prize drawing on May 17, you can also be part of early bird drawing that offer more chances of winning. Next earlybird drawing is on March 19 (entry deadline: March 7). Proceeds benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego. For tickets and the list of prizes, visit www.sdraffle.com or call 888-8254-9939. The passage is written to_. A. inform the readers of some contests B. attract the readers to come with prizes C. persuade the readers to join in the activities D. suggest the readers volunteer in community service Answer: A
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Question: Once upon a time, there was an island inhabited by: Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge, and all the rest of it, including Love. One day it was announced to the feelings that the island would sink, so all constructed boats and left. Except for Love. Love was the only one who stayed. Love wanted to hold out until the last possible moment. When the island had almost sunk, Love decided to ask for help. Richness was passing by Love in a grand boat. Love said, "Richness, can you take me with you?" Richness answered, "No, I can't. There is a lot of gold and silver in my boat. There is no place here for you." Love decided to ask Vanity who was also passing by in a beautiful vessel. "Vanity, please help me!" "I can't help you, Love. You are all wet and might damage my boat," Vanity answered. Sadness was close by so Love asked, "Sadness, let me go with you." "Oh . . . Love, I am so sad that I need to be by myself!" Happiness passed by Love, too, but she was so happy that she did not even hear when Love called her. Suddenly, there was a voice, "Come, Love, I will take you." It was an elder. So blessed and overjoyed, Love even forgot to ask the elder where they were going. When they arrived at dry land, the elder went her own way. What idea did the writer intend to tell us in this passage? A. Love takes a long period. B. Love gets along without richness. C. Love goes on against Vanity. D. Love is different from happiness. Answer: A
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Question: Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge's new son will be named George Alexander Louis, the royal family says. A statement from William and Catherine's settlement Kensington Palace said the baby, third in line to the throne , would be known as His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge. On Wednesday the royal couple took their son to Catherine's parents' house in Berkshire, following a half-hour visit by the Queen. All three names had been among the favourites listed by British bookmakers and the announcement was relatively quick by royal standards. It took a month for the name ofPrince Charles, the heir to the throne, to be announced, and a week for William, his eldest son. George has been the name of six British kings. The last, George VI, was the father of Queen Elizabeth II and _ from 1936 to 1952. Alexandra, the female form of Alexander, is one of the Queen's middle names and was also the name of the Queen mate of King Edward VII at the start of the last century. Louis is one of William's middle names and was the given name of Prince Charles's tutor and great-uncle Louis Mountbatten, who was murdered by the IRA in 1979. The choice of name, relatively short by royal standards, does not necessarily mean the baby will eventually become King George VII. The Queen's father was named Albert, but chose to be crowned as George VI. "It's interesting that they chose to go with just three names," historian Suzannah Lipscomb told Sky News. "It's almost as if the royal family is coming down with ordinary people, who tend to have fewer middle names than monarchs .It is a name that none can find any problems with. George itself can't be shortened in any obvious offensive way. They've probably gone for something that is safe." From the passage we can know the father of the new royal baby is _ . A. Catherine B. George. C. Charles D. William Answer: D
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Question: Macao is only forty miles from Hong Kong and it is easy to reach. You can get there by sea. It is an interesting place and it has a long history. Macao is a part of China and most people living there are Chinese. The first Europeans to go to Macao came from Portugal. More than four hundred years ago the Portuguese went there to trade with China. Some settled and made their homes there. They built strong forts to guard the city and the harbor . They also built churches, schools, hospitals and other places. Slowly the city grew. People from many countries came to live and work in Macao. Today many people visit Macao. Some only go there to watch dog-racing or motor-racing or to " _ with their money, whether they lose or win. But Macao is a quiet and peaceful place. It is pleasant just to walk around and look at the old buildings and forts. You feel you are back in the old days. Of course, some of the buildings are now in ruins . The Church of St. Paul has only the front wall with many steps leading up to it. But it is still interesting to see. When you are hot and tired, there are small cool gardens to rest in. When you are hungry, there are good restaurants with many kinds of food. Nearby are some islands, which are also nice to visit and are easy to get to. There is certainly a lot to see and to do in Macao. Which of the following is NOT true? A. Portuguese were the first to go to Macao. B. Some Portuguese settled in Macao and made their homes nearly a century ago. C. The city Macao grew slowly. D. People there put up strong forts to defend the city. Answer: B
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Question: Reach for the stars at the Euro Space Center. Find out everything you need to know about space -- from the origins of the universe to the future space exploration plans. Light, sound and special effects help to bring your space journey to life. Throughout your tour, our specially trained guides will answer your questions and provide you with any information you require. Begin your tour with our exhibition about the planets, then move on to the Space Laboratory and see some of the experiments carried out in space. Visit our international space station, where you can climb into our full-scale Space Shuttle model and experience life on board as an astronaut. You will know all about space by now and to help you further, our Space Center astronaut will tell you about how young people train as astronauts in our own training school. Finally, you can watch our amazing Space Show in our IMAX cinema, which will help you understand everything you have learned during your visit better. Outside we have an outdoor exhibition including a giant solar system, full-size rocket models and outdoor games. Don't worry if it rains -- much of this is under cover. After that, why not visit our restaurant Resto Space for food and drink on a space theme? And don't forget our Space Shop, offering you a lot of gifts to take home. The Euro Space Center is open every day during school holidays, and also during other times except Mondays. Opening times are 10:00-5:00. For entrance fees, call our booking service on + 32-61-650133. Or you can email us for up-to-date entry information at info@eurospacecenter.be. In the Space Shuttle, visitors can _ . A. enjoy food and drink B. watch an amazing space show C. learn about space experiments D. know how astronauts live in space Answer: D
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Question: Guilin is my favorite city in China because of its beauty, its waterways, its cafes, and most of all because I met my wife there. It is her hometown and we will both retire there in a few years. Not only is Guilin a fascinating city, but there are many interesting places to visit within a short drive from there. The Ling Canal is the oldest canal in the world. It was built about 2,200 years ago and connects two major river systems, the Yangtze and the Pearl River. The Longsheng Rice Terraces is another manmade wonder that was built around 650 years ago.I have some photos of both of these places in my China Daily homepage Albums. The Gudong Waterfall Park is another attraction that is worth visiting. The hike to the top of all these waterfalls isn't very difficult and if you want, you can take a ride to the bottom on a personal rail car that you control the speed with a _ If you want, you can also climb up some of the waterfalls with the help of chains that are placed for the convenience of amateur climbers . I have only been in Guilin during the winter and spring, but my wife tells me it gets pretty hot in the summer time. That's OK because I grew up in the Midwest of the US where it gets very hot and humid during the summer months. But in Guilin almost everything is within walking distance and if you need to go further the buses come by every 5 minutes on the busy streets and every 10-15 minutes just about everywhere else. There are plenty of taxis, too, and most trips are only 6 yuan. It's a perfect place to retire. The writer likes Guilin best mainly because _ . A. it has many water ways B. he met his wife there C. he likes its beauty D. it has lots of cafes Answer: B
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Question: The British psychoanalyst John Bowlby maintains that separation from the parents during the sensitive "attachment" period from birth to three may scar a child's personality and lead to emotional problems in later life. Some people have drawn the conclusion from Bowlby's work that children should not be subjected to day care before the age of three because of the parental separation it causes, and many people do believe this. But there are also arguments against such a strong conclusion. Firstly, anthropologists point out that the insulated love affair between children and parents found in modern societies does not usually exist in traditional societies. For example, in some tribal societies, such as the Ngoni, the father and mother of a child did not bring up their infant alone - far from it. Secondly, common sense tells us that day care would not be so widespread today if parents, care-takers found children had problems with it. Statistical studies of this kind have not yet been carried out, and even if they were, the results would be certain to be complicated and controversial. Thirdly, in the last decade, there have been a number of careful American studies of children in day care, and they have uniformly reported that day care had a neutral or slightly positive effect on children's development. But tests that have had to be used to measure this development are not widely enough accepted to settle the issue. But Bowlby's analysis raises the possibility that early day care has delayed effects. The possibility that such care might lead to, say, more mental illness or crime 15 or 20 years later can only be explored by the use of statistics. Whatever the long-term effects, parents sometimes find the immediate effects difficult to deal with. Children under three are likely to protest at leaving their parents and show unhappiness. At the age of three or three and a half almost all children find the transition to nursery easy, and this is undoubtedly why more and more parents make use of child care at this time. The matter, then, is far from clear-cut, though experience and available evidence indicate that early care is reasonable for infants. The passage primarily argues whether _ . A. day care should be widely spread B. the family relationship is different in traditional societies C. children under three should be sent to nursery schools D. children over three will stop crying when leaving parents Answer: C
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Question: Your particular relationships with your parents, not God or genes, determines your academic performance. In my case, it was my father who made the difference. I had three sisters and my father never showed much interest in their success. He took no notice of the school reports of one of them. They all made it to university. But this was largely because of my mother's encouragement. However badly I did, and it was usually very bad, he always told me I was clever and that I could do well. When I was eight and remained at the bottom of my class, he tried to coach me in Latin and maths. His main goal was to show me that, if I could make myself concentrate on the dull tasks, I could do them. He chose the head of my house at public school with great care. He found a man who made a huge effort to teach _ with which he started when I was 13. Together, they convinced me to take exams seriously. But the most important factor was that I knew my dad loved me. He expressed this in many kind letters. When we were together, he would take me in his arms. He encouraged me to think for myself and to enjoy what I enjoyed. He once watched me eating a huge amount of chocolate and said, "Eat as much as you like -- you won't always enjoy it that much." So I started working hard. I agreed with his own clever ways. And I started to enjoy the learning of knowledge and the expression of ideas. Although exams gave little opportunity for that, I could sort of see _ . A lot of parents do not realize how important the emotional aspect of the relationship is. It determines their child's performance. I recently heard a parent discussing what school their child might get into. "I don't know how bright he is," she said. Many parents are troubled by their children's marks at school. Their relationship with the child is almost wholly built around this. It was not at all like that with my dad. Until I was eight, he did not seem to worry about marks. And, after that, it was never exam performance that he was concerned with. Rather, he concentrated on my self-perception . He constantly showed me that I was not stupid by pointing out things I had said that were signs of intelligence. It meant I had a reasonable self-regard. I kept failing exams. But, my father thought there was a difference between my failing one exam and whether I would be a success or failure in life. Which of the following can be the best title of this newspaper story? A. How my father respect me B. How to enjoy learning something C. Relationship with your parents D. A success or a failure Answer: A
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Question: After exiting the gym, the man's heart rate was most likely? A. higher B. lower C. normal D. fluctuating Answer: A
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Question: Over the years I've been teaching kids about a simple but powerful spirit--the ant philosophy. I think we should study ants. Ants have an amazing four-part philosophy, and here is the first part:they never _ . That's a good philosophy. If they're heading somewhere and you try to stop them,they'll look for another way. They'll climb over, and they'll climb around. They keep looking for another way. What a neat philosophy, to never quit looking for a way to get where they're supposed to go! Second,ants think about winter all summer. That's an important perspective(,). You can' t be so naive as to think summer will last forever. So ants are gathering their winter food in summer. An ancient story says, "Don't build your house on the sand in summer. "There is some reason in what it says. It is important to think ahead. In summer, you've to think about the storm. You've got to think about freezing while you are enjoying the sand and the sun. The third part of the ant philosophy is that ants think about summer all winter. That is also important. During the winter, ants remind themselves,"This won't last long;we'll soon be out of here. "And on the first warm day,the ants are out. If it turns cold again,they'll go back,but then they come out again if it is warm. They can't wait to get out. And here is the last part of the ant philosophy. How much will an ant gather during the summer to prepare for the winter? All that it possibly can. What an incredible philosophy, the "all-that-you-possibly-can" philosophy! What a great philosophy to have--the ant philosophy! Never give up,look ahead,stay active and do all you can. If ants have trouble reaching somewhere, they will _ . A. give up their efforts at last B. look for others' help C. wait for a chance to come D. get there in another way Answer: D
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Question: Owls are mysterious creatures. We often think of them as scary. They sometimes live in abandoned houses. They fly without a sound through backyards at night. In stories, they appear with ghosts. When we hear an owl's familiar "whooo...whooo...",it can make us feel very frightened. Owls fly silently, without even a whisper of wings moving through the air. It's as though they appear out of nowhere--like ghosts on wings. Owls fly and hunt on the darkest of nights. An owl's night habits make it unique. Do these creatures of the night possess strange powers? Owls possess unusual powers of sight and hearing, but they are not supernatural powers. They are natural adaptations that let them live most efficiently at night. There is no reason to fear owls. Their habits make them helpful to humans. By hunting mice and other rodents ,owls help to keep a natural balance between plant and animal life. Without owls, there would be a large number of rodents in farmers' fields and storage barns. More than 100 species of owls occupy a variety of habitats around the world. A few oceanic islands and the Antarctic have no owls. The world's owls come in large, medium, small, smaller, and smallest. For example, the Eurasian eagle owl--one of the largest--has a body that is two to three feet long, with a wingspan of up to five and onehalf feet. The North American elf owl (the world's smallest owl) is five to six inches long and has a wingspan that measures slightly more than one foot. Most male and female owls of the same species look alike, although females are usually larger. In some species, the female's colors are like those of the trees or grass where she makes her nest. Baby owls, called chicks, stay with their parents until they are about three months old. They soon find their own hunting areas, where they may stay for the rest of their lives. Some owls can live 20 years or more. Owls help humans in that they _ . A. help preserve the balance of nature B. frighten rodents away from humans C. have unusual powers D. help guard backyards Answer: A
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Question: A dense wave of smog began in the Chinese city of Harbin and the surrounding Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning Provinces on 20 October 2013. Unseasonably warm temperatures with very little wind across northeastern China coincided with the smoke from local farmers' burning straws and the start-up of Harbin's coal-powered central heating system. Record densities of fine particulates were measured in the city. In Harbin, the levels of PM2.5 (particulate matter) rise to 1,000 micrograms per cubic meter, worse than Beijing's historic highs. Visibility was reduced to below 50m in parts of Harbin, and below 500m in most of the neighbouring Jilin Province. On Fa Yuen Street in Harbin, visibility of less than 5m was reported. The smog reduced after October 23, 2013 and completely broke up on October 28, 2013 by the first local snow and icy rain due to a cold front moving in from Russia. Harbin lies in the north of China where winter temperatures can drop to -40degC, demanding a six-month heating season. Daily particulate levels of more than 40 times the World Health Organization recommended maximum level were reported in parts of Harbin. The smog remained till 23 October, when almost all monitoring stations in Heilongjiang, Jilin,and Liaoning Provincesreported readings above 200mg/m3forPM2.5. PM2.5 is the amount of particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter in the air, with the WHO recommending a maximum 24-hour mean of 25 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m3). On the morning of 25 October, PM2.5 measurements in Harbin had fallen to an average of 123mg/m3. All highways in the surrounding Heilongjiang Province were closed. In Harbin, all primary and middle schools were closed for three days and authorities stopped flights at the airports. Hospitals reported a 23 percent increase in admissions for breathing problems. However, this smog will have no influence on Harbin Ice Festival events later in December 2013. Air pollution in Chinese cities is of increasing concern to China's leadership. Particulates in the air can affect human health and also have influences on climate and rainfall. Pollution from the burning of coal has reduced life expectancy by 5.5 years in the north of China, as a result of heart and lung diseases. What measure might be practical to reduce the happening of heavy smog? A. Forbidding people to own their private cars. B. Advocating people having one meal a day. C. Using natural gas to cook instead of coal. D. Encouraging family's coal-fired heating. Answer: C
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Question: Do animals have a culture? What do we mean by "culture"? Lately social scientists have begun to ask if culture is found just in humans, or if some animals have a culture too. When we speak of culture, we mean a way of life a group of people have in common. Culture includes the beliefs and attitudes we learn. It is the patterns of behavior that help people to live together. It is also the patterns of behavior that make one group of people different from another group. Our culture lets us make up for having lost out strength, claws, long teeth, and other defenses. Instead we use tools, cooperate with one another, and communicate with language. But these aspects of human behavior, or "culture", can also be found in the lives of certain animals. Animals can make tools, for example. We used to think that the ability to use tools was the dividing line between human beings and other animals. Lately, however, we have found that this is not the case. Chimpanzees can not only use tools but actually make tools themselves. Animals can also share knowledge with each other and use their own language to communicate. So it may be important for us to know that the line dividing us from animals is not as clear as we used to think. When we talk about "culture", we mean _ . A. book language of behavior we learn B. the patterns of behavior we learn C. traditional ideas D. people's habits Answer: B
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Question: Do you know Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng? Fei Junlong was born in 1965. He is a Chinese astronaut selected as a member of the Shenzhou program. He was born in Jiangsu and joined the People's Liberation Army Air Force in 1982 at the age of 17. And since then he has only returned home six times. As a fighter pilot , he was selected to an astronaut in 1998. He married Wang Jie in 1991 and has one son. Nie Haisheng was born in September 1964. He is also a Chinese astronaut selected for the Shenzhou program. He is from Hubei. After graduating from high school he joined the People's Liberation Army Air Force, and became a fighter pilot. In 1998 he was selected for the astronaut program. He was one of the three astronauts who were in the final group to train for the Shenzhou 5 fight. Yang Liwei was also picked out for the flight, with Zhai Ahigang. On September 23,2005 it was reported that Zhai and Nie would be one of the three pairs of astronauts who would be in the final training for Shenzhou 6. But in the end, Fei and Nie were chosen, and Zhai missed his chance to space again. Nie Haisheng got married to Nie Jielin and has an 11-year-old daughter. When did Nie join the army? A. In 1982. B. In 1998. C. In 1991. D. After his graduation from high school. Answer: D
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Question: The Zen of Cat The Man was very sad. He knew that the Cat's days were numbered. The doctor had said there was not anything more that could be done, and that he should take the Cat home and make him as comfortable as possible. The Man stroked the Cat on his lap and sighed. The Cat opened his eyes, purred and looked up at the Man. A tear rolled down the Man's cheek and landed on the Cat's forehead. The Cat gave him a slightly annoyed look. "Why do you cry, Man?" the Cat asked. "Because you can't bear the thought of losing me? Because you think you can never replace me?" The Man nodded "Yes." "And where do you think I'll be when I leave you?" the Cat asked. The Man shrugged helplessly. "Close your eyes, Man," the Cat said. The Man gave him a questioning look, but did as he was told. "What color1 are my eyes and fur?" the Cat asked. "Your eyes are gold and your fur is a rich, warm brown." the Man replied. "And where is it that you most often see me?" asked the Cat. "I see you...on the kitchen windowsill watching the birds...on my favorite chair...on my desk lying on the papers I need...on the pillow next to my head at night." "Then, whenever you wish to see me, all you must do is to close your eyes," said the Cat. "Close your eyes again," the Cat said. "Now lick your hand." The Man widened his eyes in surprise. "Just do it," the Cat said. "Lick your hand, and think of me in all my familiar places." The Man felt foolish, licking his hand, but he did as he was told. He discovered what a cat must know, that licking a paw is very calming and allows one to think more clearly. He continued licking and the corners of his mouth turned upward into the first smile he had shown in days. He waited for the Cat to tell him to stop, and when he didn't, he opened his eyes. The Cat's eyes were closed. The Man stroked the warm, brown fur, but the Cat was gone. The Man shut his eyes hard as the tears poured down his face. He saw the Cat on the windowsill, then in his bed, then lying across his important papers. He saw him on the pillow next to his head, saw his bright gold eyes and darkest brown on his nose and ears. One day, not long after, there was a new cat on his lap. She was a lovely spotted and white...very different from his earlier beloved cat and very much the same. The word "zen" in the title can be replaced by _ . A. fate B. sorrow C. owner D. philosophy Answer: D
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Question: To: "The Shoe People" <inquiries@shoepeople.com> From: "John Trimbald" <jtconstruction@img.com> Subject: Customer Complaint To Whom it May Concern, I have trusted the Shoe People to protect the feet of my employees for over ten years now. I recently purchased a few pairs of boots from your company for my crew. Though my men were initially satisfied with the boots, the soles began to fall apart on them after just twelve weeks. This was extremely surprising considering they came with a six year warranty. The boots are unsafe to wear because my men are pouring hot concrete. Please respond as soon as possible with instructions on how I can return the boots and receive a refund. Thank you, John Trimbald, Foreman, JT Construction To: "John Trimbald" <jtconstruction @ img. com> From: "The Shoe People" <inquiries @ shoepeople. com> Dear Mr. Trimbald, Thank you for your e-mail concerning the poor quality of our rubber soled black workboots. A representative will be by your office next week to pick up the damaged boots. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused you and your crew. Along with five new pairs of workboots for your crew (we included one extra pair), we have enclosed a free year's supply of sole protector spray. In our retail stores, this spray is always recommended to buyers who work on heated floors. This should have been brought to your attention at the time of your initial order. Please excuse our oversight. To date we have had no complaints about these workboots from customers who have used the protector spray. However, should you use the spray and find that you are still unsatisfied with the boots, please return the boots and spray for a full refund. Thank you for supporting The Shoe People. Have a Happy New Year. Sincerely, Stan Mason, President According to the president of The Shoe People, John Trimbald _ . A. can exchange the damaged boots with new ones at any time B. must return the damaged boots to any of the retail stores C. will get new pairs of boots and a free year's supply of spray D. can return the damaged boots and spray for a full refund now Answer: C
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Question: Stinky Pete wanted to build a tree house. He needed to get a ladder to bring wood up the tree. He went to his friend's house to borrow a ladder. He also borrowed a bucket. He needed the bucket to carry nails. His friend is named James. The ladder was too big for Stinky Pete to carry alone. He had James help him carry the ladder back home. The ladder was heavy. They were careful to stay on the sidewalk. Stinky Pete got the hammer from his tool box. He gave James a rope. Stinky Pete and James got to work on the tree house. They worked all day. They painted the inside of the tree house blue. They painted the outside of the tree house red. They did not use green or orange paint. They used the rope to climb down from the tree house. When they were all finished, Stinky Pete helped James carry the ladder and bucket back to his house. Stinky Pete thanked James for helping him. What color paint did they use on the tree house? A. Green and orange B. Red and blue C. Red and orange D. Green and blue Answer: B
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Question: Education is not an end , but a means to an end . In other words , we do not educate children only for the purpose of educating them . Our purpose is to fit them for life . In some modern countries it has for some time been fashionable to think that by free education for all whether rich or poor , clever or stupid-one can solve all the problems of society and build a perfect nation . But we can already see that free education for all is not enough ; we find in such countries a far larger number of people with university degrees , they refuse to do what they think "low" work , and , in fact , work with hands is thought to be dirty and shameful in such countries . But we have only to think a moment to understand that the work of a completely uneducated farmer is far more important than that of a professor , we can live without education, but we would die if we have no food . If no one cleaned our streets and tooled the rubbish away from our houses , we should get terrible diseases in our towns ... In fact , when we say that all of us must be educated to fit us for life , it means that we must be educated in such a way that , firstly , each of us can do whatever work suited to his brains and ability and , secondly , that we can realize that all jobs are necessary to society , and that is very bad to be ashamed of one's work . Only such a type of education can be considered valuable to society . The writer wants to prove that_. A. our society needs all kinds of jobs B. our society needs free education for all C. a farmer is more important than a professor D. people with university degrees refuse to do what they think "low" work Answer: A
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Question: To Whom It May Concern: On March 5, 2012 , I bought a Perfect Muffin Kit from your store at Midfield Shopping Center. The cashier who assisted me was George. George was very friendly and told me that the Perfect Muffin Kit would live up to the guarantee on the box: "Perfect Muffins Every Time!". Unfortunately, this product did not live up to what it promised . The muffins I made were far from perfect . I followed the directions in the package very carefully . First , I removed the bag of mix from the box. Then , I poured it into a bowl. Next, I added the correct amount of water to the mix and stirred it. According to the directions, after stirring the mixture , I added half a cup of dried grapes, nuts , berries, or another favorite ingredient . My favorite ingredient happens to be hot sauce . I find that a bit of hot sauce makes pizza and soup taste very delicious. So, continuing to follow the directions, I added half a cup of hot sauce to the mix and stirred it. Finally, I poured the mix into muffin tins and baked it in the baker at 350 degrees for exactly 20 minutes. When the muffins finished baking, I was very excited to eat the "Perfect Muffins" as promised on the box. You can imagine my disappointment when, upon tasting the muffins, I discovered that they were not perfect. These muffins were , in fact , absolutely terrible. Not even my dog was interested in eating these supposedly "perfect" muffins. I would appreciate a full refund( money to be returned) of $3.99 for this product as soon as possible. Enclosed are the receipt, the empty box, and one of the un-perfect muffins so that you can experience it for yourself . Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, Michelle Bauer This letter is most likely addressed to _ . A. a local storeowner B. the owner of the muffin mix company C. the clerk at a local muffin bakery D. George, the cashier who sold the muffin mix Answer: A
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Question: The concept of solar power satellites, or SPS, first put forward in the 1960s, is still not widely known by the general public. For example, at many public exhibitions about energy, SPS is not even mentioned. This is mainly because very little money has been spent on SPS research There are people who claim that SPS is unrealistic - because launch costs are much too high today; or because it is too far away. So why do we believe that it is important to continue to do researches on SPS? The reason is very simple. Humans are going to need huge amounts of electric power in coming decades. Within 50 years the world population is expected to double, while economic growth will continue around the world, especially in the poorer countries. But existing energy sources already face serious problems. They are limited; they are polluted; they are dangerous. So 50 or 100 years from now, where is our power going to come from? Nobody knows. And so we believe that new large-scale possibilities should be studied further. We must remember that humans have some choices concerning our future. To some extent we can choose the direction in which our civilization develops. And choices that are made in the coming decades - such as the energy sources that we will or will not use, will have major, long-term meaning for human life on earth. We believe that if research continues to show that SPS is environmentally and economically attractive, SPS will open the door to a much more attractive future for human civilization than any ground-based energy source, and one that the public will support and that young people will find challenging and exciting. Furthermore energy from SPS can be readily used in developing countries, as the SPS 2000 project will show, thus aiding economic development worldwide. In addition, by creating large commercial fund for space engineering, SPS will open the frontier of space to economic development, thus creating a limitless new field for the growth of the world economy. Which of the following may be the best title for the passage? A. The Future Energy- SPS B. The Concept of SPS C. Humans and SPS D. Advantages of SPS Answer: A
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Question: At some places in Florida, sand on the beaches is being reduced. New sand is brought from other areas and spread on the beaches. What process causes this reduction to the beach sand? A. earthquakes B. erosion C. landslides D. weathering Answer: B
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Question: Students wishing to safeguard their careers against changes in the job market should opt for science rather than arts degrees, according to a survey of undergraduates. Engineering and chemistry were considered to be the most "future proof", as they are courses most likely to lead to an enduring and adaptable career. Students polled by Pearson College were broadly optimistic that their chosen courses would prepare them for a world in which the job market could change dramatically during their working lives. But opinion was sharply divided over which degrees were best for future-proof careers. Eighty-two per cent of respondents believed engineering would help develop future-proof skills, with 74 per cent believing the same of chemistry and 73 per cent of computer science. But just 33 per cent of undergraduates believed history would lead to a future-proof career, and 40 per cent English. However more than two thirds of students (67 per cent) thought the world of work would be significantly different or completely unrecognizable in 20 years. The findings, published today, come after Education Secretary Nicky Morgan sparked controversy with claims that teenagers should steer clear of the arts and humanities and opt for science or math subjects if they want to access the widest range of jobs. She said that in previous decades students would only take math or science if they wanted to pursue a specific career such as medicine or pharmacy, but nowadays that "couldn't be further from the truth". "If you wanted to do something different, or even if you didn't know what you wanted to do...then the arts and humanities were what you chose. Because they were useful - we were told - for all kinds of jobs. Of course now we know that couldn't be further from the truth, that the subjects that keep young people's options open and unlock doors to all sorts of careers are the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) subjects. " She also described math as 'the subject that employers value most' and said that pupils who study A-level math will earn 10 per cent more over their lifetime. "These figures show us that too many young people are making choices aged 15 which will hold them back for the rest of their lives." she said. What's the students' attitude towards their chosen courses? A. Doubtful B. Worried C. Optimistic D. Objective Answer: C
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Question: Do you love the holidays, but hate the pounds that follow? You are not alone. Holidays are times for feasting and celebrating. Many people are worried about their weight. With proper planning, though, it is possible to keep normal weight during the holidays. Whether it is celebrating at the office party or sitting down for the traditional family dinner, regard eating as a time for tasting a variety of the foods. The idea is to enjoy the holidays but not to eat too much. You don't have to turn away from the foods that you enjoy. Here are some tips for preventing weight gain and keeping physical fitness: Don't skip meals. Before you leave home, have a small, low-fat meal or snack. This may help to avoid getting too excited before delicious foods. Control portions. Use a small plate (about 10 inches) and put aside the large ones that may encourage you to "load up." You should be most comfortable eating an amount of food about the size of your fist. Once you have your "tasting" serving, move away from the buffet. Doing so will make it less tempting to be eating constantly as your appetite is inspired by the sight of food. Begin with soup and fruit or vegetables. Fill up beforehand on water-based soup and raw fruit or vegetables. Or drink a large glass of water before you eat to help you feel full. Stick to physical activity. Don't let exercise take a break during the holidays. A 20-minute walk after a meal can help burn off extra calories. Avoid high-fat foods. Dishes that look oily or creamy may have a large amount of fat. Choose lean meats. Fill your plate with salad and green vegetables. Use lemon juice instead of dressing or butter. Which of the following is WRONG according to the passage? A. You had better turn your attention away from delicious foods. B. Drinking some water of soup before eating helps you eat less. C. Holidays are happy days with pleasure but they may bring weight problems. D. Physical exercise can reduce the chance of putting on weight Answer: A
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Question: It's something familiar to all parents of young children: you're in a busy shopping street and your child wants to pee and he just can't hold it any longer. But two parents' decision to let their child relieve himself has caused much attention in China. By now, it seems, the whole Chinese Internet is familiar with what happened on a crowded Hong Kong shopping street. A mother holds a nappy while her two-year-old pees. A passerby took pictures which then were put online. The woman explained that they had found a public toilet but saw there was a long queue, so she had no other choice but to let their child to relieve himself on the street instead. Why has this one child's act caused so much upset? Allowing a child under 12 to " _ in any public street" is against the law in Hong Kong and the parents will face a 2,000 Hong Kong Dollar ($250) fine . But the on-line chatter has put all the attention on the fact that this family were tourists from mainland China, rather than being locals. "For Hong Kongers, people might think from time to time that mainlanders are not so polite and often break the public rules," says Martin Yip of BBC. Charmaine Chui, who was born in Hong Kong, told BBC she feels angry to have seen mainland tourists peeing in shopping centers and restaurants. "Hong Kong is a beautiful, modern city. What do these people think of it?" she says. In mainland China, there has also been criticism of the parents' behavior. But most of the people say they find the parents' behavior understandable as they had tried to find a toilet for their child and the mother used a paper nappy rather than simply allowing the baby to pee on the ground. Charmaine Chui feels _ to have seen mainland tourists peeing in shopping centers and restaurants. A. understandable B. sorry C. angry D. happy Answer: C
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Question: Nearly half of elementary and high schools in the US use the Presidential Fitness Test. It checks kids' fitness levels. Students are tested at least twice a year. In 1956, US President Eisenhower created the test, and it has been a tradition in schools since 1966. There are five activities in the test: sit-ups , push-ups , sit and reach, endurance run or walk and shuttle run . Students who get scores at or above 85 percent on all the activities can get a Presidential Physical Fitness Award. The test encourages students to live a healthy and active life. Students taking the test are really testing their limits, according to the US National Association for Sport and Physical Education. China has a similar test: the physical education(PE) test. Beginning at the age of 7, students in China are tested twice a year to check if they are healthy and strong. They also finish activities like the endurance run, sit-ups and the shuttle run. However, unlike students in the US who get awards, Chinese students get points in PE tests. The highest score is 100. For junior school students, the PE test is more important because it is worth 30 to 40 points in the entrance exam for senior high school. In order to get a good score, most students begin to prepare for the test in their junior one year. What's the purpose of the test? A. To encourage students to live happily and actively. B. To help students prepare for college entrance exams. C. To encourage students to get good scores. D. To help students learn how to overcome difficulties. Answer: A
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Question: According to sociologists , every modern industrial society has some form of social stratification . Class, power and status are important in deciding people's rank in society. Class means a person's economic position in society. A commonly used classification is lower class, middle class and upper class. While sociologists disagree on how these terms should be exactly defined, they do describe societies like the United States quite well. One study shows that 53% of Americans belong to the lower class, 46% the middle class, and 1% the upper class. Interestingly, a surgeon earning $500,000 a year and a bus driver earning $50,000 a year both regard themselves as the middle class! Power refers to the amount of control a person has over other people. Obviously, people in positions of great power (such as governors) exercise big power, but people who take orders from others have less power. Power and class do not always go hand in hand, however. For example, the governor of a state has great power, but he or she may not belong to a corresponding economic class. Generally, however, there is a relationship between power and class. To our knowledge, there aren't too many people who aren't millionaires in the U.S. Senate! Status is the honor or respect attached to a person's position in society. It can also be affected by power and class, but not necessarily so. For example, a university professor may have a high status but not belong to a high social class or have a lot of power over others. According to the text, we know that _ . A. power and class do not always correspond with each other B. status refers to a person's economic position in society C. people with high status have a lot of control over others D. class is less important in deciding a person's social rank Answer: A
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Question: Are you a volcano lover? Here is a list of some of the world's most beautiful volcanoes that our travel agency can offer you to visit. Don't miss them! Mount Mayon, the Philippines Located about 450 km southeast of Manila on the island of Luzon, Mount Mayon is the most active volcano in the Philippines; a September 2014 eruption forced thousands to flee the area. Those who hike the volcano are rewarded with views of the towns in the Albay province and the Pacific Ocean. But even those who prefer the view from a distance have a historical good point at the Cagsawa Ruins, once an 18th Century Franciscan church that was destroyed by an 1814 eruption. Kilauea and Marina Kea, Hawaii Hawaii's volcanoes are known for their active eruptions and extraordinary scenes. Mauna Kea is around one million years old, while Kilauea is the youngest volcano in Hawaii and has been erupting continuously since 1983. The lava falls straight into the sea, creating fantastic forms of black rocks and smoke clouds. Mount Kelimutu, Indonesia Kelimutu's three mysterious crater lakes attract both scientists and tourists to the island of Flores in Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara province. One is emerald green , another dark red, and the third pitch black. Scientists say the lakes take on such colors because the volcanic gases met the lakes' minerals centuries ago. According to the text, Kilauea _ . A. is an active volcano B. stopped erupting in 1983 C. is the youngest volcano in the world D. forced thousands to flee in 2014 Answer: A
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Question: Nowadays, the increase in the prices of agricultural products is one of the greatest concerns of the people and the government. The government has announced a series of policies to prevent the prices from rising further. Rising housing prices is still a big concern for the people, but since farm products are needed every day, the increase in their prices has made life very difficult for them. Many people may think the increase will help farmers. But have higher prices of farm products really benefited the farmers? Take the increase in vegetable prices in the first half of this year for example. Though natural disasters such as droughts and spring frost did not cause the prices of farm products to increase greatly--in fact, prices of some products did not increase at all--vegetables have become dearer by as much as 20 percent compared to that of last year. This means only a small part (or even none) of the extra money that city people have paid to buy farm products has gone to the farmers. The extra cost actually has gone to middlemen. As the fact shows, just increasing prices of farm products will have negative influence on the entire economy. On one hand, the price increase has created some abnormal phenomena, which hurts farmers' interests. On the other hand, resources will enter the agriculture because of the high price of farm products, which would finally create negative effect on the whole economy. In such a case, it would be better to leave the market to decide the prices instead of raising farm products' prices to protect the interests of farmers. Actually, such a way will be better for farmers in the long run. The following statements are true EXCEPT _ . A. the government has done something to prevent the prices from rising further B. it is better for farmers to leave the market to decide the prices in the long run C. natural disasters did not cause the prices of farm products to increase greatly D. rising housing prices has made life very difficult for people Answer: D
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Question: Some children cannot wait to grow up. Because once you become an adult, you are free to make your own decisions. More importantly, you can do all those things that you cannot do now because you are too young. So, the question is, 'At what age do you really become an adult?' Well, people become adults at different ages in different places. In Australia, the 18th birthday is a very important event for young Australians because it means they can do almost anything they want. They can vote, learn to drive a car, get married, join the army and even buy their own houses. However, even if they can do all these things, most Australians have to wait until their 21st birthday to really celebrate becoming an adult. This is the traditional adult age not only in Australia, but also in the USA and the UK. It is their first year of true independence .Traditionally, people were given a key to their houses by their parents when they turned 21, meaning they could come and go as they like. Even though 21 is the traditional adult age in many English-speaking countries, the law nowadays is different in each country. In the UK, you can join the army at 16 and even get married at 16 if your parents allow. Young people in the UK can learn to drive a car at 17 as in Australia, although they have to wait until they are 18 to vote. In China, there is a different age for each of the stages of becoming an adult. You can vote and learn to drive a car when you are 18, but if you want to get married, women have to wait until they are 20 and men until they are 22. Chinese people celebrate important birthdays every 10 years--so when young people turn 20, they can expect a big party! No matter what age you are, becoming an adult is really about learning how to be independent and responsible . Once you are finally able to take care of yourself and make your own decisions, then you can say that you are truly all grown-ups. Which of the following are truly adults according to the passage? A. Independent grown-ups. B. Married people. C. People who can drive. D. People in the army. Answer: A
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Question: The State of Yuma provides by statute, "No person may be awarded any state construction contract without agreeing to employ only citizens of the state and of the United States in performance of the contract."In evaluating the constitutionality of this state statute under the supremacy clause, which of the following would be most directly relevant? A. The general unemployment rate in the nation. B. The treaties and immigration laws of the United States. C. The need of the state for this particular statute. D. The number of aliens currently residing in Yuma Answer: B
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Question: In the days following the first anniversary of my dad 's death, I felt sad. I still missed him so much. I would walk over to his old house where my daughter now live and still expect to see him sitting out on his front porch . I would see him in my dreams, looking young and strong again. I felt bad too because I regretted not spending more time with him while he was here. I wished I had visited him more, talked with him more, and listened to him more. I wished I had asked the questions that I never did. I wished I had given him more hugs and told him I loved him more often. I wished I had cherished the time I had with him here. I was angry at the destiny because Dad and Mum had both passed away before I was 50, and I was angry with myself because I hadn't made the most of time I had with them. Today, I found myself walking under a cloudy sky, staring at the leafless trees. As I walked along, one of the last golden maple leaves fell from its tree and sailed in the wind until it landed in front of me. I picked it up and smiled. At the moment of peace I felt a sound in my heart and mind: "death is momentary , but love is eternal ." I knew at that moment that my relationships with Mum and Dad were not over. We would see each other again in a place of love, joy and light. We would spend our days in learning, laughter and love. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE? A. The writer asked many questions. B. The writer didn't give his dad any hugs. C. The writer told his dad he loved him sometimes but not very often. D. The writer visited his dad very often. Answer: C
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Question: The oldest forms of medicine are enjoying a comeback. Modern holistic medicine is an approach that treats the whole patient, not just the disease. It is a way to maintain good health rather than cure illness. The most important influences on today's holistic medicine are ancient Chinese medicine and Indian Ayurvedic medicine, both of which promoted the whole body health. Holistic medicine usually combines diet, physical exercise and meditation, together with other alternative techniques such as massage and acupuncture . Herbal treatment ,a practice of treating illness by using plants, is influenced by the writings of Culpeper as well as Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine. Homeopathy is one of the forms of holistic medicine which is widely practiced in Europe and the USA. Homeopathy began in Germany in the early 1800s, when Samuel Hahnemann described how very tiny doses of a drug had an effect on his patients. According to Hahnemann, the more the drug was diluted , the stronger its effects. The substance selected would produce similar effects to the disease itself if given in large doses. In the UK homeopathy is regarded as a non-traditional but just about acceptable treatment. Meditation and contemplation have an important role in holistic medicine. They were brought to Europe by Indian teachers who combined Indian Ayurvedic medicine with Western beliefs. Transcendental meditation is one of the best known of these techniques. People repeat words inside their head to reach a state of deep relaxation. The holistic movement has made many doctors look at the whole patient, not just the disease. Life-style, emotional problems and diet are just some of the factors that can affect a person's health. Holistic medicine emphasizes good diet, exercise and fresh air, all of which contribute to health. Some clinics now offer holistic medicine along with traditional treatments, so that their patients can choose a combination of treatments that suits them. One problem with holistic medicine is that it is difficult for people to be sure a doctor is reliable. To solve this, many countries want alternative doctors to form professional bodies. Which of the following titles best sums up the passage? A. Holistic Medicine B. Traditional Medicine Returns C. History of Medicine D. Combination of Treatments Works Answer: A
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Question: A modern-day love story of a man seeing the girl of his dreams across a New York subway train and tracking her down over the Internet has failed to have a fairytale ending with the relationship over. For Web designer Patrick Moberg, then 21, from Brooklyn, it was love at first sight when he saw a woman on a Manthttan train last November. But he lost her in the crowd so he set up a website with a sketch picture to find her--www.Nygirlofmydreams.com. Unbelievably in a city of 8 million people, it only took Moberg 48 hours to find the woman, with his phone ringing non-stop and email box overflowing. New Yorkers took pity on the subway Romeo and joined his hunt. The mysterious girl was named as Camille Hayton, from Melbourne, Australia, who was working at the magazine Black Book and also lived in Brooklyn. One of her friends saw the sketched picture on the Web site and recognized her. But after finding each other, appearing on TV and getting international press, the couple took their romance out of the public eye, with Moberg closing down the Web site and with both refusing to make any more comments--until now. Hayton told Australian newspaper The Sunday Telegraph that she dated Moberg for about two months but it just didn't work out. "I say we dated for a while but now we're just friends," Hayton, now 23, told the newspaper. Hayton said she is still recognized about three times a week on the streets of Manhattan as "that girl" and the question is always the same: "So what happened?" "I think the situation was so intense that it linked us," she said, adding, "it linked us in a way that you could mistake, I guess, for being more romantic than it was. I don't know. But I wanted to give it a go so didn't wonder what if, what if?" Hayton told The Sunday Telegraph that she is enjoying single life in New York, keeping busy with acting classes, working in two clothing stores. Last week she had a small role as a waitress in the long-running daytime soap As the World Turns. "I just can't believe it happened. It feels like a long time ago," said Hayton. Moberg, however, was still refusing to comment on the relationship. Moberg found the girl in a short time because_. A. he phoned everybody in the city B. he got help from the net citizens C. he continued his hunt day and night D. he e-mailed everybody in the city Answer: B
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Question: Cancer is feared by everyone. And there is more and more fear about cancer. Not the disease itself -- there is no such thing as a high incidence rates of cancer. Except for lung cancer, mostly caused by cigarette smoking, the incidence rates are not on the rise. However, some kinds of cancer are decreasing. But the fear of cancer is catching, and the country stands at risk of an anxiety. The earth itself is coming to seem like a huge carcinogen . The ordinary, more or less, scientific statement that something between 80 and 90 percent of all cancers are due to things in the environment is taken to mean that none of us will be safe until the whole environment is "cleaned up." This is not at all the meaning. The 80-percent calculation is based on the unthinkable differences in the incidence of cancer in various societies around the world -- for example, the high incidence of liver cancer in Africa and the Far East, stomach cancer in Japan, breast cancer in Western Europe and North America, and the relatively low figures for breast cancer in Japan and parts of Africa and for liver cancer in America. These data show there may be specific environmental influences, but largely based on personal life-style, which determines the incidence of various forms of cancer in different communities -- that is all the data suggest. The overall incidence of cancer, counting up all the cases, is probable roughly the same everywhere. According to the passage, the writer seems to feel that _ . A. the risk of catching cancer is on the rise B. the whole earth is coming to seem like a huge carcinogen C. the risk of catching cancer isn't so great as people think D. cancer can be cured if the environment is cleaned up Answer: C
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Question: Some of the world's most significant problems never hit headlines. One example comes from agriculture. Food riots and hunger make news, but the trend lying behind these matters is rarely talked about. This is the decline in the growth in yields of some of the world's major crops. A new study by the University of Minnesota and McGill University in Montreal looks at where, and how far, this decline is occurring. The authors take a vast number of data pointing for the four most important crops; rice, wheat, corn and soybeans. They find that on between 24 and 39% of all harvested areas, the improvement in yields that took place before the 1980s slowed down in the 1990s and 2000s. There are two worrying features of the slowdown. One is that it has been particularly sharp in the world's most populous countries,India and China. Their ability to feed themselves has been an important source of relative stability both within the countries and on world food markets. That self-sufficiency cannot be taken for granted if yields continue to slow down or reverse. Second, yield growth has been lower in wheat and rice than in corn and soybeans. This is problematic because wheat and rice are more important as foods' accounting for around half of all calories consumed. Corn and soybeans are more important as feed grains. The authors note that we have preferentially focused our crop improvement efforts on feeding animals and cars rather than on crops that feed people and are the basis of food security in much of the world. The report qualifies the more optimistic findings of another new paper which suggests that the world will not have to dig up a lot more land for farming in order to feed 9 billion people in 2050, as the Food and Agriculture Organization has argued. Instead, it says, thanks to slowing population growth, land currently ploughed up for crops might be able to _ to forest or wilderness. This could happen. The trouble is that the forecast assumes continued improvements in yields, which may not actually happen. Why does the author mention India and China in particular? A. Their self-sufficiency is vital to the stability of world food markets. B. Their food yields have begun to decrease sharply in recent years. C. Their big populations are causing worldwide concerns. D. Their food self-sufficiency has been taken for granted. Answer: A
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Question: Sydney Tower Address: 100 Market St, Sydney Phone: 02 9333 9222 Fax: 02 9333 9203 Open time: 9:00am to 10:30pm ( Saturday to 11:30 pm) Ticket: $ 60 (for an adult) $ 30 (for a child) Website: www. Sydneytower .com. au How to get there: train to Town Hall Station and a short walk along Market Street. How to book tickets: by phone/ fax or through the web Attraction: Sydney's best views are just the beginning ! Sydney Tower takes you to the highest point above Sydney for exciting 360degviews of our beautiful city. The passage above is probably _ . A. a piece of news B. a conversation C. a story D. an advertisement Answer: D
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Question: Many people like the feeling of the gentle wind in spring. Many like to see the falling leaves dancing in the wind in autumn. But sometimes, when the wind becomes a storm, it can be very destructive . A series of such storms struck the US last month and caused very serious damage and human pain. Every year, major storms cause many problems around the world. There is nothing people can do to stop these powerful forces of nature. But new techniques are helping scientists to predict how, when, and where big storms will happen. The more exact scientists' warnings are, the better people can prepare for the storms. Predictions are improving. "We've gotten better over the years, especially the last few years," says Phil Klotzback, a scientist at an American university. How is a storm formed? Even if scientists know where a storm will happen, winds can suddenly change, carrying the storm to a new direction. "For a hurricane to happen, conditions have to be just right," Klotzback says. First, the ocean water needs to be warm enough so that it _ and rises into the air. As it rises, the air containing drops of water cools and turns back into liquid. This process gives off heat. This produces energy like an engine that causes winds to increase. It drives the formation of a hurricane. If wind speeds reach 40 miles per hour, the system is called a " tropical storm", and it gets a name. At 75 miles per hour, it becomes a hurricane. Hurricanes that hit the US start when a thunderstorm forms off the coast Africa. Storms also develop over tropical waters in other parts of the world. On average, 60 or 70 storms form off Africa every year. About 10 of them get names. There are usually about six hurricanes. Two tend to be very big, with winds of 115 miles per hour or a bit higher. The hurricane season lasts from June to November. Ninety percent of all hurricanes hit in August, September and October. According to the text, hurricanes usually _ . A. form off the coast of Africa and America B. hit parts of the world in summer and autumn C. cause sea winds to rise and blow over the sea D. strike the US but cause no damage Answer: B
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Question: My father often talks about his definition of success. He tells us that it isn't measured in money or material things, but in love and joy. While my brothers and I were all raised together under the same roof, I wonder how different we can be sometimes. Four kids, four different life paths, personalities and ambitions. We must follow a different path to let our light shine, and that's what makes us so unpredictable and unique. In today's world, expecting every child's education to be the same, progress at the same rate and be measured against the narrow standards of performances is not just outdated, it's also harmful to young people. I experienced this disconnect firsthand after graduating from college. I had many opportunities in front of me, but they didn't test my limits and my creativity to pursue my passions. At first, I took a job at a big consulting firm. However, I couldn't shake my passion for music. I had followed the somewhat predictable path of a college graduate, but I was crazy about how to become an artist. Now I am a nine-time Grammy Awards winner who has sold multiple Top 10 Albums. Imagine what it would look like if our schools were set up to help people discover and pursue a personal passion instead of a predictable path? The good news is that a number of individuals and organizations are finding new ways to innovate in education. The goal is to create more student-centered environments that help young people not just do better in school but also discover what they love. We can't live lives of joy if we can't discover what we love doing with our lives. So let each person discover the power and uniqueness of his or her own passion. We can infer that the writer _ . A. is devoted to reforming the education system B. pursued his passions once he left college C. realized his dream before his graduation D. finally became an outstanding singer Answer: D
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Question: Micro-Enterprise Credit for Street Youth Introduction Although small-scale business training and credit programs have become more common throughout the world, relatively little attention has been paid to the need to direct such opportunities to youth living on the street or in difficult circumstances. Over the past years, Street Kids International (S.K.I.) has been working with partner organizations in Africa, Latin Africa and India to support the economic lives of street children. The purpose of this paper is to share some of the lessons S.K. I. and our partner organizations have learned. Background Typically, children end up on the streets not due to a single cause, but a combination of factors: the lack of adequately funded schools, the demand for income at home and so on. The street may be attractive to children as a place to find adventurous play and money. However, it is also a place where some children are exposed, with little or no protection, to exploitative employment, and urban crime. Street Business Partnerships S.K.I. has worked with partner organizations in Latin America, Africa and India to develop innovative opportunities for street children to earn income. * The S.K.I Bicycle Courier Service first started in the Sudan. Participants in this enterprise were supplied with bicycles, which they used to deliver parcels and messages, but they were required to pay for it gradually from their wages. * The Youth Skills Enterprise Initiative in Zambia is a joint program with the Red Cross Society. Street Youths are supported to start their own small business through business training, life skills training and access to credit. Lessons Learned The following lessons have emerged from the programs that S.K.I. and partner organizations have created. * It's important for all loans to be linked to training programs that include the development of basic business and life skills. * Small loans are provided initially for purchasing fixed assets such as bicycles, shoe shining kits. * All S.K.I. programs have charged interest on the loans, primarily to get the business runners used to the concept of paying interest on borrowing money. Generally the rates have been modest. Conclusion There is a need to recognize the importance of access to credit for poor young people seeking to fulfill economic needs. The organization, S.K.I., aims to _ . A. give business training and loans to street children B. provide schools and social support for street children C. share the lessons S.K. I. learned to help street children D. draw the attention of the government to street children Answer: A
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Question: A visit to a zoo can be an amazing experience for people of all ages. If you want to get close to wildlife, why not visit one of the following zoos in the UK? Longleat Safari & Adventure Park Wiltshire's Longleat Safari & Adventure Park is the UK's oldest safari park. Opened in 1966, it was the first safari park opened outside Africa. It was just a 100-acre lion reserve in the beginning, but it has grown fast over the years. Now you can see parrots and other creatures here, although lions are still popular with many people. Open from mid-February to early November, a day ticket costsPS26 for adults. Admission for 3- to 14-year-old isPS18.50 andPS21 for the over-60s. Located just off the A36 between Bath and Salisbury, it can be reached by taking the A362. Bristol Zoo Bristol Zoo is one of the UK's oldest zoos. It will celebrate its 180th anniversary in 2016. Here, you'll find over 400 different species of creatures. It also has nine animal houses, so even if the weather isn't at its best, there are still lots of amazing creatures to look at, including the endangered red panda. Perhaps one of the most popular places is Bug World, where you can see all kinds of scary insects. Admission for adults isPS14 andPS8.50 for 3- to 14-year-olds. Located in the Clifton region of Bristol, you can reach the zoo by taking either the No. 8 or 9 bus. Clifton Down train station is also close by, and if you are taking public transport, you can buy a discounted entry ticket to the zoo. What do we know about Wiltshire's Longleat Safari & Adventure Park? A. It's the first safari park in the UK. B. It covers an area of 100 acres in total. C. It has a longer history than Bristol Zoo. D. It's famous mostly for its parrots and lions. Answer: A
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Question: Last year college students in America spent an estimated $700 on textbooks on average. The National Association of College Stores reported more than five billion dollars in sales of textbooks and course materials. The association spokesman Charles Schmidt says electronic textbooks now just make up 2%~3% of sales. But he says that is expected to reach 10%~15% by 2012. Online versions are now available for many of the most popular college textbooks. An etextbook can cost half the price of a new print textbook. But students usually lose access to them after the end of the term. And the books cannot be placed on more than one device ,so they are not easy to share. So what do students think of etextbooks?Administrators at Northwest Missouri State University wanted to find it out. Earlier this year they tested them with 500 students in 20 classes. The university is unusual. It provides laptop computers for all 7,000 of its fulltime students. It does not require students to buy their textbooks either. They rent them to save money. The school aims to save even more by moving to etextbooks. The students in the survey reported that downloading the books from the Internet was easy. They liked the idea of carrying lighter backpacks. And 56% said they were better able to find information. But most found that using etextbooks did not change their study habits. And 60% felt they read more when they were reading on paper. In all,almost half the students said they still liked physical textbooks better. But the survey found that cost could be a big influence.55% said they would choose etextbooks if using them meant their textbook rental fee would not increase. Roger Von Holzen heads the Center for Information Technology in Education at Northwest Missouri State University. He tells us that administrators are disappointed with the etextbooks now available because the majority are not interactive . He thinks growth will come when more digital books include video,activities,games and other ways to interact with the information. The technology is improving. But for now,most of the books are just words on a screen. Etextbooks are not better than paper books in that _ . A. they cost more money B. they're difficult to carry C. they're not convenient to share D. they can't be downloaded from the Internet Answer: C
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Question: Bognor Regis is a small beautiful town in the UK. From March 12 to 17 of each year, lots of clowns get together in the town to celebrate the International Clown Festival. The first one was in 1987. During the festival, people can see all kinds of clowns. They are together for the clown shows. They have big feet, red noses and look really funny. They sing and dance in a strange way to make people happy. Children like this interesting festival best. Now women can take part in the clown shows and they're very popular. But in the past, only men could be clowns. _ like the festival best. A. Old people B. Women C. Men D. Children Answer: D
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Question: Chinese female film stars, like Gong Li and Zhang Ziyi, due to the charm of their films, have set a good image for Chinese women in the world. Compared with Chinese women, the image of Chinese men is not so good in the eyes of Western women, the Shanghai Evening Post reported. In March 2006, Zhang Jiehai, a doctorate holder at the Sociology Institute of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, led a research team to investigate how Western women look at Chinese men. The survey shows that many Western women think Chinese men are mostly known for their care for the family. Chinese men, as the Western women say, are willing to spend money for women. As to their shortcomings, Western women think that Chinese men do not have good manners and that some Chinese men have the habit of spitting everywhere, keeping nails and hair long, picking their noses and ears in public places, and not cleaning their teeth thoroughly. These bad habits make many Western women think that Chinese men are unwilling to take care of their personal image. The survey was carried out in two ways, by questionnaires and interviews. All the respondents agreed that Chinese men show much tender loving care for the family and that many Chinese men do know how to respect women. They open the door for women and carry their handbags for them. For some American women, the bad image of Chinese men in the world is largely because of Hollywood films. In many Hollywood films, Chinese men usually do not have a good image. But this has been changed by Hong Kong film star Chow Yun-Fat. After the Chinese filmCrouching Tiger,Hidden Dragon was shown in cinemas in the United States in 2002, many Westerners began to change their impression of Chinese men. In some American women's eyes, Chinese men's images are bad because of _ . A. Chinese female film stars B. Chinese male film stars C. Hollywood films D. Film stars in Hong Kong Answer: C
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Question: Kataria is the founder of the worldwide laughter movement. The celebration of World Laughter Day is a positive activity for world peace and is intended to build up a global sense of brotherhood and friendship through laughter. The first "World Laughter Day" gathering took place in Mumbai, India, on 11th January, 1998. 12,000 members from India and international Laughter Clubs attended it. Now there are over 5,000 Laughter Clubs worldwide on all 5 continents. "HAPPY--DEMIC" was the first World Laughter Day gathering outside India. It took place on 9th January, two years after the Mumbai gathering. In Copenhagen, Denmark, more than 10,000 people gathered at Town Hall Square. The event went into Guinness Book of World Records. "World Laughter Day" is now organized on the first Sunday of May every year. Hundreds of people gather worldwide on that day to laugh together. Today, many people fear widespread international terrorism. The world has never faced so much unrest before. People are at war within themselves. Laughter is a universal language, which has the ability to unite humanity without religion. Laughter can build a common connection between various religions and create a new world order. The idea may sound over -ambitious , and maybe it is. But maybe it is not. It is our deep belief that laughter and only laughter can unite the world, building up a global sense of brotherhood and friendship. Studies also say that laughter helps your body do the following: lower blood pressure; lighten depression; reduce stress; work out the heart, especially for those who are unable to perform physical exercise. So in life, when you can laugh, you should laugh loudly and with your entire body-because it's good for you. The author's attitude towards laughter movement is _ . A. positive B. negative C. uninterested D. objective Answer: A
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Question: My husband had just bought a new washing machine for me . I decided to use it the very day and I washed a lot of things . Everything worked well , but I found one of my husband's socks missing . I looked everywhere for it , but I couldn't find it anywhere . The next morning , I got ready for school as usual . When the bell rang , the students came in . I greeted them and told them what we were going to do that day . When I turned around to write on the blackboard , the class bursted out a roar ! They laughed and laughed . They laughed so much , in fact ,that I was afraid the headmaster would be in to see all this . I asked the class to stop , but the more I talked , the more they laughed . I decided to pay no attention to them and I continued to write on the blackboard . when I did this , they roared even more . Finally , the teacher who had the room next to mine came in to see what all the laughter was about . "Good heavens ," I said , "Will someone please tell me what is so funny?" "Oh , God," said the teacher , "You have a brown sock to the back of your skirt !" So that's how I found my husband's missing sock . "Oh , well ," I said to the class , "Let's just say you have had an unforgettable lesson on static electricity . " What was the writer ? A. A washer B. A student C. A headmaster D. A teacher Answer: D
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Question: When I was fifteen, I announced to my English class that I was going to write and illustrate my own books. Half the students sneered. The rest nearly fell out of their chairs laughing. "Don't be silly, only geniuses can become writers," the English teacher said, "And you are getting a D this semester." I was so humiliated that I burst into tears. That night I wrote a short sad poem about broken dreams and mailed it to the Capri's Weekly newspaper. To my astonishment, they published it and sent me two dollars. I was a published and paid writer. I showed it to my teacher and fellow students. They laughed. "Just plain dumb luck," the teacher said. I tasted success. I'd sold the first thing I'd ever written. That was more than any of them had done and if it was just dumb luck, that was fine with me. During the next two years I sold dozens of poems, letters, jokes and recipes. By the time I graduated from high school, with a C minus average, I had scrapbooks filled with my published work. I never mentioned my writing to my teachers, friends or my family again. They were dream killers and if people must choose between their friends and their dreams, they must always choose their dreams. I had four children at the time, and the oldest was only four. While the children slept, I typed on my ancient typewriter. I wrote what I felt. It took nine months, just like a baby. A month later Crying Wind, the title of my book, became a best seller, was translated into fifteen languages and Braille and sold worldwide. I appeared on TV talk shows. I traveled from New York to California and Canada on promotional tours. My first book also became required reading in native American schools in Canada. People ask what college I attended, what degrees I had and what qualifications I have to be a writer. The answer is: "None." I just write. I'm not a genius. I'm not gifted and I don't write right. To all those who dream of writing, I'm shouting at you: "Yes, you can. Yes, you can. Don't listen to them." I don't write right but I've beaten the odds. Writing is easy, it's fun and anyone can do it. Of course, a little dumb luck doesn't hurt. What can we infer from the passage? A. It is difficult for a person, who cares about what others say, to succeed. B. It is important for a person to tell others what he wants to do. C. It is necessary for a person, who wants to succeed, to take others' advice. D. It is impossible for an ordinary person to be a writer in the future. Answer: A
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Question: Stagnant scientific education endangers U.S. economic leadership, says a report by leading business and science figures. Released at a congressional meeting attended by senators and Congress members of both parties, the report updates a 2005 science education report that led to moves to double federal research funding. Nevertheless, the Rising Above the Gathering Stormreview finds little improvement in U.S. elementary and secondary technical education since then. "Our nation's future has worsened," concludes the report panel headed by former Lockheed chief Martin Norman Augustine. The report "paints a discouraging future for America if it were to continue on the _ path it has been following'': * U.S. K-12 education in mathematics and science ranks 48thworldwide. * 49%of U.S. adults don't know how long it takes for the Earth to circle the sun. Although US school achievement scores have stagnated, harming the economy as employers look elsewhere for competent workers, the report says that other nations have made gains. If the USA's students matched Finland's, for example, analysis suggests the US economy would grow 9%-16%. "The real point is that we have to have a well-educated workforce to create opportunities for young people," says Charles Vest,head of the National Academy of Engineering, a report sponsor. "Otherwise, we don't have a chance." "The current economic crisis makes the link between education and employment very clear,'' says Steven Newton of the National Center for Science Education in Oakland. In 2007, however, an analysis led by B. Lindsay Lowell of Georgetown University found that worries about US science education were overblown . It saw three times more science and engineering college graduates than job openings each year. Other reports have found top science and engineering students migrating to better-paying jobs in finance, law and medicine since the 1900s. We can conclude from what Charles Vest says that _ . A. he is satisfied with America's science education B. improving science education helps the growth of the U. S. economy C. American young people have no chance to find good-paying jobs D. Finland's students are not as good as the USA's students in school achievement Answer: B
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Question: I was fortunate to begin my day camp career at Ramaquois as a four-year-old in 1984. I can clearly remember my first bus ride to camp, sitting next to my older sister. Stepping out of the bus, and into a new, strange world, there was no way I could comprehend how important that moment was for me. Ramaquois would become my summer home until this day. My first summer at day camp was definitely a new experience for me. I had never had a "bunk " or a "cubby " before. My counselors sort of reminded me of my pre-school teachers, but they were...different somehow... I didn't usually enjoy new things and I was slow to warm up to camp. From what my parents tell me, my counselors were very patient with me. When I needed a friend, a counselor was there. When I needed words of encouragement, they got into conversation with me. When I was too shy to ask, they offered help. I don't remember the specific moment when things changed, but I know that at some point that summer, things just became different. I couldn't wait for the bus to arrive in the morning. I feared the weekends. And on the last day of camp, I cried--just like the first day. I was attracted. Ramaquois was a part of my life. I spent 11 summers as a camper at Ramaquois. I had no idea that those summers were just the beginning. I remained at camp for seven years as a counselor, five years a division leader and now I am lucky enough to be an assistant director working with the most unique and talented administrative team in the summer camp industry. I am one of the lucky people that truly enjoys going to work each and every day. The author now is working as _ . A. a camper B. an assistant director C. a bus driver D. a counselor Answer: B
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