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Question: Overuse of soil for farming causes local disruptions of several Earth subsystems. Which of these is a part of the biogeochemical cycle that experiences the most severe local disruption? A. release of carbon into the atmosphere B. release of oxygen into the atmosphere C. cycling phosphorus into the soil D. cycling hydrogen into the soil Answer: C
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Question: What is the color1 of the universe? Astronomers had not answered this question, until two months ago. That is when two American astronomers reported on their study of all the light in the universe. They said that the universe would appear to the human eye to be a light greenish color1, called turquoise . Karl Glazebrook and Ivan Baldry of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, reported their finding in January. They presented the research at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society. They said that finding the color1 of the universe was not part of their serious scientific research. They did it for fun. However, earlier this month, the scientists admitted to making a mistake. They said their finding was much more color1ful than it should have been. They now say the light from our universe is closer to white. It is more like a milky or creamy white color1. Their study attempted to show what people might see if they could observe the universe from far away. The scientists found the average color1 by combining light from about two-hundred-thousand star systems. Their information came from an observatory in New South Wales, Australia. These scientists and color1 engineers attempted to reproduce the result. Mark Fairchild of the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York was the first person to identify a mistake. He discovered a mistake in the computer software program used by the Johns Hopkins scientists. When the mistake was corrected, the results changed. The new color1 of the universe is much less color1ful. It is very close to white. The scientists have apologized for the mistake. They are now working with the Rochester Institute of Technology to produce more images of the color1 of the universe. They also asked for suggestions for a name for the new color1 of the universe. Which of the following people recognized the mistake first? A. Karl Glazebrook B. Ivan Baldry C. Johns Hopkins D. Mark Fairchild Answer: D
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Question: Frank Woolworth was born in Rodman, New York, in 1852. His family were very poor farmers, and there was never enough to eat. Frank decided he did not want to be a farmer. He took a short business course, and went to work as a salesman in a large city. Woolworth realized he had a natural skill for showing goods to attract people's interest, but he soon learned something more important. One day his boss told him to sell some odds and ends ( ) for as much as he could get. Frank put all these things on one table with a sign which said FIVE CENTS EACH. People fought and pushed to buy the things and the table was soon cleared. Soon afterwards, Woolworth opened his own store, selling goods at five and ten cents. But he had another lesson to learn before he became successful. That is, if you want to make money by selling low-price goods, you have to buy them in large quantities directly from the factories. Once, for example, Woolworth went to Germany and placed an order for knives. The order was so large that the factory had to keep running 24 hours a day for a whole year. In this way, the price of the knives was cut down by half. By 1919, Woolworth had over 1000 stores in the US and Canada, and opened his first store in London. He made many millions and his name became famous throughout the world. He always runs his business according to strict rules, of which the most important was: "THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT."www.ks5u.com Frank sold the odds and ends quickly because _ . A. he knew how to get people to buy his goods. B. he cut down the price by half and even lower C. he had put the goods on a table in a very nice way. D. the sign he put on the table was well designed. Answer: D
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Question: The Internet has greatly changed the way people communicate. But some teachers think the changes are not all for the better. Eleanor Johnson, an English professor, thinks that text messaging has made students believe that it is far more acceptable than it actually is to just make terrible spelling and grammatical errors. And she says her students over the past several years have increasingly used less formal English in their writing. Words and phrases like "guy" and "you know" now appear in research papers. Professor Johnson supposes there is a strong relationship between the rise of informal online communication and an increase in writing mistakes. But she says there may not be much scientific information, at least not yet. David Crystal, a British linguist , says the actively changing nature of the Internet makes it difficult to keep up-to-date in studying its effects. But he believes its influence on language is small. The main effect of the Internet on language is the way it has added to the expressive richness of language, providing language with a new set of communicative tools that haven't existed in the past. Erin Jansen is founder of NetLingo.com, an online dictionary of the Internet and text messaging terms. She says the new technology has not changed existing language but has greatly added to its vocabulary. Basically it's freedom of expression. And what about those teachers who find these new kinds of mistakes in spelling and grammar in their students' work? What is her message to them? Erin Jansen said, "I am always on the students' side and won't get angry or upset about that. If it's helping the kids write more or communicate more, that's great. That's what teachers and educators want--to get kids communicating." But Erin Jansen and David Crystal agree with Eleanor Johnson on at least one thing. Teachers need to make sure students understand the uses and rules of language. The author wants to tell us that _ . A. different opinions on informal expressions exist B. what language is now used on the Internet C. informal expressions are popular among teachers D. why the Internet is welcomed by all students Answer: A
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Question: Canada, the world's second-largest country, has a massive Atlantic coastline . So, the best way to experience it is by car. One week Cross over to Wolfville and the Bay of Fundy via HWY 12. Spend a day criss-crossing the country roads and grassy hills of Cape Blomidon to catch some of the most impressive views of the Fundy tides . The next day, drive east, stopping at wineries and shopping for unique jams and other local foods at Tangled Garden, where you can also cool down with a herb-flavored ice cream. Drive through the rural roads and maybe get lost on the way to Maitland to sign up for a day of white-water rafting, which can be relaxing and one of the most exciting experiences in your life. On the last day, head back to Halifax via east coast Martinique Beach, one of the longest beaches in Nova Scotia, a beautiful place for stretching legs and bird watching. Two weeks With more time, you can go directly up to Cape Breton, along the circuitous roads of the "Cabot Trail", over high sea vista points, where you have to watch for moose on the road. Those with more time can go to Newfoundland and continue on the "Viking Trail" that links the Gros Morne National Park with Leif Eriksson's historic Viking settlement. When to go Outside of June to October the coast will be extremely cold and most businesses will be shut. Where to stay * Lennox Inn 1791 (Lunenburg): Canada's oldest continually operating hotel. * The Olde Lantern Inn & Vineyard (Grand Pre): in the heart of winery and Fundy tide country. Where to eat * Fleur de Sel (Lunenburg): widely considered this coast's finest restaurant. * Hall's Lobster Pound (Hall's Harbour): pick your lobster, get it boiled and enjoy it on a park bench. If choosing the one-week tour, you are advised to start from _ . A. Wolfville B. Maitland C. The Bay of Fundy D. Halifax Answer: D
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Question: A soap opera called "Tiger Mother and Cat Father" is popular in China now. The tiger mother is pretty strict with her daughter and the little girl is not allowed to watch TV or play computer games. On the other hand, she makes all efforts to buy the expensive house near the key school, in order to let her daughter have a better education. However, the cat father has an opposite _ of how to raise their child. He gives her daughter more independence and doesn't make many rules for her. Which one is better, " Tiger Mother"or "Cat Father"? In China, it seems that in each family, there is tiger mother and a cat father, even worse, some families have two tigers. Children can't decide anything for themselves. What's worse, Chinese mothers believe key school will bring a better future to their children. This soap opera fully shows us a common problem in China. And maybe it is the real reason why such kind of TV shows can get popular. Whether the tiger mother or the cat father, respecting children and growing together are the keys to family education. Confidence, kindness, honesty and independence are the most important qualities to develop a child, not the grades. Just like a poem said, "Educating children is like walking with a snail , and the steps are gentle and slow." In the soap opera, the father is called "Cat Father" because _ A. he enjoys eating fish just like a cat B. he gives her daughter more independence C. he is afraid of his wife D. he always stays up late just like a cat Answer: B
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Question: Want to be a volunteer for Beijing Olympics in 2008? Recently, the recruiting started. The recruiting of Beijing Olympics Volunteer starts from Aug 28, 2006 to end of March 2008. Stage 1: Beijing Volunteers From August 28, 2006, the program opens to applicants in Beijing (and Beijing only). Stage 2: China Volunteers From Dec, 2006, people from outside Beijing can submit their application. Stage 3: Overseas Volunteers By March 2007, people from outside China (including in other countries) can apply for volunteering in Olympics 2008. The Program Travel, hotel are not provided. Only working meal is available for volunteers (makes sense, isn't it?) If you have any questions, just call Olympics Volunteer hotline: +86-10-12308 According to news, 100k college students have applied for the position after three days of recruiting. 50,000 to 100,000 volunteers are needed for the game. If you want to participate, just call the number and ask more questions about the program. However, my guess is, to be admitted to the program is not easy. Why does the author think it is not easy to be admitted to the program? A. Because too many people want to watch the game live. B. Because the volunteers can have good free meals every day. C. Because the volunteers can watch the game without buying a ticket. D. Because more and more people care for the Olympics . Answer: D
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Question: Something woke me at four in the morning and it's a good thing it did. A polar bear was about to attack the tent right above my head. As claws started to rip the fabric, I kicked and screamed. That woke my brother, Eric, who charged after the bear with a camp shovel. In the chaos I managed to find our shotgun, fire in the air a couple of times, and scare off the bear for good. Eric and I were attempting the first kite-skiing crossing of the frozen Northwest Passage. We had set off in March 2012 from Tukoyaktuk, in Canada's Northwest Territories and hoped to end on Baffin Island, Nunavut, where we had grown up. Our parents are adventure guides, so we spent weekends on dog-sleds learning to have fun in the cold. As teenagers we took up kite-skiing--catching the strong polar winds with a kite to pull us over the ice and snow. Now we're showing how it can open new routes by moving expeditions quickly over long distances. On this trip the native Inuit tracked our progress through the radio interviews we did along the way. When we got to a town, they were always waiting for us. After 85 days and 2,050 miles, we pulled into Pond Inlet, on Baffin Island, where people welcomed us with a square dance. There was only one thing for us to do. We took off our skis and joined in. We believe what we are doing is of meanings: to inspire the youths to get outdoors and get active, promoting a healthy lifestyle and love of nature. How did the two brothers travel in the ice and snow? A. Some dogs drew their sled. B. Kites were put in use in pulling the sled. C. They flew the kites together with the wind. D. The two brothers drew the sled in the wind. Answer: B
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Question: I was 9 years old when I found out my father was ill. It was 1994, but I can remember my mother's words as if it were yesterday: "Kerrel, I don't want you to take food from your father, because he has AIDS. Be very careful when you are around him." AIDS wasn't something we talked about in my country when I was growing up. From then on, I knew that this would be a family secret. My parents were not together anymore, and my dad lived alone. For a while, he could take care of himself. But when I was 12, his condition worsened. My father's other children lived far away, so it fell to me to look after him. We couldn't afford all the necessary medication for him, and because Dad was unable to work, I had no money for school supplies and often couldn't even buy food for dinner. I would sit in class feeling completely lost, the teacher's words muffled as I tried to figure out how I was going to manage. I did not share my burden with anyone. I had seen how people reacted to AIDS. Kids laughed at classmates who had parents with the disease. And even adults could be cold. When my father was moved to the hospital, the nurses would leave his food on the bedside table even though he was too weak to feed himself. I had known that he was going to die, but after so many years of keeping his condition a secret, I was completely unprepared when he reached his final days. Sad and hopeless, I called a woman at the nonprofit National AIDS Support. That day, she kept me on the phone for hours. I was so lucky to find someone who cared. She saved my life. I was 15 when my father died. He took his secret away with him, having never spoken about AIDS to anyone, even me. He didn't want to call attention to AIDS. I do. Which of the following statements about Kerrel's father is true? A. He had stayed in the hospital since he fell ill. B. He depended on the nurses in his final days. C. He told no one about his disease. D. He worked hard to pay for his medication. Answer: C
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Question: In today's world English is the most wildly used language. It is our duty to learn English in the new situation of the reform and opening to the outside world. How can we master the English language? I'd like to give you some good advice. First, get interested in it. I enjoy listening to foreign friends talking when I was a child. At the same time I watched the English programme Follow Meon TV. From then on, I kept on learning English. The more I learned, the more progress I made. Second, practice makes perfect. Many people study English very hard, but they are very shy to speak it in public, for they are afraid of making mistakes. Remember you have to make a mistake before you can correct it. A native English speaker makes mistakes sometimes, too. Third, the beginners should be encouraged to pay attention to _ The English language has many idioms. For example, you should say "He is as strong as a cow." If we want to learn English, we must first _ . A. show interest in it B. enjoy listening to it C. watch English programmes on TV D. practice speaking it Answer: A
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Question: Shake Shack is a new kind of restaurant becoming more popular in the U.S. The restaurants are not"fast food" . They are known as"fast casual" . Observers say Americans want more choices and fresh food when choosing where and what to eat. This trend is one reason why the fast food restaurant McDonald' s has struggled financially. In the last quarter of 2014, McDonald' s net income dropped by about $300 million. The January earnings report brought more bad news. Worldwide sales dropped for the eighth month in a row and even more than expected. While McDonald' s is struggling to get their customers back, Shake Shack, is doing well in making money. The New York-based burger chain had a very successful IPO, or initial public offering, of shares at the end of January. On its first day of trading, Shake Shack went from $21 a share to just under $46 a share. Being part of the "fast casual "trend has helped Shake Shack. Other fast casual restaurants in the U.S. include Chipotle and Panera. Bonnie Riggs, a restaurant expert with NPD has studied Americans' restaurant habits for almost 30 years. She says one reason why Americans like fast casual food is that it' s new. It' s creative, it' s something different and people like to try new things. Her study shows Americans made 61 billion visits to restaurants last year. Three out of four visits were to fast food restaurants, like McDonald' s. Fast casual is still a small percentage of restaurant visits, but it has developed fast. Just as Ms. Riggs says,"It' s growing _ because they meet consumers' needs. They know it' s being prepared while they wait, it' s fresh, quality food, good tasting food at what they say are reasonable and affordable prices." Many Americans still like their fast food. They just are not going as often. They are finding other ways to have a meal. What' s the trouble with McDonald' s? A. Its share goes down to $21. B. Shake Shack has taken its place. C. It' s not popular with Americans. D. Its sales and income have dropped. Answer: D
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Question: Joe Brown has a shop. He sells meat in his shop. One Thursday a woman comes into his shop at five to one. "I'm sorry I'm late," she says. "I need some more meat for my dinner tonight." Joe has only one piece of meat in his shop. He takes it out of the fridge and says, "This is $6.50." "That piece is too small," the woman says, "Don't you have anything bigger?" Joe goes into the room behind his shop, puts the piece of meat into the fridge, takes it out of the fridge again and closes the door with lots of noise. Then he brings the piece of meat to the woman and says, "This piece of meat is bigger and more expensive. It's $8.75." "Good," the woman says with a smile, "give me both of them, please." Why doesn't the woman want that piece of meat? A. Because she has no money. B. Because it is bad. C. Because it isn't big enough . D. Because it is too big. Answer: C
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Question: Americans do many different things during their vacations. Some people stay at home and enjoy time with their families. They may go to a local swimming pool, zoo or museum. Other people travel to enjoy large national parks, the mountains, the ocean, or large amusement parks. Many people visit interesting American cities or historic areas. Some people visit family members in other states. Still other Americans visit foreign countries. Recently there is a new use for vacation time -- learning about a new kind of job. This program is called Vocation Vacations. People pay between six hundred and five thousand dollars to work at a job for a few days or a week. Brian Kurth of Portland, Oregon, started Vocation Vacations. He says it serves a valuable purpose. It gives people a chance to try out a job they always wanted without leaving their present job. People use Vocation Vacations to try many kinds of jobs around the United States. These are jobs that anyone can learn to do. For example, they can learn how to make beer, wine, cheese or cakes. They can help train dogs or horses. They can learn how to be a hunting and fishing guide or a gardener. They can work with a sports announcer, television producer, wedding planner or photographer. Or they can learn how to operate a very small hotel, called a "bed and breakfast". Vocation Vacations recently added several new jobs. They include comedians, dog-sled drivers and hair stylists. The company says the most popular job so far is winemaking. The Vocation Vacations Website recently asked visitors what prevents them from working at their dream job. More than two thousand people answered. Forty-two percent said the main block is money. Lack of the right education or experience was the answer given by twenty-five percent. Other answers included fear of failure and lack of family support. It seems that most of the jobs in Vocation Vacations are _ . A. difficult B. boring C. expensive D. enjoyable Answer: D
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Question: I prefer Lynne Truss's phraseology: I am a grammar "sticker". And, like Truss - author of Eats, shoots & Leaves - I have a "zero tolerance" approach to grammar mistakes that make people look stupid. Now, Truss and I disagree on what it means to have "zero tolerance". She thinks that people who mix up basic grammar "deserve to be struck by lightning, hacked up on the spot and buried in an unmarked grave", while I just think they deserve to be passed over for a job - even if they are otherwise qualified for the position. Everyone who applies for a position at either of my companies, iFixit or Dozuki, takes a compulsory grammar test. If job hopefuls can't distinguish between "to" and "too", their applications go into the bin. Of course, we write for a living. iFixit.com is the world's largest online repair manual , and Dozuki helps companies write their own technical documentation, like paperless work instructions and step-by-step user manuals. So, it makes sense that we've made a strong strike against grammar errors. But grammar is relevant for all companies. Yes, language is constantly changing, but that doesn't make grammar unimportant. Good grammar is credibility, especially on the Internet. And, for better or worse, people judge you if you can't tell the difference between "their" "there" and "they're". Good grammar makes good business sense - and not just when it comes to hiring writers. Writing isn't in the official job description of most people in our office. Still, we give our grammar test to everybody, including our salespeople, our operations staff, and our programmers. Grammar signifies more than just a person's ability to remember high school English. I've found that people who make fewer mistakes on a grammar test also make fewer mistakes when they are doing something completely unrelated to writing - like stocking shelves or labeling parts. It is the same with programmers. Applicants who don't think writing is important are likely to think lots of other things also aren't important. The author agrees with Lynne Truss in that _ . A. grammar mistakes can't be tolerated B. books on grammar make people stupid C. people need to learn basic grammar D. grammar mistakes are absolutely unavoidable Answer: A
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Question: May 2, Saturday We arrived in Hangzhou at 3:00p.m. After we walked out of the train station, we took a taxi to the hotel. The hotel was very clean. We stayed there for three days. Then we wanted to travel to Hainan. May 5, Tuesday In the morning we went to Hainan by plane. The people in Hainan were very friendly. Then we went to a beautiful beach. It was sunny. So we had great fun playing in the water. May 7, Thursday It was rainy today. So we went to a museum. We saw many old things there. Then we went to the aquarium to see some sea animals. We saw many kinds of fish. They were very lovely. I hope I could come to Hainan again. The writer stayed in Hangzhou for _ days. A. two B. three C. four D. five Answer: B
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Question: Happiness is a feeling that lights up your eyes, makes your steps light and makes you want to sing for no reason. Everyone wants to be happy. But sometimes, a guest comes in without invitation. It's unhappiness. Don't let it get you down. Send it away! When you are happy, the world feels like a better place. As the saying goes: When you smile, the world smiles with you; when you cry, you cry alone. Wearing a smile will make you more charming and help you to win lots of friends. A good mood always gives you hope, which makes troubles and problems easier to handle. No matte how happy you are, it's normal to feel angry, sad or gloomy once in a while. Life is full of ups and downs. We can't change the way life is, but we can do our best to change a bad situation into a good one. To help us do this, it's good to know some of the factors that influence happiness. One of the biggest factors is social relationships. People who are close to family and friends are happier than people who don't have those relationships. Talking and sharing is a good way to relax and build confidence . Knowing someone is there for you will make you braver and more outgoing. Another factor is work or school. If you enjoy school, even if you have lots of homework or extra classes, you will still feel that your school life is meaningful and happy. But if you hate school, your negative attitude may cause you to feel bored and upset that you have to do so much work. A third factor is your attitude towards life. How do you feel if you fail in an exam? Maybe you think it's unfair because you always study hard and should get a good mark. You can't stop blaming yourself. Or, maybe you accept it. You go through the paper carefully, find our why you made stupid mistakes, and tell yourself, "Take it easy! I'll do better next time!" Your attitude makes a big difference. Which of the following is true according to the passage? A. Life is full of ups and downs. B. When you cry, the world cries with you. C. It's normal if you always feel sad and gloomy. D. It's hard to change bad situation into a good one. Answer: A
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Question: Our guide was excellent! He walked us through all the local villages and took extra time at the end to enjoy a local dinner. He stayed with us longer than he was obliged to and made this a fantastic experience. Tour _ Travel is all about the street food these days, and why not? It's fresh, fast, cheap and a great way to crack into the local scene. Join this Hanoi tour to source the best street eats from markets, food carts, street cafes and other hard-to-find-but-totally-worth-the-effort secret spots. Highlights Sample delicious Vietnamese cuisine just like the locals do -- on the street Stroll through hidden alleyways and bustling markets of Hanoi's charming old quarter Learn more about Hanoi's unique food culture Try local specialties with influences from French and Chinese cuisine Take in a spectacular night view of Hoan Kiem lake from a secret cafe Schedule details Duration: 2.5 hours Meeting point: Sacombank ATM Machine - No. 1 Dong Xuan street (front entrance of Dong Xuan Market, Corner of Dong Xuan St with Cau Dong St) Starting time: 5. 00 PM Ending point: Cafe Pho Co - 11 Hang Gai St, Hoan Kiem What did the guide do? A. He showed visitors around by car. B. He took many photos of visitors. C. He stayed with visitors for extra time. D. He enjoyed breakfast with visitors. Answer: C
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Question: "Extra? Extra!Gasoline hits four dollars a gallon!" No one will really be shockedexcept, perhaps, the old-timers who tell about the good old days when gas was three gallons for a dollar, and people drove around "just for the fun of it". As a matter of fact; the price of gas has been rising fast and steadily for several years, and many adjustments have already been made. There was, for a time, considerable unemployment in the auto industry, and three quarters of the garages and service stations have gone out of business. However; the bicycle and motor-scooter business has flourished ; and many people have found employment there: Now that Federal Motors has brought out its new Lilliput, which travels forty miles on a gallon, the auto business is picking up again. The factories that haven't switched over to two-wheel transportation are working on their new smaller models. There is talk, too, about bringing out new steam and electric automobiles that will be just as economical as the old cars. In the meantime, streetcars are gradually replacing buses all over the country because of the greater economy of electric power. And many people who have seldom used public transportation are now riding the streetcars while their automobiles rust in their garages. There's no market at all for their big, luxurious cars, for only the wealthy can now afford to operate them. Many people are now shopping in their own neighborhood, and small businesses are thriving. Ministers, educators, and editorial writers are pointing out that there has been a great improvement in family life. Families now stay at home more for their fun, and children and parents are becoming better acquainted. The stores report a booming business in parlor games, hobby materials, books, musical instruments and albums. People have lost their pale indoor look. The revival of the lost art of walking has brought a healthy pink back to many a cheek. This return to the heels has revolutionized the clothing styles; people now need to be ready for all kinds of weather: These conditions, however, may not last. Already our clever chemists are at work on new synthetic fuels which, they say, will put us right back where we wereon wheels. Shall w e wish them success or not? What is the best title for this passage? A. New fuels on the way B. Cars or bicycles, that is a question C. End of the good old days D. From wheels to heels Answer: D
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Question: In the case of mobile phones, change is everything. Recent research indicates that the mobile phone is changing not only our culture, but our very bodies as well. First, let's talk about culture. The difference between the mobile phone and its parent, the fixed-line phone, is that a mobile number corresponds to a person, while a landline goes to a place. If you call my mobile, you get me. If you call my fixed-line phone, you get whoever answers it. This has several implications . The most common one, however, and perhaps the thing that has changed our culture forever, is the "meeting" influence. People no longer need to make firm plans about when and where to meet. Twenty years ago, a Friday night would need to be arranged in advance. You needed enough time to allow everyone to get from their place of work to the first meeting place. Now,however, a night out can be arranged on the run. It is no longer "see you there at 8",but "text me around 8 and we'll see where we all are." Texting changes people as well. In their paper, "Insights into the Social and Psychological Effects of SMS Text Messaging", two British researchers distinguished between two types of mobile phone users: the "talkers" and the "texters"-those who prefer voice to text messages and those who prefer text to voice. They found that the mobile phone's individuality and privacy gave texters the ability to express a whole new outer personality. Texters were likely to report that their family would be surprised if they were to read their texts. This suggests that texting allowed texters to present a self-image that differed from the one familiar to those who knew them well. Another scientist wrote of the changes that mobiles have brought to body language. There are two kinds that people use while speaking on the phone. There is the "speakeasy": the head is held high, in a self-confident way, chatting away. And there is the "spacemaker": these people focus on themselves and keep out other people. Who can blame them? Phone meetings get cancelled or reformed and camera- phones intrude on people's privacy. So, it is understandable if your mobile makes you nervous. But perhaps you needn't worry so much. After all, it is good to talk. We can infer from the passage that the texts sent by texters are A. quite revealing B. well written C. unacceptable by others D. shocking to others Answer: A
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Question: The Dangers of Dieting Thanks to our modern lifestyle, with more and more time spent sitting down in front of computers than ever before, the number of overweight people is at a new high. As people crazily search for a solution to this problem, they often try some of the popular fad diets being offered. Many people see fad diets as harmless ways of losing weight, and they are grateful to have them. Unfortunately, not only don't fad diets usually do the trick, but they can actually be dangerous for your health. Although permanent weight loss is the goal, few are able to achieve it. Experts estimate that 95 percent of dieters return to their starting weight, or even add weight. While the irresponsible or unwise use of fad diets can bring some initial results, long-term results are very rare.[:**] Nonetheless, people who are bored with the difficulties of changing their eating habits often turn to fad diets. Rather than being moderate, fad diets involve extreme dietary changes. They advise eating only one type of food, or they prohibit other types of foods entirely. This results in a situation where a person's body doesn't get all the vitamins and other things that it needs to stay healthy. One popular fad diet recommends eating lots of meat and animal products, while nearly eliminating carbohydrates . A scientific study from Britain found that this diet is very high in fat. According to the study, the increase of damaging fats in the blood can lead to heart disease and, in extreme cases, kidney failure. Furthermore, diets that are too low in carbohydrates can cause the body to use its own muscle for energy. The less muscle you have, the less food you use up, and the result is slower weight loss. Veteran dieters may well ask at this point, "What is the ideal diet?" Well, to some extent, it depends on the individual. A United States government agency has determined that to change your eating habits requires changing your psychology of eating, and everyone has a different psychology. That being said, the British study quoted above recommends a diet that is high in carbohydrates and high in fiber, with portions of fatty foods kept low. According to the study, such a diet is the best for people who want to stay healthy, lose weight, and keep that weight off. And, any dieting program is best undertaken with a doctor's supervision. After losing weight by dieting, what usually happens to people? A. They have kidney failure. B. They gain the weight back again. C. They keep the weight off. D. They have less muscle. Answer: B
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Question: Australian researchers have studied records of 105 plane crashes and interviews with more than 2,000 survivors of traffic accidents, and outlined the following self-help tips. First, sit with your family but escape separately. About 50 percent of passengers travel with at least one companion. If you are traveling with your family, try not to sit separately because in an emergency, families who are separated will try to reunite before they escape, thereby missing the best time to escape and causing tragedy. However, it is best to escape separately because it will improve your chances of survival. Second, have your seat belts securely fastened. The shoulder belt should be worn closely against the body, over the shoulder, cross the chest, and never under the arms. It should not be too close to your head, or it may get you hurt in an accident, or too close to your shoulder joint, which may cause the belt easily to slip off. It is best to wear the belt two fingers away from your shoulder joint. The lap belt should be firm against the body and low across the hips in order to prevent collision forces from hurting your viscera . Make sure both belts are fastened closely against the body. Third, find the nearest exit on board. A study found that the average distance a survivor will take in an escape is seven seat rows, so choose a passage seat within this range. If not available, count exactly how many rows you are from the nearest exit in advance, so that you can find your exit in the dark or in smoke. Fourth, sit backwards on trains. Seats on military aircrafts normally face backwards so that soldiers are less likely to be bumped and injured in the head in the event of a crash. The same theory applies to trains. The best title for the passage is _ . A. Self-help tips for passengers B. Safety instructions while driving C. Where to sit on board D. Fastening your seat belts Answer: A
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Question: Which environmental factor would most likely prevent an orange tree from surviving in the desert? A. the lack of moisture B. the high levels of heat C. the extra amount of wind D. the low levels of sunlight Answer: A
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Question: Malnutrition remains a serious problem for India. But a new study shows that India's leading causes of death now also include diseases related to obesity such as heart disease. India's National Family Health Survey shows that more than twenty percent of Indians living in cities are overweight or obese. And in the northwestern state of Punjab, that is true for almost forty percent of women. Aradhna Tripathi is a business professional in New Delhi. She said, " Eating is the most important thing in any Indian household and how you show your love and gratitude for a person is through the kind of food you serve him. And the kind of lifestyle we are leading is one of the reasons why we have the number of obese people increasing every day. But Aradhna Tripathi says she has decided to lose weight. Her mother and grandmother are also diabetic . In fact, the International Diabetes Federation says India is now the diabetes capital of the world. Researchers say Indians store more body fat per kilogram than Europeans. That means obese Indians are even more at the risk of diabetes than other people. Doctor Anoop Misra at Fortis Hospital in New Delhi says the risk of diabetes is crossing social and economic lines. _ But Doctor Misra is hopeful that the spread (,)of obesity can be slowed. And he says it must start in schools by giving all Indian children the same instruction on physical activity and diet. The World Health Organization says China is also moving up in obesity rates. The estimate has reached about five percent countryside and as high as twenty percent in some cities. According to Aradhna Tripathi , one of the causes of the obesity problems is _ . A. .the development of economy B. the change of Indians' lifestyle C. Indians' attitude towards eating D. Indians' attitude towards obesity. Answer: C
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Question: Some people were eating and drinking in a coffee house. A young woman was sitting alone at a table. She was wearing a beautiful diamond necklace. There was an ugly man at a table not far from her. He was looking at her necklace all the time. Suddenly the lights went out. The coffee house was in darkness. The woman started to shout. She was very frightened. A few minutes later the lights came on again. The woman was crying. Her necklace was missing. The manager quickly closed all the doors. He telephoned the police. No one could get out of the coffee house. The policemen soon came. The police inspector told his men to search everyone. The necklace was not on anyone. They then searched the whole coffee house. The necklace couldn't be found. The police inspector then looked at the faces of all the people in the coffee house. He saw the ugly man and looked at the man carefully. He went up to the man and picked up the bowl of soup that was on his table. He then poured the soup into a glass. The necklace fell out. The policemen caught hold of the man and took him away. The young woman was happy to get back her necklace. A young woman lost her necklace in _ . A. a hospital B. a shop C. a coffee house D. a restaurant Answer: C
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Question: A farmer grew some vegetables in his garden. One day his wife was ill and he had no money. He had to sell some cabbages and carrots in the market. The next morning he took two baskets of vegetables to town. But it was raining hard that afternoon and there were few people in the street. When his vegetables were sold out, it was dark. He bought some medicine and hurried to his village. On his way home he saw a person lying on the snow. He placed his baskets on the ground and was going to help the person to get up. At that time he found it was a dead man and there was much blood on his body. He was so afraid that he ran away quickly, without taking the baskets with him. The next afternoon the farmer was sent to the police station. Having shown the baskets, an officer asked: "Are these yours?" "Yes, sir." the farmer answered timidly . "Have you killed the man?" "No, no, sir." the farmer said in a hurry." When did you see the dead man?" "About seven last evening." "Did you see who killed the man?" "No, Sir." The officer brought out a knife and asked, "Have you seen it yet?" "No, Sir.' The officer became angry and told the policemen to beat him up and send him into prison. That evening the officer went on trying .Pointing to the knife, he asked again," Have you seen it yet?" "Yes, Sir." The officer was happy and asked," When and where?" "I saw it here this afternoon, sir." As _ , the farmer decided to help the person to stand up. A. he wanted to get some money from him. B. the person was one of his friends C. he thought the person would thank him. D. he thought the person had drunk too much Answer: D
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Question: crumple means change shape from smooth into A. lots of folds and ridges B. extra smooth all over C. a pile of burned ash D. a wet mushy pike Answer: A
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Question: Ten Chinese PhD students are demanding that Beijing Normal University Professor Yu Dan be away from her television show on CCTV10. They argue that her on-air explanations of Confucius's Analects (<<>> ) are "incorrect and misleading". Yu is known for explaining Confucius's Analects to a TV audience. But some complain that her explanations are unfaithful to Chinese tradition. But Yu doesn't seem to worry too much about her critics, saying, "It's a matter of personal choice. Some like KFC, while others like McDonalds." STEALING some online gamer's password might seem less harmful than credit card theft. It does keep the victim from wearing himself out all night playing. But it is not all that nice, says 19-year-old Zhang Qiwen, in Shanghai. Last August, Zhang accidentally downloaded a Trojan while playing Warcraft. The Trojan is a type of virus used by hackers to steal people's passwords. Overnight the Trojan transferred all the "gold" (game credits) from Zhang's private account to an unknown account. Zhang hopes the police will find and punish the thief, who can also pocket some cash since the stolen "gold" can go on sale online. New England's largest indoor public garden has opened here in a historic park, and officials expect it to become a center for learning about plants as well as a top attraction for visitors. The glass-walled Roger Williams Park Botanical Center, which opened on March 2, offers a tropical garden, an orchid garden, and a Mediterranean room with a collection of citrus trees. The center also has two classrooms and will offer gardening classes provided by the University of Rhode Island. Roger Williams Park, named for the city's 17th-century founder, also has a zoo. The park already attracts more than 2 million visitors a year, and Providence Mayor David Cicilline said that he expects the new center will attract more and more visitors to Providence. Which of the following statements is true? A. Confucius's Analects is like KFC or McDonalds in China now. B. 19-year-old Zhang was angry because a hacker stole his "gold". C. The Trojan is a new online game. D. The garden is run by a university. Answer: B
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Question: Allan is eight this year and he's in Grade Two. The boy is clever and can answer all the questions in class. But he hates to stay in the classroom for more than half an hour. He would not listen to the teachers when class is soon going to be over. Or he touches his deskmate's head, or he makes faces. He often makes the whole Class laugh. His teachers tell his parents about it. He has to make a promise that he won't do that again. But soon he will forget it. The teachers think he does well in his lessons and don't mind it. One Saturday evening Allan finished his homework as soon as he had supper. He turned on the television, but there was no football match on TV. He found all the programmes were not interesting and turned it off. He saw his sister Mabel doing her homework in her bedroom. He decided to play a joke on her. He found an earthworm in the garden and put it in her clothes. The girl was so frightened that she cried out for help. Their mother heard this and went in to find out what had happened there. Of course, the boy was punished for it. The next morning Mabel gave her mother a card and said, "Merry Mother's Day. Mum!" The woman was happy and thanked her daughter. But Allan had nothing to give his mother as a present. He felt sorry and said, "Don't be angry with me Mummy. I've forgotten it. " "It doesn't matter, dear," said his mother. "The best present is to be a good boy. Don't be naughty , my son, or your child will be naughty, too! " Hearing this, the boy began to laugh and said. "You've told me the truth today, Mummy!" Allan wouldn't listen to the teachers _ . A. when he can't understand them B. when the class is going to be over C. when he can't answer the questions D. after he finishes the exercises Answer: B
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Question: The "59 smiles" on a smartphone by an old woman in Wuhan, Hubei province in about six months tell a big story. The smiles are from the 59 people who offered her seats on buses. "Everybody can be a good _ , because in many cases a friendly smile is all that is needed to build a better world." says Zhang Yongsheng in an article on youth.cn. The 69-year-old Wuhan woman has taken photographs of the people who offered their seats to her on buses. The 59 photographs are good memories for her. Some of the smiles are shy, some friendly, while others are like sunshine. The old lady is not good at taking photographs with her smartphone, because some of them are of poor quality, but in spite of that, the series of photographs has become famous immediately on the Internet. The smiles that the old lady has taken show people's care and love for others, which is becoming valuable in today's society. Her act also expressed her thanks to those who have helped her, says Zhang. Offering one's seat to elderly people on buses has become a hot topic of discussion. There have been many cases of quarrels between young and aged people recently. They could have been avoided if we had thought more about others and also more thankful when others offered help. Why has the woman taken so many photos? A. Because she has a good smartphone. B. Because she wants to show thanks. C. Because she decides to become famous. D. Because she is good at taking photos. Answer: B
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Question: It is commonly known that Japan went from a 19th century national economy to a 20th century global economy in a time span of 30 years between 1945 and 1975. What is less known is that Japan, understanding that fast, efficient transport was the key to a global economy, was the first country in the world to introduce the "Bullet Train". Kawasaki Heavy Industries was duly appointed the manufacturer and the first high speed train went "on line" in 1964. The Shinkansen, as is known in Japan, made its first journey between her capital and Osaka, a distance of 301 miles, at a speed of 132 mph. The next country to introduce high speed trains was France. SNGF, the public rail system in France, was losing passengers to other forms of transport and introduced the "TGV" (Train a Grande Vitesse) to counteract the trend in 1981. As a result of Opec controlling the oil market in 1974, the train was designed to be powered by gas turbines. It ran on a specially built track between Lyon and Paris. Eight years later another TGV was introduced, this time between the coast and Paris. Soon, France became the most rail efficient country in the world with high speed train connections to Belgium, London, Germany, Switzerland, Spain and the Netherlands. There was another positive element that resulted from the introduction of high speed trains. Between 1964 and 1991, Japan's Shinkansen had transported in excess of three billion passengers without there being a single fatal accident and eleven years after France introduced the TGV, it still had a 100% safety record. This statistic has never been equaled by the traditional slow moving trains in any country. China has become the fourth country to produce such trains, after France, Germany and Japan. China's first domestically produced bullet train with a maximum speed of 350 kilometers per hour has rolled off the production line. Equipped with highly-efficient power system, the currently fastest train in China is also energy efficient. When the train is running, it can transfer kinetic energy into electricity, so that it can ensure its electricity supply even when it is cut off from the power grids. In all, such trains are expected to be in commercial operation by the end of 2010. Which of the following advantage(s) belongs to bullet train? A. Speedy and energy-wasting. B. Slow but secure. C. Fast and safe. D. Crowded and expensive. Answer: C
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Question: Few buildings on earth can compete with the legendary beauty of the Taj Mahal. Towering over the ancient Indian city of Agra, the Taj Mahal is the grandest monument to love ever created. The lovers in this story are the 17th century Indian emperor Shah Jehan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal. She took a leading role in advising him, which is something unusual for a woman to do for a husband who's an emperor. Over the course of their nineteen-year marriage she gave birth to 14 children. But in 1631 while trying to deliver their fifteenth -- she tragically died. He was heartbroken when she died. And after her death, he decided to build the world's greatest monument ever built, for love. He ordered the royal architects to design the most beautiful building the world had known and decided to name it after his beloved, Mumtaz Mahal. He called on twenty thousand workers and sent many more people to all corners of his country in search of valuable metals and jewels. And after seventeen years of hard work, Shah Jehan's monument was completed and his beloved empress was moved to her final resting place. Everything had gone according to plan, but Shah Jehan's luck was about to change ... In 1658, just four years after the completion of the Taj Mahal, he was thrown out of power. Unfortunately, his son, Aran Azibe imprisoned him, his own father. And he spent the last seven years of his life in prison. And he was allowed to look at the Taj Mahal through a window. His life was in ruins, but when he died his last wish was promised. He was buried beside his beloved wife in the Taj Mahal. What was unusual for Mumtaz Mahal according to the passage? A. She gave birth to 14 children for her husband. B. She gave important advice to her husband. C. She asked her son to imprison his father. D. She planned to build the world's greatest monument. Answer: B
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Question: Just then the police radio says there was a robbery in a supermarket nearby. The police told Mr. Brown to stay there and they would be back soon. Then the police ran to the supermarket. Mr. Brown didn't wait but drove home. When he got home, he was tired and went to bed. Mrs. Brown found a police car in front of their house and the lights were still on. . There was a robbery _ . A. in a supermarket nearby B. in a supermarket far away C. in a shop nearby D. in a shop far away Answer: A
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Question: Police Officer Tidwell left the station after 8 a.m. on Sunday. He was looking forward to his day of rest. By habit he took a short cut down the path behind prefix = st1 /Digby Hall Road. Suddenly he saw a man climbing down a drain-pipe from an open bedroom window of number 29. Quietly Tidwell walked into the garden. The man had just reached the ground when he felt his arm grasped. "It seems an unlikely adventure. Would you mind explaining? " said the officer. The man was frightened, saying, "I know what's on your mind, officer, but it is a mistake. " "It's part of my job to take an interest in unusual events. I think you've just left this house in a manner other than the customary one. " Tidwell took out his notebook and a pen. "Name, address and your job and then, please, tell me your story." "Charlie Crane, Lorry Driver, from Nottingham, 51 Brecon Street. My story..." "Yes, What were you doing, Mr. Crane?" "Well, I had a breakdown yesterday and had to stay here until it was fixed. Bed and breakfast. The landlady is Mrs. Fern. She gave me breakfast at seven, and I was out here in the right way and down at the lorry park. It was only when I felt for a cigarette that I realised I'd left 80 pounds under the pillow. It's my habit to put my money under the pillow at night." "I see. Have you paid Mrs. Fern?" "I'd paid her last night. So I came back, but it's Sunday, and she'd gone back to bed. Could I wake her? I rang the bell and knocked on the door for ten minutes before I came here and found my bedroom window still open. Up I went, then, up this pipe. The money was still there. I hope you believe it because..." "Mr. Crane, what are you doing here? I thought you'd gone an hour ago." It was Mrs. Fern, speaking from the kitchen window. Why had Crane stayed the night at number 29? A. He had lost his way in the dark. B. He had suddenly felt sick at stomach. C. There was something wrong with his lorry. D. Nottingham was too far for him to reach that night. Answer: C
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Question: A beautiful woman took a plane on business. She found her seat and sat down next to a young man. The man was just thinking of making a few dollars on the plane. When he saw the woman, he got an idea. "Hey! Would you like to play a game?" he asked the woman. "No, thank you. I just want to take a nap ," the woman answered. "It's really easy. All you have to do is to answer the questions that I ask you. If you don't know the answer, you give me five dollars. If I don't know the answer to your question, then I'll give you five dollars." "No," the woman still refused. "OK. If I don't know the answer to your question, I'll give you five hundred dollars. How about that?" the man said. Then the woman became interested and decided to join in the game. "OK. How many moons does Jupiter have?" asked the young man. The woman reached into her purse and took out a five-dollar bill. "What goes up the mountain with three legs and comes back with four?" the woman asked. Then the young man took out his computer and searched the Internet for an answer. Minutes later, the young man handed five hundred dollars to the woman. After a few hours, the young man really wanted to know the answer to the question. So he asked the woman, "What is the answer to your question?" The woman reached into her purse and handed the young man a five-dollar bill. How much did the woman get at the end of the story? A. $ 500. B. $ 5. C. $ 10. D. $ 490. Answer: D
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Question: The human body has hundreds of muscles. The three types are skeletal muscles, smooth muscles and cardiac, or heart muscles. Each kind of muscle has a special job to do. The skeletal muscles are attached to the bones; they actually hold the skeleton together. Strong cords, called tendons , help connect these muscles to the bones. Skeletal muscles give us strength and allow us to move in many ways. If you look at skeletal muscles through a microscope, you will see that it has bands of fibers that look like stripes . These stripes are called striations. Skeletal muscles usually move because the brain has sent a conscious message to them telling them what to do. This is called voluntary movement. Another type of muscle is smooth muscle. Unlike skeletal muscle, smooth muscle does not have striations. This is found in organs such as the stomach, the bladder , the lungs and the eyes. Smooth muscles are smaller than the skeletal muscles and they move involuntarily. The brain tells these muscles what to do, but we aren't even aware of it. For example, we don't have to think about breathing or digesting food. The smooth muscles just do their jobs automatically. For this reason smooth muscles are sometimes called involuntary muscles. Like smooth muscle, cardiac muscle also works involuntarily. It is a very thick muscle that is found only in the walls of the heart. Its job is to pump blood out of the heart and into blood vessels called arteries . The arteries help carry the blood to all parts of the body. When the cardiac muscles relax, they let blood back into the heart. Cardiac muscles have striations, just like skeletal muscles do. Skeletal muscles and heart muscles are alike because _ . A. both can move voluntarily B. both are thick muscles C. both are bigger than smooth muscles D. both have stripes called striations Answer: D
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Question: If you ask Americans whether or not they think their former president George W. Bush is smart, most of them will probably tell you they don't think so. However, Bush's IQ score is estimated to be above 120, which puts him in the top ten percent of the population. It doesn't seem to make sense. How come someone with such an IQ score is not considered smart? Researchers say: IQ does not tell the whole story. Some people have high IQ scores, but still they can be poor thinkers and decision-makers. Keith Stanovich, a Canadian professor of human development and applied psychology, has been looking into the "clever fools" phenomenon for 15 years. He says IQ tests are very good at measuring certain mental faculties , including logic, learning ability, working-memory capacity (how much information you can hold in mind), etc. Those faculties play a part in one's academic success, but rational thinking is more important for us to make good judgments in real-life situations. IQ tests fail to work when it comes to rational thinking. That's because they are unable to assess things such as a person's ability to weigh up information, or whether an individual can set aside the cognitive biases that may be misleading. "A high IQ is like height in a basketball player," says David Perkins, who studies thinking and reasoning skills at Harvard University. "It is very important, all other things being equal. But all other things aren't equal. It takes a lot more to be a good basketball player than being tall, and it takes a lot more to be a good thinker than having a high IQ." We know from the text that _ A. the former president George W. Bush has a high IQ score B. many Americans think their former president George W. Bush is smart C. David Perkins believe that a person's IQ doesn't need to be developed D. Keith Stanovich looked into the "clever fools" phenomenon 5 years ago Answer: A
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Question: A new report said scientists may not be far from giving apes the ability to think and talk like humans. The report is about experiments which transplant human cells into animals for medical purposes. It claimed that concerns about the creation of talking apes should be taken seriously. It should also draw people's attention to the possibility that the medical research about creating "humanised" animals is going to generate monsters. A regulatory body is needed to closely monitor any experiments that many risk creating animals with human-like consciousness or giving them any appearance or behavioural traits that too closely resemble humans, the report said. Scientists would, for example, be prevented from replacing a large number of an ape's brain cells with human brain cells until more is known about the potential risks. This has already been done in simpler animals like mice, which is judged to be less risky. Under the new UK guidelines, the power to regulate tests on animals containing human material would be transferred to a body with wider responsibility for animal testing in the Home Office. While there is no risk from experiments currently being carried out in Britain, it is possible that ethical boundaries could be crossed within the next few years if scientists are not careful, the experts said. Professor Thomas Baldwin, a member of the Academy of Medical Sciences working group that produced the report, said the possibility of humanised apes should be taken seriously. He said, "The fear is that if you start putting very large numbers of human brain cells into the brains of primates you might transform the primates into something that has some of the abilities that we regard as distinctly human, such as speech, or other ways of being able to _ or relate to us." Professor Martin Bobrow, chair of the academy working group that produced the report, said, "The very great majority of experiments present no issues beyond the general use of animals in research and these should continue to proceed under the current regulations." Lord Willis, chair of the Association of Medical Research Charities, said, "AMRC only supports research that is absolutely necessary and where no suitable alternative methods are available." It can be inferred that _ . A. people should be careful when creating talking apes B. Thomas Baldwin and Lord Willis are from the same organization C. creating humanised animals is difficult in Britain now D. scientists must be cautious not to cross ethical boundaries Answer: D
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Question: Whoever has made a voyage up the Hudson River must remember the Catskill Mountains. They are a branch of the great Appalachian family, and can be seen to the west rising up to a noble height and towering over the surrounding country. When the weather is fair and settled, they are clothed in blue and purple, and print their beautiful shapes on the clear evening sky, but sometimes when it is cloudless, gray steam gathers around the top of the mountains which, in the last rays of the setting sun, will shine and light up like a crown of glory. At the foot of these mountains, a traveler may see light smoke going up from a village, In that village, and in one of the houses (which, to tell the exact truth, was sadly timeworn and weather-beaten), there lived many years ago, a simple, good-natured fellow by the name of Rip Van Winkle. Rip's great weakness was a natural dislike of all kinds of money-making labor. It could not be from lack of diligence ,for he could sit all day on a wet rock and fish without saying a word, even though he was not encouraged by a single bite. He would carry a gun on his shoulder for hours, walking through woods and fields to shoot a few birds or squirrels. He would never refuse to help a neighbor, even in the roughest work. The women of the village, too, used to employ him to do such little jobs as their less helpful husbands would not do for them. In a word. Rip was ready to attend to everybody's business but his own. If left to himself, he would have whistled life away in perfect satisfaction but his wife was always mad at him for his idleness . Morning, noon, and night, her tongue was endlessly going, so that he was forced to escape to the outside of the house , the only side which, in truth, belongs to a _ The hero of the story is probably _ . A. hard-working and likes all kinds of work B. idle and hates all kinds of jobs C. simple, idle but very dutiful D. gentle, helpful but a little idle Answer: D
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Question: It seems that some people go out of their way to get into trouble. That's more or less what happened the night that Nashville Police Officer Floyd Hyde was on duty. "I was on the way to a personal-injury accident in West Nashville. As I got onto Highway 40, blue lights and sirens going, I fell in behind a gold Pontiac Firebird that suddenly seemed to take off quickly down the highway. The driver somehow panicked at the sight of me. He was going more than a hundred miles an hour and began passing cars on the shoulder. " But Hyde couldn't go after him. Taking care of injured people is always more important than worrying about speeders, so the officer had to stay on his way to the accident. But he did try to keep the Firebird in sight as he drove, hoping another nearby unit would be able to step in and stop the speeding car. As it turned out, keeping the Firebird in sight was not that difficult. Every turn the Pontiac made was the very turn the officer needed to get to the accident scene. Hyde followed the Pontiac all the way to his destination. At that point he found another unit had already arrived at the accident scene. His help wasn't needed. Now he was free to try to stop the driver of the Firebird, who by this time had developed something new to panic about. "Just about that time," Hyde says, "I saw fire coming out from under that car, with blue smoke and oil going everywhere. He'd blown his engine. Now he had to stop. " "After I arrested him, I asked him why he was running. He told me he didn't have a driver's license." That accident cost the driver of the Firebird plenty -- a thousand dollars for the new engine -- not to mention the charges for driving without a license, attempting to run away, and dangerous driving. Which of the following statements is true? A. Someone else was taking care of the injured person. B. The Pontiac reached its destination at the accident scene. C. Hyde knew where he was going by following the right car. D. The policeman was running after a speeder on Highway 40. Answer: A
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Question: In modem society there is a great deal of argument about competition.Some value it highly,believing that it is responsible for social progress and prosperity.Others say that competition is bad, that it sets one person against another and that it leads to unfriendly relationship between people. I have taught many children who held the belief that their self-worth relied on how well they performed at tennis and other skills.For them,playing well and winning are often life-and-death affair. In their single-minded pursuit of success,the development of many other human qualities is sadly forgotten. However,while some seem to be lost in the desire to succeed,others take an opposite attitude.In a culture which values only the winner and pays no attention to the ordinary players,they strongly blame competition.Among _ are youngsters who have suffered under competitive pressures from their parents or society.Teaching these young people,I often observe in them a desire to fail.They seem to seek failure by not trying to win or achieve success .By not trying,they always have an excuse:"I may have lost,but it doesn't matter because I really didn't try.'' What is not usually admitted by themselves is the belief that if they had really tried and lost,that would mean a lot.Such a loss would be a measure of their worth. Clearly,this belief is the same as that of the true competitors who try to prove themselves.Both are based on the mistaken belief that one's self-respect relies on how well one performs in comparison with others.Both are afraid of not being valued.Only as this basic and often troublesome fear begins to dissolve can we discover a new meaning in competition. Which point of view may the author agree to? A. Every effort should be paid back. B. Competition should be encouraged. C. Winning should be a life--and--death matter. D. Fear of failure should be removed in competition. Answer: D
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Question: The cost of college textbooks has risen sharply from 2002 to 2014. As a result, students have to look for other less expensive options , such as renting books. Now, they find another way, that is, using textbooks on the Internet, uploaded by other students. It is hard to know how popular this practice will be, but many college students around the country are uploading their expensive college textbooks onto the Internet, so that other students can download them for free and avoid the big fees. A year ago, a student wrote a blog called Children of the Stars about a professor who insisted that students buy the newest edition of a specific sociology book for more than $200 and didn't allow them to purchase an older paperback edition of the same book for $5. The student wrote, "The newest edition of the book is so expensive. Fortunately, we found the electronic one online, which is very cheap. This is why we downloaded. " The blog is followed by a list of websites where people can download books. Curious about how varied the selection of books was and how easy it was to download them, Vocativ.com decided to do an experiment. The workers of it picked five typical and important courses of freshmen and tried downloading all these textbooks on the websites offered by the student who wrote Children of the Stars. They typed the titles of these textbooks into a computer, and found them immediately. Within minutes, they had four textbooks on their hard drive. It is illegal to upload or download copyrighted materials without permission, but students still do it due to its advantages. Besides, schools haven't taken action to stop it. The passage is most probably taken from a(n) _ . A. health report B. education report C. art report D. technology report Answer: B
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Question: These days, if you still think the cellphone is just for talking, you will get laughed at. Yes, it's true, voice-only handsets have become out of date. Today's do-it-all mobiles have a lot in common with the computer. The only difference may be that they fit in your pocket and you pay by the minutes to use them. Some of the things a cellphone can do for you will be available this year: Surf at speed Cellpones that let you use the Web have been around for years. So, what's new? Well, faster third-generation(3G) net works let you surf at anywhere. This then allows a carrier to send video, music, and games to your phone. Possible choices are from LG Electronic VX 8000 and Motorola V 1150. Listen as you go The problem with most cellphone MP3 players is that they hold only a handful of songs. But, that's about to change. Sony Ericsson's new W800i can hold around 150 songs in its 500 MB memory. And Sumsung's SPH-V5400 even comes with a 1.5 GB hard drive. Mobile phones may eventually replace mini-MP3 players, especially for teens. Say cheese Camera cellphones are not new either. But, most of them have limitations: around 1-megapixel . But new technology has made 2-megapixel units more common and 3-megapixel units are showing up soon. Some 2-megapixel models, like Sony Ericsson's K750i, offer limited zoom and focus controls. Others, like LG's recent MMA7110, can even capture 30 minutes of full- motion video. Portable TV You say you like "watching TV"? That's what Sumsung MM-A700 wants to give you. The new model lets users watch popular TV programs--for a fee. Other choices are Nokia's 6620, Sanyo's MM 7400 and NEC's N940.The NEC model lets you watch public TV--no fee. The above are just a handful of what you will see in the coming months. Further down the road, your mobile phone may play a host of other roles, such as mobile credit card, position locator... So what is there that a cellphone can't do? Which of the following models should you choose to listen to the music? A. Sumsung's SPH-V5400 and Nokia's 6620 B. Sony Ericsson's W800i and Sumsung's SPH-V5400 C. Sony Ericsson's W800i and NEC's N940 D. Sanyo's MM7400 and NEC's N940 Answer: B
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Question: Betty and Harold have been married for years.But one thing still puzzles old Harold.How is it that he can leave Betty and her friend Joan sitting on the sofa,talking,go out to a ballgame,come back three and a half hours later,and they're still sitting on the sofa?Talking? What in the world,Harold wonders,do they have to talk about? Betty shrugs.Talk?We're friends. Researching this matter called friendship,psychologist Lilian Rubin spent two years interviewing more than two hundred women and men.No matter what their age,their job,their sex,the results were completely clear:women have more friendships than men,and the difference in the content and the quality of those friendships is "marked and unmistakable." More than two-thirds of the single men Rubin interviewed could not name a best friend.Those who could were likely to name a woman.Yet three-quarters of the single women had no problem naming a best friend,and almost always it was a woman.More married men than women named their wife/husband as a best friend,most trusted person,or the one they would turn to in time of emotional distress ."Most women,"says Rubin,"identified at least one,usually more,trusted friends to whom they could turn in a troubled moment,and they spoke openly about the importance of these relationships in their lives." "In general,"writes Rubin in her new book,"women's friendships with each other rest on shared emotions and support,but men's relationships are marked by shared activities."For the most part,Rubin says,interactions between men are emotionally controlled-a good fit with the social requirements of "manly behavior." "Even when a man is said to be a best friend,"Robin writes,"the two share little about their innermost feelings.Whereas a woman's closest female friend might be the first to tell her to leave a failing marriage, it wasn't unusual to hear a man say he didn't know his friend's marriage was in serious trouble until he appeared one night asking if he could sleep on the sofa." According to the text,which type of behavior is NOT expected of a man by society? A. Ending his marriage without good reason. B. Complaining about his marriage trouble. C. Spending too much time with his friends. D. Going out to ballgames too often. Answer: B
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Question: Wild I was 16 when my father finally decided he would send me to wilderness camp for several months. He had threatened to do it many times before, but my mother had always managed to prevent him from doing so. This time he insisted on doing it. The latest incident was the last straw. Impulsively , I hade pushed Mr. Ford, my math teacher, down a flight of steps at school. He broke his arm in two places. Anyway, he had agreed not to accuse me as a favour to my dad, who was in the middle of a tight race for sheriff in our town. But my _ behaviour had my dad's closest advisor talking. "John, he's your son and he's a kid, but he is dragging you down," I heard Jake Hutch tell my dad through his closed office door the night after I pushed Mr. Ford. "If you can't make your son obey the rules, how can you make the law obeyed in this town?" So, off to Pisgah National Forest I went. I imagined hours of untold abuse at the hands of some strong sergeants . I was determined no to be broken. I was who I was. Nearly every day for six months, a small group of other troubled teens and I carried our 30-pound backpacks on a difficult journey covering about 10 miles. We hiked in a rough wilderness that seemed untouched by civilization. Our sergeants were firm but kind, not frightening as I had imagined. We learned how to make a fire without matches and create a shelter with branches and grass. We learned which plants were safe to eat out in the wild. I felt myself change. I was calm and often reflective. My old, impulsive self was gone. One morning, six months later, my dad came to pick me up. I ran to hug him and saw relief and love in his eyes. "So what's it like being sheriff?" I asked on the ride home. "I lost the race, Danny," he said. "I'm sorry, Dad." I knew my behaviour probably had a lot to do with hid defeat. Dad squeezed my shoulder and brought me close. "As long as I don't ever lose you, I'm okay." What can we learn about the author from the passage? A. He changed a lot after the camp. B. He was not satisfied with his life in the camp. C. He was still what he used to be after the camp. D. He made enemies with other troubled teen at the camp. Answer: A
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Question: Earth's core is primarily composed of which of the following materials? A. basalt B. iron C. magma D. quartz Answer: B
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Question: In our life, we have rarely expressed our gratitude to the one who'd lived those years with us.In fact, we don't have to wait for anniversaries to thank the ones close to us--the ones so easily overlooked. If I have learned anything about giving thanks, it is this: give it now!While your feeling of appreciation is alive and sincere, act on it. Saying thanks is such an easy way to add to the world's happiness. Saying thanks not only brightens someone else's world, but it also brightens yours. If you're feeling left out, unloved or unappreciated, try reaching out to others. It may be just the medicine you need. Of course, there are times when you can't express gratitude immediately. In that case don't let embarrassment sink you into silence--speak up the first time you have the chance. Once a young minister, Mark Brian, was sent to a remote parish of Kwakiutl Indians in British Columbia. He had been told that the Indians did not have a word for thank you. But Brian soon found that these people had exceptional generosity. Instead of saying thanks, it is their custom to return every favor with a favor of their own, and every kindness with an equal or superior kindness. They do their thanks. I wonder if we had no words in our vocabulary for thank you, would we do a better job of communicating our gratitude? Would we be more responsive, more sensitive and more caring? Thankfulness sets in motion a chain of reaction that transforms people all around us--including ourselves, for no one ever misunderstands the melody of a grateful heart. According to the writer, _ could be the best way to prevent ourselves from being left out. A. seeing a doctor to find the right medicine we need B. expressing our gratitude in an easy way C. speaking up the moment we have the chance D. showing others actively we are willing to help them Answer: D
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Question: March Break Leadership Camp The aim of this FREE program is to develop an awareness of race relations, diversity, an equal issue for students in Grades 6-8. Place: The Central Library Room Time: March 16&17, 2009 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm Pick up and hand in registration forms at the Central Library. All forms must be handed in by March 6th. Space is limited. Please send any questions related to the program to Becky George, the Public Library 905-831-6265 ext 6230 or email: pickering-younity@hotmail.com Free Your Space......Free Your Mind At the Central Library: Wednesday, May 13thfrom7:00 pm to 8:30 pm This time management course will help you to create more balance and time in your life. In today's increasingly stressful times, it is becoming more difficult to spend quality time with family and friends. This course will provide positive solutions and strategies to achieve peace. Book Club for Teens At the Central Library: Every 2ndThursday at 7:00 pm Do you enjoy reading? Part of the pleasure of reading comes from meeting with others to discuss characters, plots or style. Come to trade ideas and questions, and make new friends. This program is currently full but for more information, please call 905-831-6265 ext 6232. Computer Training Group computer classes for teens will be provided at the Central Library in March, April, and May. Registration starts at 9:30 am on Friday, March 6thfor the March session; Friday, March 27thfor the April session; and Friday, April 24thfor the May session. A valid Public Library card is required for all computer training sessions. Call the Central Library for more information or to register, 905-831-6265 ext 6243. Limit 10 participants per class. If you want to do computer studies, you need to _ . A. register for each session a month in advance B. find other students to form a group C. go to the library to register by yourself D. own a valid Public Library card Answer: D
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Question: From furniture to jewelry, from the medical industry to civil engineering,three--dimensional printing can turn all sorts of ideas into objects. "I wanted to print large objects such as buildings,"said Behrokh Khoshnevis,professor of the University of Southern California.He planned to construct a house in 24 hours by applying 3D printing techniques,but he admitted there would be difficulties in meeting his goal. "For example,if you run out of ink while printing on paper,you will throw that paper away.But you cannot throw half completed buildings away if your material gets stuck,"he said.Although the printed house is not available to visit,there is a chance for people in Shanghai to see items printed in 3D. The Belgium-based company Materialize NV is currently holding a 3D printing exhibition in Shanghai that started in late 2012 and will continue until the middle of this year.The company is eager to show Asia what is possible with 3D printing. "All the pieces shown here are what cannot be made through traditional techniques. A good example of this customization is hearing aids More than l0 million people already use 3D printed hearing aids.all made according to the size of their ear."said Wim Michiels, executive vice-president at Materialise NV. "You can produce anything whenever and wherever you like.You don't need to set-up production lines for pieces that only need a limited amount of product.Setting up a production Line is a tot of work, takes a long time and is very expensive for a limited number of pieces" said Michiels. Kim Francois,managing director of Matcrialise China,said their European and American clients have at ready made the next step toward additive manufacturing with small-series production such as hearing aids. The example of 3D printed hearing aids was mentioned to show that A. these items used to be impossible to make B. 3D printing has a large market share C. 3D hearing aids help people hear better D. people need different sized hearing aids Answer: A
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Question: A written construction contract, under which Contractor agreed to build a new house for Owner at a fixed price of $200,000, contained the following provision: Prior to construction or during the course thereof, this contract may be modified by mutual agreement of the parties as to "extras" or other departures from the plans and specifications provided by Owner and attached hereto. Such modifications, however, may be authorized only in writing, signed by both parties. During construction, Contractor incorporated into the structure overhanging gargoyles and other "extras" orally requested by Owner for orally agreed prices in addition to the contract price. Owner subsequently refused to pay anything for such extras, aggregating $30,000 at the agreed prices, solely on the ground that no written, signed authorization for them was ever effected. If Contractor sues Owner on account of the "extras," which, if any, of the following will effectively support Owner's defense? I. The parol evidence rule. II. The preexisting duty rule. III. Failure of an express condition. IV. The statute of frauds. A. I and III only. B. I and IV only. C. II and IV only. D. Neither I, II, III, nor IV. Answer: D
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Question: When it comes to the choice of books,I always manage to find a hidden jewel or two,which led to my journey to Earthsea. Ursula K. Le Guin has her own voice in fantasy literature-that's something I had to admit as soon as I passed the first page.She doesn't imitate anybody-she is herself. I followed Ged's adventures and his gradual transformation from a wild and proud kid into a wise,powerful wizard. A Wizard of Earthsea begins in Ged's own village where he,a kid of 7,learns his first magic from his aunt. Five years later he starts to learn from Ogion the Wizard. But Ogion teaches him patience-not magic-so Ged leaves him and sails to the island of Roke to learn the art in a real School of Magic. There the boy is so proud that he plays with forbidden spells -he frees into this world a terrible shadow horn the land of the dead,leading to the death of Nemmerle,the head of the school. Now Ged must try to overcome this shadow before it controls him. Finally,Ged guesses its secret and saves the world-and himself-from a terrible danger. He knows now the patience is indeed the greatest of arts,and names Ogion his only true master. Ursula K. Le Guin makes every word sing-her language is more poetic than poetry and more musical than some music.She draws the reader's attention without effort. She's made me want to try my own hand at fantasy-and I might one day. The author considers Ursula K. Le Guin's writing style _ . A. traditional B. ordinary C. special D. serious Answer: C
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Question: Every day it seems that people are coming up with new and innovative ways to use mobile devices like cellphones and smart phones. Researchers at Princeton University are looking for new ways to measure a person's sense of _ with mobile devices. To gain a better understanding of how cellphones and other mobile devices can measure our sense of happiness, the research team conducted a study that was published recently in the journal Demography. To gather data for their study, the team created an application for mobile devices using the Android operating system. Once the app was developed, the researchers invited people to download it and take part in their study. Over a three-week period, the research team was able to collect data from some 270 participants living in 13 countries. Participants came not only from the United States, but also from other nations like Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Israel, Japan, Norway, South Korea, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Over the course of the study, participants received occasional text questions from the researchers that asked "How happy are you?". Along with recording their response, the app used the mobile device's built-in GPS to keep track of the participant's location. The study participants were asked to rate their current state of happiness on a scale of zero to five. As they gathered data from the information collected through the application, the researchers then were able to create new methods that could help provide a better understanding of how our surroundings can influence our emotional well-being. The researchers learned that mobile devices can provide an effective way to quickly grab information that, because of today's active lifestyle, can be difficult to record. Being able to quickly grab this information was something the researchers felt was important. They said feelings and emotions that were recorded as they were happening were most likely to be more honest and precise than using other methods like writing down how they felt on a piece of paper after the fact. The best title of the passage is most likely to be " _ ". A. People's Sense of Happiness Related to Mobile Phones B. Scientists Track Happiness with Cellphones C. Methods to Rate People's Happiness D. A Better Understanding of People's Sense of Happiness Answer: B
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Question: Michael Jordan was born on February 17,1963 in Brooklym ,N.Y. And he graduated from North Carolina College. There are four people in his family, his wife Juanita, his sons Jeffrey and Marcus. His favorite food is seafood. His position is board and his favorite sports are golf and football except basketball. His awards won: Won a 1982 NCAA Named the Century's Greatest Athlete. Men's Basketball Title. Won an Olympic Gold Medal in Men's Basketball. Won a NBA Title 6 times.(91, 92, 93 ,96, 97, 98) Broke a NBA play-offs scoring record by scoring 63 in 1986 versus the Boston Celtics. Named NBA Most Valuable Player 5 times.( 88, 91, 92, 96, 98) When was the first time that he was named NBA Most Valuable Player? A. In 1963. B. In 1988. C. In 1991. D. In 1982. Answer: B
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Question: Last week John went to his sister's house, and it's also the house he was born in. Sue, his sister felt excited and surprised. She said to John, "You haven't changed a lot, John .Let me see, now...When did we meet last time?" "Ten years ago." John answered. "You haven't changed a lot, either." John said. It was polite for John to say so, but it wasn't true. Sue seemed like an old lady. The next day John walked through the small town alone. The place have already changed a lot. There was a new bus stop, a new post office, a new car park and lots of traffic signs. He remembered suddenly that the bus used to stop anywhere. You just put up your hand and it stopped. Everything has changed. To John's surprise, he didn't recognize anybody at all. Maybe everybody seemed old. He went into a shop and bought some things. Then he asked the boss, "Where are all the children and young people?" "Children?" he said, "They're in school, of course. There are three or four young families here." At lunch, Sue said, "Do you think it is still a beautiful place, John?" "It's all different, Sue. It used to be an exciting place, but now it's full of old people. I don't understand." John said. ,A, B, C, D. John didn't know anybody at all because _ . A. the people of the small town were all newcomers B. he didn't know them at all C. they had become much older than before D. he knew the people had gone to school Answer: C
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Question: Your body goes into starvation mode when you insufficient amounts of A. shoes B. fun C. pants D. sustenance Answer: D
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Question: This is a song millions of Americans will hear this New Year's Eve. It is calledAuld Lang Syne(<<>> ). It is the traditional music played during the New Year's celebration.Auld Lang Syneis an old Scottish poem. It tells about the need to remember old friends. The words "auld lang syen" mean "old long since". No one knows who wrote the poem first. However, a version by Scottish poet Robert Bums was published in 1796. The words and music we know today first appeared in a songbook three years later. The song is played in the United States mainly on New Year's Eve. The version you are hearing today is by the Washington Saxophone Quarter. As we end our program withAuld Lang Syne, I would like to wish all our radio friends a very Happy New Year! This is Buddy Thomas. This passage is from _ . A. a newspaper B. a magazine C. a TV program D. a radio program Answer: D
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Question: Could cities that float on the sea solve the problems caused by floods and provide food for the world? Some scientists think so. The idea is already being tested and they believe that floating citied will provide more homes for a growing population, without having to use land needed to grow food. And they believe floating areas will allow more food to be grown, so that no one in the world is hungry. In some places, cities that float on the sea are already being planned, A company in the Netherlands called DeltaSync thinks that sea cities will save the world, with more than one in ten people living in them. They say sea cities solve many of the problems the world faces in the 21st century, like not having enough land , more and more people needing homes, fossil fuels running low and the increasingly serious problems caused by floods. DeltaSync says building in the desert is not possible because there is no enough water and that developing ways for people to live in space is still too expensive. So they believe the answer is our oceans, which cover over two thirds of the Earth's surface. Their plans for floating areas include using algae to produce fuel and food. More than a quarter of the land in the Netherlands already lies underwater and scientists there have spent years trying to find ways to deal with it. In the city of Rotterdam they already have floating homes. Bart Roeffen from DeltaSync says: "We have plans for neighbourhoods including roads and, in the end, I believe we can build floating cities on the sea." What is the best title for the text? A. Will there be enough water? B. Will sea cities save the world? C. Is it possible to live in the desert? D. Is it expensive to build floating cities? Answer: B
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Question: The British usually expect one or two snowfalls each year but the amount of snow rarely affects everyday life. However, this week Britain has had the worst snow it has seen in around 18 years. Some places had more than 30cm in a day. The bad weather caused severe disruption. More than 3000 schools had to close as teachers and pupils were unable to get to school. School children weren't too unhappy about it though as they headed out to play the snow, building snowmen, having snowball fights, sledging and some even snowboarding and skiing. In London, bus services were withdrawn for a day and tubes and trains were cancelled. Major motorways in the country had to close. Many people were unable to get to work and it is thought the cost of this lost labor is around &1 billion (10 billion yuan) to businesses and the economy. Anyone who wanted to leave the country had problems too. Runways were closed at all the UK's major airports because of the amount of snow. Hundreds of flights were cancelled leaving some passengers stranded at airports. So why is the UK so ill-prepared for snow? The mayor of London, Boris Johnson, explained that there aren't enough snow -ploughs and gritters and it doesn't make sense to buy such equipment when it snows so infrequently. The south-east of England was the hardest hit at the beginning of the week but the snow is now moving northwards where the chaos continues. More ice and snow is forecast throughout the week and the advice from travel and weather organizations is to stay indoors unless you really need to _ ! Which of the following would be the best title for the passage? A. Harsh Winters Visit Britain B. Heavy Snow Hits the UK C. Bad Weather Causes Chaos Just in London D. Heavy Snow Causes Disruption Only in Motorways Answer: B
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Question: A survey by baidu.com showed there were 16 million bloggers . Xu Jinglei was one of the first famous people that the website sina .com. invited to open blogs. The web log written by Xu Jinglei is now the world's most popular . Xu , an actress-turned -director, became famous overseas when she won a Best Director Award for the film. A Letter From an Unknown Woman in 2004. Her blog has broken the domestic record with more than 10 million visits . Xu updates her blog every other day . But if she feels very good she sometimes posts two or three articles in a day . Visitors leave thousands of messages about each of her articles , praising her open, free writing style, commenting on films. From the passage we know that _ . A. a survey by baidu.com showed there were 16 million bloggers writing in English B. Xu Jinglei was the only one that the website sina.com invited to open blogs C. Xu Jinglei always posts one article in a day D. Visitors leave lots of messages about her articles in her blogs Answer: D
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Question: Today Chinese people can enjoy longer and more holidays, such as the two"Gold Week Holidays" -- the Spring Festival, National Day and Mid-autumn Festival and so on. They have more time to travel. Rising incomes also make it possible for ordinary Chinese people to travel abroad . Zhang Haitao, a middle school student in Shanghai will go to Japan with his parents during the Spring Festival. "Overseas touring has always been a dream of mine ,"Zhang Haitao said. " How will you go to Japan, by air or by ship?" I asked him. "By ship. Traveling by ship is more enjoyable than a rushed trip by air.""But a plane is much faster than a ship. ""Yes. but you can't see much during the flight while a sea trip will make you happier, because you can see waves, islands and even big fish." "Will you travel at your own expense ?" "Certainly. Though my father's job is to recycle rubbish, I'm very proud of him. He has saved lots of money in the last three years. What's more, he has made a contribution to protecting our environment." Zhang Haitao is _ . A. a middle school teacher B. a Japanese student C. a tour guide D. a middle school student Answer: D
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Question: Zoos divide opinion : there are those who think it is cruel to keep animals locked up while others believe zoos are essential for the survival of endangered species. To argue that zoos imprison animals is to misunderstand what zoos are about. Without zoos many of the creatures we love and admire would no longer exist. Every single day,over one hundred animal species vanish. Scientists predict that as early as 2050 one quarter of the Earth's species will become extinct. Some animals are in danger because they are hunted. Alarmingly, the population of tigers has already fallen by ninety-five percent. Other species are in danger because of a lack of food. For example, there are fewer than 1300 giant pandas left in the wild. Zoos have special breeding programmes to help those animals at risk. These breeding programmes are proving extremely successful. As Irene Shapiro from Zoo and Wildlife Support says, "the Puerto Rican Parrot has grown in numbers from just thirteen to about eighty-five and the Golden Lion Tamarin Monkey, which has almost ceased to exist twenty years ago, has been reintroduced back into the wild. " Unfortunately, not everyone understands this important role zoos play. For example, Brian Featherstone from the Anti-Zoo Forum says, "I can't believe we take animals from the wild and put them in cages for the entertainment of the public! We should view them on film or TV in their natural environment.,' However, this misses the point. A zoo does more than display animals to the public. It ensures their survival. Without zoos you would not be able to see many of these animals on TV or anywhere else! According to the passage the world's tiger population _ . A. will rise by 5% next year B. is relatively stable C. is 95% smaller than in the past D. has fallen to 95% Answer: C
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Question: Happiness is _ , researchers reported on Thursday. The more happy people you know, the more likely you are yourself to be happy. And getting connected to happy people improves a person's own happiness. Researchers have been analyzing a collection of facts from tracking sheets dating back to 1971, following births, marriages, deaths, and divorces. Volunteers also listed the information of their closest friends, co-workers, and neighbors. They assessed happiness with a simple, four-question test. "People are asked how often during the past week, one, I enjoyed life, two, I was happy, three, I felt hopeful about the future, and four, I felt that I was just as good as other people," Fowler said. The 60 percent of people who scored highly on all four questions were regarded as happy, while the rest were considered unhappy. People with the most social connections -- friends, spouses , neighbors, s -- were also the happiest, the data showed. "Each additional happy person makes you happier," Christakis said. And happiness is more infectious than unhappiness, they discovered. If a social contact is happy, it increases the possibility that you are happy by 15 percent. A friend of a friend, or the friend of a spouse or a sibling , if they are happy, increases your chances by 10 percent. A happy third-degree friend -- the friend of a friend of a friend -- increases a person's chances of being happy by 6 percent. But every extra unhappy friend increases the possibility that you'll be unhappy by only 7 percent. The finding is interesting and useful. Among other benefits, happiness has been shown to have an important effect on reduced death rate, pain reduction, and improved heart function. So better understanding of how happiness spreads can help us learn how to promote a healthier society. Other data suggested having extra $5,000 increases a person's chances of becoming happier by about 2 percent. A happy friend is worth about $40,000. The finding of the research mainly shows _ . A. happiness can always be bought with money. B. a happy friend is worth more than a happy spouse C. the spread of happiness can lead to a healthier society D. happiness can cure most of the terrible diseases Answer: C
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Question: People often talk as if shyness is a disease or mental condition that can be cured. I prefer to think of it as an emotional disability. It's something we are born with and something we carry with us in our entire lives. There are too many people, however, who seem to be determined to find some way of doing away with their shyness. In my opinion, it's a waste of time. I don't mean that we should do nothing about it; quite the contrary, I think we need to separate the basic fact of our shyness from our ability to take part in a social environment. Look at one of the most famous shy people of them all, Johnny Carson. This man is painfully shy, yet for decades he made a living talking and associating with different people every night, in front of a national audience. Carson has never done away with his shyness, but he has successfully found a way to deal with it to the extent that he could be, not just a talk show host, but a legend among talk show hosts. Look also at Sally Fields, who has recently admitted her problem with shyness. This is a woman who has appeared in many films, TV shows and interviews, yet in her early years she was so shy that she turned down a lunch invitation from Jane Fonda because she was terribly afraid of meeting her. I guess that our shyness is there because each of us is born with some insecurity and this insecurity prevents us from reaching out to others the way people with a more open personality do. As we grow up and become adults, we allow our social skills to grow and develop. But we are still stuck in kindergarten or elementary school or wherever it was when our shyness took root in our soul. The author thinks that our shyness is there because _ . A. we are not open enough B. we don't feel secure at heart C. we try to reach out to others all the time D. we lack some social skills Answer: B
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Question: In the United States, people like going camping for vacation. They do everything for themselves to relax in the woods instead of staying at a modern hotel or a restaurant. They enjoy themselves far away from the noisy cities for a few days. What should you prepare if you want to go camping like them? When you are camping, you make all of your own food. Barbeques are very necessary while camping. You can bring bread, drinks, meat and vegetables to the camp. You'd better bring some wood and a lighter to _ . Remember to put stones around the fire to make sure it won't get too big and dangerous. When the fire is ready, you can cook food over it. Children really like this activity at night. The whole family sit around the fire, eat their favorite food. Certainly they can sing songs and dance together. What a pleasant and exciting moment. Camping is a fun activity for the family to do. Vacation does not have to mean going to visit a place far away. It could be as simple as setting up a tent in the nearby woods. Where do people in the United States like to go camping according to the passage? A. In big cities. B. In a place of interest. C. In a modern hotel or a restaurant. D. In the woods. Answer: D
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Question: how many hours will it take the planet to complete a spinning motion? A. 22 B. 24 C. twenty hours D. twenty one hours Answer: B
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Question: Our boat floated on between walls of forest. It was too thick for us to get a view of the land we were passing through, though we knew from the map that our river must be passing through chains of hills from time to time. Nowhere did we find a place where we could have landed: although the jungle did not actually spread right down into the river, banks of soft mud prevented us from going ashore. In any case, what would we have gained by landing? The country was full of snakes and other dangerous creatures and the jungle was so thick that one would be able to advance slowly, cutting one's way with knives the whole way. So we stayed in the boat, hoping that when we reached the sea, a friendly fisherman would pick us up and take us to civilization. As for water, there was a choice. We could drink the muddy river water, or die of thirst. We drank the water. Men who have just escaped from what appeared to be certain death lost all worries about such small things as diseases caused by dirty water. In fact, none of us suffered from any illness as a result. One day we passed another village, but fortunately nobody saw us. We did not wish to risk being taken prisoners a second time: we might not be so lucky as to escape in a stolen boat again. They couldn't land because. A. the mud on the shore was too soft B. they could not find anyone C. they could not find the mark on the map D. the forest was too thick to go through Answer: A
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Question: It's often true that jobs for students sometimes lead to employment after graduation, so it's a good idea to think carefully before you begin working during your college years. During my entire college life I worked as a . I have to say that I really enjoyed that job, and was fond of the idea of making money without doing too much work. I also had the opportunity to ( ) while working. I came to be known among the upper class, and gradually became popular on campus because of my job. However, working as a bartender can have the side that people tend to think that you enjoy drinking. All in all, I wish I had thought more carefully before deciding to take that job. I got a in English, qualifying(***) me to work as a writer, but so far I have only been able to use the skills I learned from that part-time job. It would be different if I had searched for jobs related to writing or editing instead of bartending. It's commonly accepted that employment for students is only ,but we should never forget that it can connect to the work we get after we graduate. After all, employers not only look at the degree, but also your previous experience. So before getting a part-time job while you're at school, consider what you want to do for the rest of your life. Which of the following is a benefit of working as a bartender for the author? A. He had a good time after school. B. He made connect with many people. C. He satisfied his curiosity about others. D. He had learned how to make wine. Answer: B
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Question: Many children would start school hungry without breakfast clubs, teachers have claimed. A new survey suggests these clubs are the only way many students can get a meal before lessons. About 54% of the 552 school staff questioned by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers(ATL)said their school provides a breakfast club for pupils. The biggest reason for them to attend these clubs is that their parents or carer goes to work early, cited by 76.8% of those questioned. About 22.6% said children attended due to lack of money at home because parents or carers are unemployed and 15.2% said lack of money at home due to changes or cuts to benefits. About 17.6% said pupils mainly attend breakfast clubs to socialize. The survey found that teachers believe that offering breakfast to pupils often helps improve their concentration and ability to learn. One primary school teacher said: "Although there is a charge for our breakfast club, we have accessed funding for those pupils on free school meals and the breakfast club had an effect on their attendance, concentration and being in school for the start of lessons. ATL general secretary Dr Roper said a nutritious meal at the start of the day has a huge impact on pupils' ability to learn. "Many schools do everything they can to ensure children eat well during school term-time. But there are many children living in poverty, who we fear won't be getting a decent meal a day in the holidays and this is something the government needs to address," she said. A Department for Education spokesman said: "We know how important it is for children to have a good breakfast. We want schools and local authorities to use their budgets to best meet the needs of their children. Many provide breakfast clubs which offer a free meal to children from poorer families. The Pupil Premium, which will double to PS 2.5 billion in 2014-2015, targets extra money to help schools to provide support such as this to the most disadvantaged children. The free school meal scheme also ensures that these children have access to a nutritious lunch every day. In which part of a magazine can we probably read this passage? A. Entertainment. B. Education. C. Culture. D. Health. Answer: D
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Question: "Come on, Dad! It's 7:20 a.m. now," says Harry. "I need to wash the car now," Mr. Smith says. "You walk to school this morning, OK?" "But the school is a little far," says Jane. "Walking is good. Now get your schoolbags and go!" Then Jane and Harry walk to school. It takes 30 minutes. When they get to school, they are very tired. In the evening, Jane and Harry have a big meal with their grandfather. They tell him they are not happy to walk to school. Grandpa says, "That's good for you. I used to walk five miles to school every day." "Really?" Jane says. "But I don't like walking." Grandpa says, "Kids need to walk or run every day. It's good for your health. "Oh, I'll start walking every day," Harry says. "I'd like to be healthy." "I will join you, Harry," says Jane. How do Jane and Harry get to school this morning? A. They ride a bike. B. They take the subway. C. They walk. D. They take a bus. Answer: C
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Question: Patti Page, the top-selling female artist of the 1950s with more than 100 million records sold, died on January 2nd, 2013, when she was 85. She was one of the most beloved singers of the post-war era. Take her "Tennessee Waltz" for example, it sold more than 10 million copies and was her biggest hit . Born in Claremore, Oklahoma, a small town near Tulsa, Page once dreamed of a career in commercial art. Her first job in the art department at a local radio station soon led to her performing 15-minute program on her own. At age 20, Page was discovered by big-band leader Jack Rael, who gave up his job to become her manager. The next year, she signed her first recording contract with Mercury Records and enjoyed her first hit record soon. She stayed with Mercury for the next 14 years and recorded hit after hit including: "With My Eyes Wide Open, I'm Dreaming" and "Old Cape Cod". Her last hit was "Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte" , recorded for the Bette Davis movie of the same name. And then, there was "Doggie in the Window". The creative tune was a huge hit, but with its repeated barking sounds and silly lyrics , the song has been used by many people as an example of all that was wrong with pop music in the early 1950s. Throughout the 1950s, Patti Page made regular appearances on a variety of television shows and in 1957 she was chosen to host the musical program "The Big Record". The following year, Page appeared in her own CBS television series "The Patti Page Show". She continued to record and perform into the 21st century, most recently releasing an album of songs for children, a Christmas record, and a new "best of" collection. Besides music, Patti Page did a bit of acting. She co-starred with the Oscar-winning Burt Lancaster in "Elmer Gantry", and also starred on stage in the musical play "Annie Get Your Gun". It is inferred from the passage that _ . A. Patti Page gave up singing in public in her late life B. Patti Page's gift for music began to be shown in her childhood C. Patti Page's great success was because of her luck and others' help D. Patti Page was not only a successful singer but also an actress Answer: D
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Question: Here are a few books for your children to read as they grow up. Just choose one right now! I'm Gonna Like Me Jamie Lee Curtis Price: $15.00 (15% off) Celebrate Liking yourself? Through the dialogues between a girl and a boy, Jamie lee Curtis's text and Laura Cornell's artwork show children that the key to feeling good is liking yourself because you are you. It's Okay To Be Different Todd Parr Price: $20.00 (10% off) The book, full of bright color1s and silly scenes, tells children how to learn to accept others, understand others, and respect others. The author always tells stories in a way that is easy to understand for children. Psychology for Kids Vol. I: 40 Fun Tests That help You Learn About Yourself J. Kincher Price: $18.00 (15% off) These forty interesting tests help children explore their interests and abilities, find out why they act the way they do, and discover what makes them different. The Golden Rule Ilene Cooper Price: $10.00 (20% off) The Golden Rule: "Treat others as you want to be treated." In this book, a grandfather explains to his grandson that the Golden Rule means you treat people the way you would like to be treated. It's golden because it's so valuable, and it's a way of living your life simply. What Do You Really Want? Beverly K. Bachel Price: $20.00 (15% off) Each part includes fun exercises, helpful suggestions, and success stories from teens. Readers learn how to set a goal, put it into action, build a support system, use positive self-talk, celebrate their successes, and more. What Do You Really Want? is a book that _ . A. talks about how to treat others B. discusses how to reach one's goal C. teaches children how to feel good D. shows how to succeed in a short time Answer: B
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Question: I like watching TV very much, for I think it has many advantages . First of all, watching TV is a good rest(;). After a day of hard work, we need a good rest. Watching TV can make our mind and body not tired any more because of the pleasant music and TV plays. Besides , watching TV is entertaining . There are many kinds of entertainment, such as sports activities, singing and dancing, plays and films all over the world at every time. It's not possible for us to go to every place to enjoy all the activities within a short time. We need at least over ten hours to fly from New York to Paris, a week by train from Beijing to Moscow and an hour to drive from Queens District to Manhattan District.)But within just one second, TV can bring us from an NBA game in New York to a fashion show in Paris by changing the channels . Most importantly, watching TV is educational. Our children can learn every kind of subjects through the educational programs and the special reports on TV, and it's easy for them to learn Chinese from a Chinese teacher in Beijing and to learn Russian lessons from a Russian teacher in Moscow. At the same time, a teacher can teach quite a lot of students without a large classroom. The writer writes the text to _ . A. persuade us to buy a TV B. tell her ideas about TV C. introduce some TV programs D. tell us how to learn from TV Answer: B
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Question: Wanted, Someone for a Kiss We're looking for producers to join us on the sound of London Kiss 100 FM. You'll work on the station's music programs. Music production experience in radio is necessary, along with rich knowledge of modern dance music. Please apply in writing to Producer Vacancies, Kiss 100. Father Christmas We're looking for a very special person, preferably over 40, to fill our Father Christmas suit. Working days: Every Saturday from November 24 to December 15 and every day from December 17 to December 24 except Sundays, 10:30-16:00. Excellent pay. Please contact the Enterprise Shopping Centre, Station Parade, Eastbourne. Accountants Assistant When you join the team in our Revenue Administration Unit, you will be providing assistance within all parts of the Revenue Division, dealing with post and other general duties. If you are educated to GCSE grade C level we would like to talk to you. This position is equally suitable for a school leaver or for somebody who has office experience. Wealden District Council. Software Trainer If you are aged 24-45 and have experience in teaching and training, you could be the person we are looking for. You should be good at the computer and have some experience in program writing. You will be allowed to make your own decisions, and to design courses as well as present them. Pay upwards of PS15,000 for the right person. Please apply by sending your CV to Mrs R.Oglivie, Palmlace Limited. Which position is open to recent school graduates? A. Producer, London Kiss. B. Accountants Assistant. C. Father Christmas. D. Software Trainer. Answer: B
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Question: People are more likely to lie or cheat during the afternoon because self control reduces during the day, according to researchers. Volunteers taking part in two experiments where they could benefit by cheating were more likely to do so if the tests took place after midday, researchers found. The findings back up previous studies which have shown that our capacity for self-control declines during the day, due to tiredness and repeatedly making decisions. Psychologists from Harvard University first showed a group of volunteers various patterns of dots on a computer screen, asking them to decide whether there were more dots on the left or the right hand side. Instead of being rewarded for getting the answer right, the participants were paid based on which side they chose, earning ten times as much for choosing the right hand side as the left. People who were tested after midday were significantly more likely to select the right hand side, even if there were clearly more dots on the left, than those who took part during the morning. In a second test, participants were shown a series of word fragments , such as "--ral" and "e--c--" and asked which words they associated with them. In morning experiments, participants were more likely to form the words "moral" and "ethical" while during the afternoon the words "coral" and "effects" were most common. Further tests conducted online showed that people were more likely to send dishonest messages or claim to have solved an unsolvable problem in the afternoon than in the morning. Writing the Psychological Science journal, the researchers said the difference was particularly _ in people with higher ethical standards, who always behaved morally during the morning but slipped during the afternoon. In contrast, those who were able to "morally disengage", or behave unethically without feeling guilty, tended to cheat whatever the time of day. Dr. Maryam Kouchaki, one of the lead authors, said "Unfortunately, the most honest people, such as those less likely to morally disengage, may be the most susceptible to the negative consequences associated with the morning morality effect." The findings could be relevant to organizations that should be more alert about the behavior of customers and employees during the afternoon, she added. "Our findings suggest that mere time of day can lead to a systematic failure of good people to act morally." Which of the following statements is TRUE? A. The finding especially applies to those who behave ethically. B. Mere time of day can lead to systematic failure of organizations. C. The finding doesn't agree with that of previous studies. D. People who act morally feel guilty after telling a lie. Answer: A
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Question: A ten-year-old boy from Howell, Michigan America is being hailed (...) a hero due to his persistence that led to saving the life of an elderly neighbor. The chain of events unfolded late in the evening on Sunday, January 26th, 2014 when Danny Dipietro was being driven home from hockey practice by his dad. That's when the young boy noticed an open garage and a figure that he believed was a dog outside an apartment near his house. Given the extremely cold weather, the young boy got a feeling that something was not right. But instead of dismissing it like most kids at his age would have, he insisted that his mother, Dawn, go to examine what was going on. Dawn tried to convince Danny that no one would leave a dog out in such cold weather, but he refused to take no for an answer. Dawn finally gave in and decided to take a walk to the area with the family dog and see if there was any truth to Danny's premonition . Sure enough, as she got closer to the apartment she noticed a garage that was wide open and a bent figure, waving madly. Upon getting there, she realized that it was not a dog that the young boy had seen, but Kathleen St. Onge, one of her neighbors. The 80-year-old had slipped on some ice in her garage and had been lying there for two hours, unable to get up. Dawn rushed home to get her husband for help and called 911. The two then returned with some blankets to cover Ms. St. Onge, while they waited for the ambulance to arrive. Though still in hospital, the elderly woman is recovering well and grateful to Danny for his premonition. When Danny Dipietro's mother found the elderly woman, the elderly woman _ . A. had lain in the garage for two hours B. was trapped in her garage with her dog C. was looking for her dog around the garage D. was lying on the ice outside the garage dead Answer: A
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Question: Once upon a time an old man and woman lived in the mountains in Japan. Every day the old man went to the mountain and collected firewood, while the old woman went to the river and did the washing. One day, she was doing the washing when a big peach came floating down the river towards her. As it was a big and juicy-looking fruit, she thought that her husband would be glad to eat it, so she took it home. When the old man came back for lunch and saw the nice peach, he was really happy. The old woman cut the big peach open with a knife! What a surprise! A lovely little boy was in the peach. The old man and woman had no children, so they were really grateful the gods sent them a boy in this peach. Since he was born in a peach they decided to call him Momotaro which means "peach-boy". The old woman cooked a meal for the little boy who ate as much as he could. The more he ate, the more he grew. Soon he became a tall and strong boy. Day after day, all Momotaro did was sleep and eat. In the village the other boys went to the mountain and picked firewood while Monotaro was the only one doing nothing. This worried the old man and the old woman. The boys then invited him, "Momotaro, would you come with us? We're going to collect fire wood." But he answered, "I don't have a basket, so I can't go with you", and went back to sleep. On hearing this, the old woman got angry with Momotaro for being so lazy, so the next day he went to collect firewood with the other boys. What do we know about Momotaro in the passage? A. Momotaro has a peach as his bed. B. Momotaro was very small and he couldn't eat much. C. Momotaro liked to play with the boys in the village. D. Monotaro was really a lazy boy. Answer: D
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Question: When people think of Hollywood, they think of the city where dreams come true. This did not apply to F. Scott Fitzgerald, a screenwriter who had his share of ups and downs in this land. Fitzgerald was not a successful Hollywood writer because he was not good at the career path he chose. He was an amazing novelist, but his efforts of turning them into screenplays ended in disappointment and confusion. It was because of a lack of potential for screenwriting as well as his addiction and desire to be famous. Growing up as a boy, Fitzgerald went to movies a lot. He wanted to write stories that would eventually turn into movies. The problem was: just because Fitzgerald wanted to do something didn't necessarily mean that he was good at it. He made his attempts, but most of these efforts ended in disappointment because he thought about the change from script to screen too much. His plot was too detailed and complicated; his tone was too serious or his dialogue too sentimental . Fitzgerald's quick rise to fame also led to his fall. In life, things are not meant to happen all at once, all that the same time but it did for Fitzgerald. At his best time, three of his early stories were made into short films, including The Great Gatsby and Babylon Revisited. As the twenties approached, he was gradually forgotten by the reading public. He became drunk and constantly took pills both to sleep and wake up. His marriage was destroyed and his wife broke down mentally. He seemed unsure about his life. Fitzgerald had another chance at success when many opportunities came his way, including revisions of Emlyn William's play The Light of Heart and production of one of his own scripts, Cosmopolitan. However, these were all put aside and he was right back where he started, left behind and called a "ruined man". Fitzgerald simply wanted too much in his life. He wanted "to be both a great novelist and a Hollywood success, to write songs like Cole Porter and poetry like John Keats". His addiction to fame held him back and led to his failure as a Hollywood writer. Fitzgerald's screenwriting was _ . A. disappointing in ending B. complex in plot C. playful in tone D. simple in dialogue Answer: B
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Question: A lily wants to spread its genetic material around and so relies upon A. beads B. assistance C. shopping D. patients Answer: B
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Question: Nick Hancock hopes to set a new record by living alone for 60 days on a small island in the Atlantic. Tom McClean, an SAS soldier who holds the solo record for occupying Rockall for 40 days in 1985, told Hancock that being alone for two months was the greatest challenge Hancock would have to face. "I'm fully expecting it to be tough," Nick Hancock said. "I'm hoping that by doing my daily tasks fairly slowly, I'm going to be able to keep most of my time busy. I think the worst times will come if I'm boxed up for several days by bad weather." Hancock hopes to land on Rockall in early June and will carry out the last tests of his boat next week. He has a small wind turbine and a solar panel for power, more than two months' food, a satellite phone and a laptop loaded with e-books to keep him going. Hancock will update an adventure blog, texting messages out on Twitter and emailing his wife Pam and friends every day. Rockall has been occupied before, most famously by McClean but also by three Greenpeace campaigners, who set the long-stay record of 42 days in 1997 by occupying the rock in protest at oil and gas exploration in the area. The last human inhabitants Hancock knows of are a small group of Belgian amateur radio enthusiasts, who are interested in broadcasting from distant islands; they were on Rockall overnight in late 2010. Hancock has no large support team behind him. Except for the coastguard , his only lifeline will be the Orca III, the passenger boat which will take him to Rockall. To keep his time busy on Rockall, Hancock will _ . A. do his daily tasks slowly B. write a book C. think of his wife D. surf online Answer: A
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Question: There are three kinds of goals: short-term, intermediate and long-term goals. Short-term goals are those that usually deal with present activities. Such goals can be achieved in a week or two, or possible months. It should be remembered that just as a building is no stronger than its foundation , our long-term goals cannot be achieved without the achievement of solid short-term goals. Upon completing our short-term goals, we should date the time and then add new short-term goals that will build on those that have been completed. The intermediate goals build on the foundation of the short-term goals. They might deal with just one term of school or the entire school years, or they could extend for several years. Any time you move a step at a time, you never allow yourself to become discouraged. As you complete each step, you will have more belief in your ability to grow and succeed. Long-term goals may be related to our dreams of future. They might cover five years or more. Life is not a static thing. We should never allow a long-term goal to limit us or our course of action. It is the most important for us students to have _ first. A. long-term goals B. intermediate goals C. short-term goals D. dreams of future Answer: C
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Question: Dolores Huerta has worked hard most of her life to help other people. She has helped change things so that farm workers can have a better life. Dolores grew up in California. She was a good student and liked school. After she finished high school, she went to college and studied to be a teacher. After she became a teacher, Dolores noticed that many of her students were not getting enough food to eat. Some of them wore very old clothes. Dolores wondered how she could help them. Dolores decided to stop teaching so that she could spend more time helping the farm workers and their families. One thing she wanted to do was to get more pay for farm workers so they could buy their children the things they needed. Dolores knew that many farm workers moved often from one place to another to help pick different kinds of fruits and vegetables. She began talking and writing about these workers. Even people who lived far from California read what Dolores wrote. Getting higher pay for the farm workers was not easy. Dolores worked hard to make sure that farm workers got good pay for their work. She knew that nothing would change unless people made new laws to help the workers. Through all her hard work, new laws were made that gave farm workers good pay. Dolores Huerta has worked for more than 30 years in many different ways to make life better for working people. She has shown how much one person can change things. Dolores became a _ after she left college. A. farmer B. teacher C. worker D. lawyer Answer: B
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Question: A UN report said that around 60 million people across the world are drinking polluted water. Some 4,500 children die every day because of polluted water. A report showed that environmental problems kill 3 million children under five years old each year, making them one of the key contributors in more than 10 million child deaths each year. Dangerous factors include indoor and outdoor air pollution, water pollution. Another study showed that parents and scientists from seven countries including the United States and India think pollution is the biggest threat to children's living environment. Mrs Green tries to teach her daughter Susan by setting a personal example. She picks out recyclable waste and uses the water from the washing machine to wash the toilet. Chinese children mostly learn about environmental protection in school. Some non-governmental organizations and child centres also teach kids to protect the environment. "More parents have known about it. Family is now playing a more important role," says a Chinese official. Vera Lehmann, a German scientist says many Chinese now think more of pollution. "I was surprised to find many schools in China are willing to educate the children on environment," Lehmann said. "There has been a big change between now and ten years ago when I first travelled here." What is the main cause of child deaths? A. Polluted water. B. Poor education. C. Environmental problems. D. Indoor and outdoor air pollution. Answer: C
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Question: Even the hardest days contain lessons that will help you be a better person.Feeling down? Consider these things to remember when you're having a bad day. No one promised life would be perfect.If you look for perfection,you'11 never be content.Don't condition your happiness on meeting every expectation you set for yourself.It is good to be ambitious,but you'11 never be perfect.If you expect otherwise,your life will be filled with disappointments. Success doesn't happen overnight. _ .Don't kid yourself into thinking success will come quickly.It isn't easy to be patient,but anything worth doing requires time.If you get frustrated,remind yourself why your goal is important. There is a lesson in every struggle.And once the storm is over,you won't remember how you made it through or how you managed to survive.But one thing is certain.When you come out of the storm.you won't be the same person who walked in.That's what this storm's all about.Don't complain about how terrible your life is.If you search for the lesson in your present struggle,you'11 be able to make positive changes that would prevent similar situations in the future. Without hard times,you wouldn't appreciate the good ones.Strength does not come from winning.Your struggles develop your strengths.When you go through hardships and decide not to give in,that is strength.It is hard to find much to smile about when you fail,but how else would you improve yourself? If you look at failure as a part of your evolutionary process,you'11 stay positive and pursue your goals for as long as it takes. Which of the following is the best title of this passage? A. Every person has to go through hard times B. We can learn a lot from our struggles C. We should accept the fact that life is not perfect D. Things to remember when you are having a bad day Answer: D
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Question: When one loves one's Art, no service seems too hard. Joe was a man with a genius for art. Delia did things in six octaves promisingly. Joe and Delia became in love with one of the other, or each of the other, as you please, and in a short time were married - for (see above), when one loves one's Art no service seems too hard. They began housekeeping in a flat. It was a lonesome flat, but they were happy; for they had their Art, and they had each other. Joe was learning painting in the class of the great Magister - you know his fame. His fees are high; his lessons are light - his high-lights have brought him fame. Delia was studying under Rosenstock - you know his reputation as a disturber of the piano keys. They were mighty happy as long as their money lasted. After a while, Art flagged . Everything going out and nothing coming in, money was lacking to pay Mr. Magister and Rosenstock their prices. When one loves one's Art, no service seems too hard. So, Delia said she must give music lessons to make the ends meet. For two or three days she went out looking for pupils. One evening she came home overjoyed. "Joe, dear," she said, cheerfully, "I've a pupil. And, oh, the loveliest people! General - General Pinkney's daughter Clementina - on Seventy-first street." "That's all right for you, Dele," said Joe, "but how about me? Do you think I'm going to let you work while I play in the regions of high art? " Delia came and hung about his neck. "Joe, dear, you are silly. You must keep on at your studies. It is not as if I had quit my music and gone to work at something else. While I teach I learn. I am always with my music." "All right," said Joe. "But I may sell some of my pictures as well." The next few weeks, they both busied themselves with their own business and brought back a ten, a five, a two and a one - all legal tender notes - and laid them beside each others' earnings. One Saturday evening Joe reached home first. He spread his $18 on the table and washed what seemed to be a great deal of dark paint from his hands. Half an hour later Delia arrived, her right hand tied up in a shapeless bundle of wraps and bandages . "How is this?" asked Joe. Delia laughed, but not very joyously. "Clementina," she explained, "insisted upon a Welsh rabbit after her lesson. In serving the rabbit she spilled a great lot of it, boiling hot, over my wrist. Nothing serious, dear." "What time this afternoon did you burn your hand, Dele?" "Five o'clock, I think," said Dele. "The iron - I mean the rabbit came off the fire about that time." "Sit down here a moment, Dele," said Joe. "What have you been doing for the last few weeks, Dele?" he asked. She braved it for a moment or two with an eye full of love and stubbornness, but at last down went her head and out came the truth and tears. "I couldn't get any pupils," she wept. "I got a place ironing shirts in that big Twenty-fourth street laundry . A girl in the laundry set down a hot iron on my hand this afternoon. I think I did very well to make up both General Pinkney and Clementina. What made you ever suspect that I wasn't giving music lessons?" "I didn't," said Joe, "until tonight. And I wouldn't have then, only I sent up this cotton waste and oil from the engine-room this afternoon for a girl upstairs who had her hand burned with a smoothing-iron. I've been firing the engine in that laundry for the last few weeks." "And then you didn't ..." said Delia And then they both looked at each other and laughed, and Joe began: "When one loves one's Art no service seems ..." But Delia stopped him with her hand on his lips. "No," she said - "just 'When one loves.'" What qualities of the couple's are best conveyed in the story? A. intelligent and economical B. faithful and romantic C. considerate and giving D. hardworking and loyal Answer: C
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Question: Human beings are the most intelligent of all animals because we are gifted with the ability to think and reason logically. Scientists and even common people with special intelligence have made a lot of inventions and contributions to modern lifestyle in the past. "Houses" have been the most popular area for discoveries and inventions in the past and even now. Many household items have been the result of inventions of people who desired better functioning of the existent products. Every individual has intelligence and if it is used properly for the right purpose it leads to invention of a new tool or device. Many new household inventions are made almost every day and there are specific companies, which particularly keep a record of all these inventions. A lot of inventions have been made recently in the household field. These products are patented and have trade mark licenses . The patented sliding cinch is a very simple but effective method to prevent shoulder stress and injury for those who work before computers all day long. Vanity PC is a type of computer furniture that specifically hides all the computer wires and keeps a clean and good look. All the outdoor dust, mud and snow can be kept out of the house by installing the dirt drain at the entrance of the door. Another important invention is the automatic toilet night-light, in which a small light starts when the lid of the toilet seat is opened and closes as soon as the lid is closed. These are some of the new household inventions invented mostly by common people. Thus, a variety of new household items are invented every day, which helps in a better functioning of household chores and in a more useful manner. The passage is mainly talking about _ . A. the correct use of household facilities B. different ideas about household inventions C. the history of household inventions D. household inventions and their influence Answer: D
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Question: A student places a sheet of black construction paper on her desk. What happens to most of the light that strikes the black construction paper? A. The light is bent by the paper. B. The light reflects off the paper. C. The light is absorbed by the paper. D. The light passes through the paper. Answer: C
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Question: Many kids go to day camp during the summer. They can have a lot of fun, but the _ is almost the same. You start camp in the morning and go home in the afternoon. Sometimes, a bus takes you there or you might get a ride there. It might take you some time to like the place, the camp teacher, and the kids. But you go home every night, just like what you do during the school year. Sleepaway camp makes you feel more excited because you'll be there all day. It's a kind of holiday, but without your parents. You'll sleep in adormitory with other kids of the camp. You'll eat together in a large dining hall and you'll share the bathroom with other kids. Some sleepaway camps are coed. That means there are both boys and girls at the camp. Some camps are just for girls or just for boys, but often these all-girl and all-boy camps meet up for dances and parties. The writer thinks _ . A. no kid likes going to day camp B. sleepaway camp is more exciting C. day camp is a safer way to camp D. going to sleepaway camp is hard Answer: B
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Question: In recent years advances in medical technology have made it possible for people to live longer than in the past. New medicines and instruments are being developed every day to extend life. However,some people,including some doctors, are not in favour of these life extending measures,and they argue that people should have the right to die when they want. They say that the quality of life is as important as life itself,and that people should not be forced to go on living when conditions of life have become unbearable(. They say that people should be allowed to die with dignity and to decide when they want to die. Others argue that life under any conditions is better. According to some people, whether a dying patient has the right to die or not is up to _ . A. the doctors B. the surroundings C. his or her family D. the patient himself or herself Answer: D
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Question: Which part of a plant is most responsible for using energy from the Sun to produce food for the plant? A. flower B. leaf C. root D. stem Answer: B
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Question: When a dog bites a man, it usually doesn't make news. However, this saying change when Beijing and several other Chinese cities announced the "Civilized Dog Raising" campaign in November. The government will require Beijingers to get licenses for their dogs, and will enforce the one-dog, one-family policy. Police say the "one-dog policy" is aimed at reducing the number of dog bites and lowering the risk of rabies. According to the Ministry of Health, rabies has become the top infectious disease in China. Dangerous dogs and dogs taller than 35 centimeters, such as Great Danes, have been banned from urban areas. Pet owners are also required to clean up their dog's droppings and make sure dogs are leashed , especially in public areas. Some public areas, such as banks, are closed to dogs entirely. Dogs are regarded as man's best friend and the history of raising dogs can be traced back to the stone age. It therefore seems sad that dogs are unwelcome in Beijing. But it is not the case that Beijingers dislike dogs. Actually, there are many dog lovers in Beijing. The city now has more than 550,000 registered dogs, up 20 percent from the previous year. The problem is, actually, about living space. Different from many Westerners, most Beijingers live in urban apartment buildings, not houses in the suburbs. There is very limited open space for walking dogs. The barking, the waste, and unleashed dogs in buildings, elevators and places people gather can cause fear, fights and frustration. Beijing is not the only city to have a dog problem. Paris, London, New York and Vienna all face similar challenges and have common rules for dogs and their owners. Which of the following may be a suitable title for the story? A. Man's Best Friend B. Civilized Dog Raising C. No Room For Dogs D. When A Dog Bites A Man Answer: B
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Question: Over the past two weeks, public feedback was sought on new safety standards for school buses.In the wake of the accidents coming one after another, experts from MIIT drew up a new safety technique document of school buses in December, based on US and EU standards. School bus makers and industry watchers doubt the possibility of these new standards, saying that hiking costs would make school buses unaffordable in rural China.The US-modeled standards also mean that most smaller bus makers will be kept out from the market. These views, however, have aroused anger among netizens who are questioning "why can't we enjoy US standards when it comes to human lives?" Similar debates keep taking place.China falls behind the US on various standards--air quality measurement, mine safety, milk safety and so on.The idea is highly attractive that China presses on with adapting advanced US standards and improves all unsatisfying aspects of social life.However, this is far more complex than drawing up documents on paper. Some standards today were unimaginable just a few years ago.But public demand for using better standards from developed countries is on the rise.The government has to learn from them and keep pushing for higher standards.Adopting PM 2.5 in air quality monitoring follows _ . On the other hand, it is not always good to copy Western standards.Take the US-style big school buses.Their size makes it tough for them to go on the narrow roads of rural China.Similarly in cities, if school buses carry a "stop" sign like their US counterparts and enjoy right of way, how many would then complain about the disturbing traffic? China should try its best to develop its own standards.It should have its own schedule to steadily reach higher standards.Over the past decades, the nation has developed many a standard We need to have more confidence, rather than simply copying foreign standards. The author of the passage insists that _ . A. China should not copy US standards B. school buses in China should carry a stop sign C. school buses in China enjoy right of way D. no standards in China live up to public demand Answer: A
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Question: I often hear some students say English is difficult, and it gives them a headache. But English is very easy for me. I'm good at it. I'm very glad to tell you something about how I study English. First, I think an interest in English is very important. When I learned English first, it was fresh for me. I was interested in it, so I worked hard at it. Soon we had an English exam and I got a very good mark. How happy I was! After that, I learned English harder and harder. Our English teacher often teaches us English songs, and the songs sound nice. I often think how interesting English is! Second, I think English is a foreign language. I should learn it well in the following ways: Listen to the teacher carefully, speak bravely, read aloud and have a good vocabulary. Then practice again and again, never be tired. And I also have a good habit: Asking whenever I have a question. I must make it clear by asking our English teacher. How happy I am when I understand! Besides this, I often read English stories, jokes and easy novels. They help me understand a lot of things. So to do more reading is an important way to learn English well. And I also write English diaries. English has become a close friend of mine. Why do some students often "have a headache"? A. Because they are easy to catch a cold. B. Because it's often very cold C. Because they think English is easy. D. Because they don't think English is easy. Answer: D
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Question: Kids in a Sudanese refugee camp stir up a cloud of dust as they kick around a football. NBA superstar Tracy McCray watches from a distance before offering to buy the kids a grass pitch for $1. 000. Perhaps he sees a Ronaldinho rising up out of the African soil. Or maybe he just wants to do something -- anything -- to give these children some hope. But he is told, politely, that grass is not what the kids need. This scene appears in 3 Point, a new documentary , which shows the Houston Rockets star coming face to face with the reality that life is more than sport. McGrady,29, writes on his website that he traveled to Africa because he was tired of only reading about it in news. "Who were the faces behind the numbers?" He said. "I needed to see it for myself. And he did. He stepped out of his large house and flew to a place torn to bits by war and famine . He slept in a tent. He kept away from minefields. He talked with people who have been suffering. And he swallowed his pride. But no one should blame McGrady for wanting to buy the kids a pitch of grass. Sports gave him a chance, so perhaps he thought it would do the same for the refugees. McGrady was _ by NBA managers as a teenager and he didn't bother going to college. Instead, he leaped right into the NBA. Since that move, basketball has given him a handsome living, but one very far removed from the lives of ordinary people. As McGrady would learn in Africa, most people see sports as just a break from life's difficulties. They don't mistake it for 1ife itself. Only McGrady knows how this Africa trip changed him, but I'd bet that, at the very least, it has given him a new sense for what is truly meaningful. McGrady doesn't own an NBA championship ring. He hasn't risen to the heights of Kobe Bryant or Michael Jordan. But, perhaps, now he knows he doesn't have to in order to truly make a difference in the world. Which of the following is true according to the passage? A. While in Africa, McGrady behaved considerately. B. The trip to Africa has changed McGrady's life totally. C. McGrady should be blamed for wanting to buy kids grass pitch. D. McGrady suffered as much as the African kids in his childhood. Answer: A
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Question: Baby girls make their way directly for dolls as soon as they can crawl, while boys will head for cars, a study has shown. The findings, the first to show differences in very young babies, suggest there is a biological basis to their preferences. Psychologists Dr Brenda Todd from City University London carried out an experiment involving 90 babies aged 9 months to 36 months. The babies were allowed to choose from seven toys. Some were typically boys' toys ---- a car, a digger, a ball and a blue teddy. The rest were girls' toys: a pink teddy, a doll and a cooking set. They were placed a meter away from the toys;and could pick whichever toy they liked their choice and the amount of time they spent playing with each toy were recorded. Of the youngest children (9 to 14 months), girls spent significantly longer playing with the doll than boys, and boys spent much more time with the car and ball than the girls did. Among the two and three-year-olds, girls spent 50 percent of the time playing with the doll while only two boys briefly touched it. The boys spent almost 90 percent of their time playing with cars, which the girls barely touched. There was no link between the parents' view on which toys were more appropriate for boys or girls, and the children's choice. Dr Brenda Todd said, "Children of this age are already exposed to much socialization. Boys may be given 'toys that go' while girls get toys they can care for, which may help shape their preference. But these findings agree with the former idea that children show natural interests in particular kinds of toys. There could be a biological basis for their choices. Males through evolution have been adapted to prefer: moving objects, probably through hunting instincts , while girls prefer warmer colors such as pink, the colour of a newborn baby." What conclusion did Dr. Brenda Todd draw from the results of the study? A. Adults purposely influence their babies' preference. B. Babies' preference isn't affected by social surroundings. C. Baby boys preferring to moving toys will be good at hunting. D. Baby girls preferring warmer colors will be warm-hearted. Answer: B
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Question: A good way to pass an exam is to work hard every day in the year. You may fail in an exam if you are lazy for most of the year and then work hard only a few days before the exam. Do not remember only grammar when you are learning English. Try to read stories in English and speak in English as often as you can. A few days before the exam you should go to bed early. Do not study late at night. Before you start the exam, read carefully over the exam paper. Try to understand the exact meaning of each question before you pick up your pen to write. When you have finished your exam, read your answers again. Correct the mistakes if there are any and make sure you have not missed anything out. In the last sentence "miss ...out" means _ . A. think it hard B. be important C. be wrong D. forget to answer Answer: D
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Question: Betty is an American girl. She is thirteen. She is in Beijing with her parents. She doesn't know much Chinese. She can't speak Chinese well. Sometimes her friends don't understand her. It's Sunday morning. She's going to the zoo to see the pandas. She's waiting at the bus stop. At the bus stop she asks a Chinese boy how to go to the zoo. But the boy can't understand her. Then she takes out a pen and some paper. She draws a panda on the paper and shows the picture to the boy. The boy smiles and then shows her the way to the zoo. She can speak _ Chinese. A. much B. a little C. any D. not Answer: B
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Question: As early as the mid-18th century, some people began raising doubts about Marco Polo's travels. They pointed to seemingly obvious omissions in his descriptions of the Far East. In 1995,historian Frances Wood argued in her book "Did Marco Polo Go to China?" that the famous explorer from Venice never made it pass the Black Sea. She noted that his travel journal " The travels of Marco Polo" left out the Great Wall of China, chopsticks and tea drinking among other details. Furthermore, Chinese documents from Polo's day make no mention of the explorer and his men. Wood and other scholars have argued that Marco Polo based his tales of China on information collected from fellow trades who had actually been there. Last year, a team of Italian researchers became the latest skeptics to challenge Polo's accounts. They said that archaeological evidence didn't support his description of Kublai Khan's Japanese invasions. Now, however, research by Hans Ulrich Vogel of Germany's Tubingen University might help prove Marco Polo was true. In a new book " Marco Polo Was in China", the professor of Chinese history counters the arguments most frequently made by skeptics. He tries to prove that Marco Polo spoke the truth. He suggests, for example, that Polo didn't included the Great Wall in his book because it only achieved its great importance under the Ming Dynasty, several hundred years later. Vogel further explains that Chinese records from the 13thand 14thcenturies routinely avoided setting down visits from Westerners. Historians before him have touched on these issues while defending Marco Polo's honor. But Vogel also relies on another evidence: the explorer's very detailed descriptions of currency and salt production in the Yuan Dynasty. According to Vogel, Polo documented these aspects of Mongol Chinese culture in greater detail than any other of his time. This is a hint that the Venetian relied on his own powers of observation. Will we ever know whether Marco Polo traveled to China? Perhaps not, but the consequences of his real of fictional journey are still felt across the globe. One reader of "The travels of Marco Polo" was Christopher Columbus, who stepped upon the New World while following in his Venetian idol's footsteps. France Wood doubted Marco Polo's travel's to China because his description _ . A. missed some important culture of China. B. covered so much about trader's life. C. was full of obvious mistakes. D. seemed less detailed. Answer: A
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Question: Twenty years are just a blink in time. But 20 years is also long enough for a man to grow up. It is always painful. For Andre Agassi, maturing in the spotlight of international tennis competition was even harder. On September 3, the American tennis player said a tearful goodbye to his 21-year career after a third-round defeat in the US Open. The 36-year-old tried his best, but was unable to keep up with German Benjamin Becker, _ years his _ "The scoreboard said I lost today, but what the scoreboard doesn't say is what I've found," Agassi said to the fans. "I have found inspiration and you willed me to succeed." It was an emotional speech at the end of a long career. Agassi hated tennis as a teenager as much as he loves it now. His father made him play when he was a child. He got bored, and became a rebel . The strict training that his father pushed upon him got in the way of his wild lifestyle. He grew hair long, wore colourful clothes and spat at a judge. Over the years, he has made bad jokes during news conferences Asked what he would say to his 17-year-old self, Agassi answered, "I would say, I understand you a lot more than I want to be you." The turning point in Agassi's career came in 1992 when he unexpectedly won his first Grand Slam at Wimbledon. It was the first time Agassi understood what real champions finally understand: winning is a test of courage and not just power, it's a marathon, not a sprint . And what a marathon Agassi was about to begin. He cut his long hair, got fitter and tightened up emotionally. On the court, he was ranked No. 1 for almost two years. His lowest point came in 1997 when his ranking dropped to No. 141. He didn't quit though. "I knew that I would try to get the most out of myself every day from that day forward. That was my promise," he said. "That never stopped." The passage implies_. A. after 1997 Agassi began to take up marathon besides tennis B. Agassi began to play tennis before he was fifteen C. Agassi decided to quit his sports career D. the reason why Agassi lost his last competition was that he was lack of courage and power Answer: B
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Question: A Train Floating On Air A train that floats on air? It's not magic--it's magnets .And it's close to reality. In Virginia USA the fall of 2002, a train with no wheels traveled on air and carried college students across their campus.In Japan, a whisper-quiet railway engine hovered and raced at 350 miles per hour using magnets and electricity as the power.And in China, a magnet train line linked Shanghai with nearby Pudong Airport. These trains use magnetic levitation technology, "maglev" for short. They use the same rules as the magnets you pick up at home or school: opposite poles of magnets attract each other, and like poles _ each other. How does it work? Powerful magnets on the bottom of the train repel magnets on the track, which is actually just a magnet-filled guiding way. With a magnetic field of sufficient force, the train will go hovering on air, which seemed impossible to us in the past. When an electrical current is sent through the track, the train moves. Turn the current backwards and the train slows down. Maglev doesn't rely on the friction of wheels on track, so it can climb a much steeper hill than a traditional train. And it can travel easily in snow and ice, something that could bring normal trains to a screaming stop. This passage is about _ . A. maglev B. magnets C. levitation D. electricity Answer: A
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Question: Experiments aboard the spaceship Columbia have disproved a theory on the human nervous system which won an Austrian professor a Nobel prize 79 years ago. West German astronaut Ulf Merbold disproved the theory during tests aboard the spaceship yesterday. His discovery is connected with the workings of the inner ear, the body's balance mechanism . In l914 Professor Robert Barany won the Nobel prize for Physiology and Medicine when he announced that temperature differences affected the inner ear and caused the eyes to blink . His theory was accepted by scientists. But Merbold carried out tests to find if the theory was correct and shocked himself and space officials when he proved it wrong. According to Barany's theory the eyes would blink when cold air was blown into one ear and hot air blown into the other. But if this theory was correct such a movement would be impossible in zero gravity . Both Merbold's eyes continually blinked when the test was carried out. Tests were carried out in outer space in order to _ . A. find what causes the eyes to blink B. shock the world C. win the prize D. prove the theory Answer: D
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Question: Weighed down by study? Pushed to the limit by the fast pace of life ? Frightened by the possible war ? Well, you're not alone. Men and women in France are seeking relief using the world's best medicine-----laughter. In the past year, more than 15 laughter clubs have been set up across the country. People of all ages go to release their stress with an hour group laughs. "People telephoned me and said they have forgotten what it is to laugh. They want to find a place where they can escape all their problems for a while. So they come," said 40--year--old Jocelyne Le Moan. She usually takes a class of around 60 people through a series of laughter techniques. Her pupils range from teenagers to 70 years old, but most are middle---aged white collars seeking 60 minutes of relaxation at the end of a busy day. Le Moan takes them through the "Lion Laugh"and the "Laugh Contest", where participants "speak"to each other in different ways. And instead of talking, they break into fits of laughter. At the end there are 15 minutes of "meditation", when they lie on their backs and let the laughs burst out of their mouths. "I love it. It's an experience that has changed my life. Through it I rediscovered the child's laugh inside me,"Said Romain Jouffroy, 24. "US President George W. Bush should give it a try. He has lost his laugh,"she joked . Like Jouffroy, many laughter club members find themselves changed into children again, and why not ? The average preschooler laughs up to 400 times a day. The average adult only a day seven to 15. The physical benefits of laughter are already well--recognized. Doctors say the act of laughing releases good chemicals into the blood--stream, while the quick breathing that accompanies it helps massage the digestive organs and strengthens the heart. "A full hour is like having your inside go jogging!One finishes out of breath, but feels revitalized(. And on top of that , you've had a laugh,"said doctor Alexisd' Estaing.And many participants in Paris also emphasize the psychological benefits. They believe that laughter is a way of making oneself feel more confident. Which of the following is not included among the benefits of laughing? A. It can make people rediscover their children's laugh. B. It can release good chemical into blood streams. C. It can make you feel self--confident. D. It can cure the illness of people. Answer: D
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