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Rupert Hoogewerf, whose name sounds Dutch, is actually an Englishman. The 34-year-old man is very famous in prefix = st1 /China--though many Chinese merchant princes have complicated feeling towards him. Every day people, meanwhile, take delight in talking about his work. All of the fuss is over the annual report that Hoogewerf puts out ranking Chinese millionaires. On the wall of Hoogewerf's office in Shanghai, there is a massive Chinese map, and on almost every province is glued a small strip of paper. On each strip is written how many millionaires are registered on Hoogewerf's list. Hoogewerf, wearing jeans and sandals, speaks fluent Chinese to introduce the initial motivation for compiling the list. When Hoogewerf went into university to study Chinese in 1997, he says, he was affiliated with the renowned accounting firm Arthur Andersen, and was assigned to work in Shanghai. Working in Shanghai, he could see first-handChina's fast economic development. "But my fellows and I don't understand the process of how this could happen," he says, "let alone to explain this phenomenon in the concept of economics." Then he had an idea to compile a ranked list to introduce Chinese tycoons abroad, knowing that foreigners preferred reading people's stories to data. With the help of two colleagues in 1999, Hoogewerf complied the first ranking of Chinese millionaires. The most difficult task was to select candidates, and Hoogewerf and his colleagues spent two months reading Chinese and English magazines and newspapers. From a list of more than 1,000 people, they chose 300 people to survey and contact further. Finally, a list with the hundred richest businessmen in Chinaappeared. The listing astounded the populace; the Chinese have a tradition where people are afraid to exhibit their wealth. The achievement of a hundred millionaires became the main topic in everyone's conversation. Hoogewerf instantly became famous acrossChina. Hoogewerf also brings forward some advice to Chinese companies. In his opinion, compared to foreign companies, Chinese companies are still in the beginning phase. Their finance management and public relations need most work. So the service in accountant, auditing, public relations, consultation and so on is still required. "If I don't compile ranks one day," Hoogewerf says,"I hope to do my Chinese career in _ ." 3

['QSN Which of the following sentences is true according to the passage? ANS Rupert Hoogewerf speaks fluent Chinese.', 'QSN Which of the following sentences might Hoogewerf agree with? ANS Chinese companies need to work hard to improve their finance management and public relations.', "QSN What can be implied from the passage? ANS If Hoogewerf doesn't compile ranks one day, he will choose to work in China."]

When something goes wrong, it can be very satisfying to say, "Well, it's so-and-so's fault." Or "I know I'm late, it's not my fault; the car broke down." It is probably not your fault, but once you form the habit of blaming somebody or something else for a bad situation, you are a loser. You have no power and could do nothing that helps change the situation. However, you can have great power over what happens to you if you stop focusing on whom to blame and start focusing on how to _ the situation. This is the winner's key to success. Winners are great at overcoming problems. For example, if you were late because your car broke down, maybe you need to have your car examined more regularly. Or, you might start to carry along with you the useful phone numbers, so you could call for help when in need, For another example, if your colleague causes you problems on the job for lack of responsibility or ability, find ways of dealing with his irresponsibility or inability rather than simply blame the person . Ask to work with a different person, or don't rely on this person. You should accept that the person is not reliable and find creative ways to work successfully regardless of how your colleague fails to do his job well. This is what being a winner is all about----creatively using your skills and talents so that you are successful no matter what happens. Winners don't have fewer problems in their lives; they have just as many difficult situations to face as anybody else. They are just better at seeing those problems as challenges and opportunities to develop their own talents. So, stop focusing on "Whose fault it is." Once you are confident about your power over bad situations, problems are just the stepping stone for success. 3

['QSN According to the passage, winners _ . ANS deal with problems rather than blame others', 'QSN When problems occur, winners take them as _ . ANS chances for self-development', "QSN Which of the following is the best title for the passage? ANS A Winner's Secret"]

Almost everyone suffers from a headache occasionally. But some people suffer from repeated, frequent headaches. What is headache? What causes it? What can be done about a headache? What research is being done on headaches? The dictionary defines headache simply as "a pain in the head." What most people mean by headache is a pain which lasts several minutes or hours. It covers the whole head, or one side of it, or perhaps the front or the back of the head. To add to the confusion about a definition, some people call tight feeling in the head a headache. A headache is important because it can be the first warning of a serious condition which probably could be controlled if discovered early. If a person removes the warning, day after day, with a pain-killer, he may pass the point of easy control. The professional name for covering up a symptom is "masking" (,). A headache specialist once said, "Masking symptoms is not the best way of treatment." He compared taking a pain-killer for a headache before a cause is known with taking iron pills for anemia while bleeding continues undiscovered. He added, "Sometimes it is wiser to stand still than to advance in darkness. A headache is important also because it interferes needlessly with normal, happy living. The employee with a headache does less work. In a flash of temper he may upset his fellow workers or customers, causing a direct of indirect loss to his organization. The mother with a headache suffers and disturbs the family. She upsets her husband and children. 2

['QSN Which is true according to the passage? ANS Headache may last several minutes.', "QSN What's the main idea of the passage? ANS What's a headache and its effect."]

109-year-old Anna Ferris of Washingtonville kicks a soccer ball Saturday with the help of her grandson Joe Begendorf at the Orange County Senior Games. Ferris has been _ at the event. She was born on Feb. 11, 1900, in New York City, before the radio or crossword puzzle was invented. Anna carries the seasons lightly for her age. Family and friends say she walks around the house and sometimes does laps with her walker around the driveway to keep her legs strong. "She's doing this well because we try to keep her out of the wheelchair as much as possible," said Begendorf, who helped steady his grandmother Saturday during each athletic event. Last New Year's Eve, she toasted 2010 by holding a glass of white wine high above her head at 1 am. But the public legend of Anna Ferris began at last year's Senior Games when she finished the 100-meter dash with support only from her walker. "When they said she was going to race last year, we thought it was a joke," said Anne Coon, co-chairman of the games. "She walked away with a whole chest full of medals by the end of the day." On Saturday, Anna threw a softball 16 feet and used a metal bat to hit a softball 15 feet off a tee . She threw a football more than 9 feet. She scored 10 points in "crazy water bocce ". She even tried soccer. Her first two kicks landed short of the goal and Anna shook her head in disappointment. But her third try rolled gently into the back of the net. That's when Anna Ferris smiled with the excitement of a little girl. 3

["QSN Before Anna Ferris was born, _ . ANS people didn't know radio or crossword puzzle", 'QSN When did Anna Ferris draw attention to the public? ANS After she finished the 100-meter dash', "QSN According to Anna Ferris' story, we can conclude that _ . ANS those who live a regular and active life can be healthy"]

If you want to walk in the footsteps of some of the world's greatest figures, then go to Oxford. Many of Oxford's 38 colleges are open to the public year-round. Here are a few of the colleges worth visiting and some famous people who have studied there. Christ Church College Long before it became known as a location for the Harry Potter films, Christ Church was the college where Albert Einstein, author Charles Dodgson who wrote Alice in Wonderland, and 13 British prime ministers studied. In this large and popular college, you can see the paintings in the 16th-century Great Hall. Magdalen College Many consider Magdalen to be one of the most beautiful Oxford's colleges. This is where author Oscar Wilde read his classics course. You can enjoy the medieval church with its 15th-century tower. Opposite the college is the beautiful Botanic Garden founded in 1621. Merton College Founded in 1264, Merton has the oldest medieval library in use. J. R. R. Tolkien is said to have spent many hours here writing The Lord of the Rings. One of the college's treasures is an astrolabe ,thought to have belonged to Chaucer. The college has the most amazing collection of medieval colored glass in Oxford. Bodleian Library The Bodleian Library, the main research library of the University of Oxford, is the largest university library in the UK. It is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library. It holds more than 9 million printed items on 189 km of shelving and seats up to 2,500 readers. The users of the library here include five kings, 40 Nobel Prize winners, 25 British prime minister and countless famous writers. 4

["QSN If a Harry Potter fan travels to Oxford, he'll probably visit _ . ANS Christ Church College", 'QSN Which of the following can travelers see in Magdalen College? ANS A 15\nth-century tower.', 'QSN According to the passage, J. R. R. Tolkien is _ . ANS the author of The Lord of the Rings', 'QSN What do we know about the Bodleian Library? ANS It is smaller than the British Library.']

An insect bee stands out on the logo of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, despite "Bee" being unrelated to the name of the insect. "Bee" refers to "a gathering", where people join together in an activity. The National Spelling Bee was formed in 1925 as a collection of many local spelling bees,organized by Louisville. With competitions, cash prizes, and a trip to the nation's capital, it was hoped the Bee would _ "general interest among pupils in a dull subject". Mark Neuhauser won the first National Spelling Bee held that year, by successfully spelling "gladiolus".In 2014,there were two winners of the Bee--a conclusion that has only happened three other times in Bee history, and not since 1962. Sriram Hathwar, a 14yearold from New York and Ansun Sujoe, a 13yearold from Texas shared the excitement as cochampions after 22 rounds of spelling. Each took home over $30,000 in cash, scholarships and bonds. The Spelling Bee has been held every year except for 19431945 due to World War II.Later, the Scripps Company acquired the rights to the program in 1941. The bee is held in late May or early June of each year.It is open to students who have not yet completed the eighth grade, reached their 15th birthday, nor won a previous National Spelling Bee.Its goal is educational:not only to encourage children to perfect the art of spelling, but also to help enlarge their vocabularies and widen their knowledge of the English language. 3

['QSN When did Mark win the National Spelling Bee? ANS In 1925.', 'QSN We can conclude from the text that _ . ANS the first prize has been shared four times in Bee history', "QSN What's the purpose of writing the text? ANS To introduce a competition about spelling words."]

Is it wrong to use someone else's wireless (Wi-Fi) connection? Just recently, a man was arrested for doing just that. At that time, he was sitting in the street with a laptop and using an unsecured wireless connection to surf the Net. What do you think about this topic? Listen to the following different views on it. For a start, if someone is using your Internet service or downloading, this will affect your speed of access or download limit. Also, it's bad for Internet service providers. They will suffer in the long run because fewer people will pay for an Internet service if they know they can get it for free. And finally, just imagine this: what if the person who is stealing your Internet connection is involved in an illegal activity? I think the police are totally right to arrest these criminals. -- by Sandra Wilkins Basically, if the person who paid for the service still has everything they paid for, what's the problem? It's just like using the light from streetlamps to read your book, or watching someone else's firework display. It's not stealing. Also, if you leave your wireless connection unsecured, then it is your own fault if someone else uses it. Just as you wouldn't leave your front door unlocked, or your car door open, neither should you leave your wireless connection open. By leaving your wireless connection open, you are inviting people to use it. Securing your wireless connection is as easy as clicking a few settings on your router . And finally, haven't the police got more important crimes to solve? They're always saying how they haven't got the manpower to solve real issues. But this is just ridiculous . -- by James Hoarley 3

["QSN What does Sandra Wilkins think of people using others' Internet service? ANS He thinks it is unacceptable.", "QSN In James Hoarley's opinion, _ . ANS using others' Internet service is not stealing at all.", 'QSN What would be the best title for the passage? ANS Wireless worries']

Moscow,Russia(Space news)-"The computer is a better chess player,"insisted Viktor Prozorov,the loser ." It seemed as if it were laughing after every good move.I know I should have beaten it for the sake of mankind ,but I just couldn't win," he announced and shook his head sadly. Prozorov's disappointment was shared by several grand masters who were present,some of whom were so upset that they shouted at the machine.Many chess players said that this meant the end of chess championships around the world,since the fun had been taken out of the game. The computer walked-or rather,rolled-away with 5,000 dollars in prize money and limited its remarks to a set of noises and light. 4

['QSN Which of the following best gives the main idea of this newspaper article? ANS Computer defeats man in chess!', 'QSN What was it that Prozorov felt most bitter about? ANS That he had lost to a machine.', 'QSN After winning the game,the computer _ . ANS gave out some lights and sounds', 'QSN Many chess players felt that playing with a computer would _ . ANS make the game less interesting']

One of the most famous nursery rhymes in the English language is Mary Had a Little Lamb .It has touched many children who have read it. It is about the deep love between a young girl and her pet lamb. The poem is from a true story that happened in the early part of the 19th century in the town of Sterling, Massachusetts, in the USA. Mary Sawyer (1806-1889) lived on a farm with her family.One day, when she was about nine years old, she saw a little lamb that had just been born and left behind by its mother. It was very weak and looked as if it would die at very moment.Mary took pity on the lamb and spent the whole night looking after it. _ , it grew strong and became a very close friend with Mary, following her everywhere she went. One day, the lamb even followed Mary to school.At first she wanted to turn it back but her brother suggested that it would be fun to take the lamb to school.During the class, she hid the lamb under her desk.But when she was called to go to the front of the class, to her surprise, the lamb followed her.Though the students and the teacher thought it was funny to see a lamb at school, the teacher had to ask Mary to keep the lamb outside of the school. That very day, a young man called John Roulstone was visiting Mary's school. He was so moved by the love between the child and her little pet lamb that he wrote a poem which he handed to Mary the next day. His poem contained twelve lines. Later, Sara Josepha Hale added another twelve lines to the poem and published it in 1930 under the title "Mary Had a Little Lamb". The poem has become a classic, loved by children all over the world. The appeal of the poem lies not only in the funny idea of a sheep going to school but also in the true love between the little girl and her pet. The town of Sterling has honoured Mary's lamb by building a statue of the lamb with Mr Roulstone's poem below the statue. 3

['QSN What is the best title for the passage? ANS Mary Had a Little Lamb', 'QSN Why did the poem become a classic? ANS It describes the true love between a little girl and her pet lamb.', 'QSN Which of the following statements can be inferred from the passage? ANS Mary and the little lamb developed a very close friendship.']

This site contains 100 original short stories about life in America. These stories are written for ESL(English as a second language ) learners who are, at least, high beginners. We want to help ESL students learn English as quickly and effortlessly as possible. Learning should be interesting, not boring. We hope that learners will find that these stories are of some help to improve their English. The stories have interesting topics and are easy to understand. Each story comes with an audio narrative so that learners can listen as they read. The audio requires downloading the free Real Player. Each story contains a search for pictures, definitions, and pronunciation." Following each story are four sets of exercises, and each containing 10 items. Exercise A is "Yes / No Questions". The learner is asked questions like, "Does Sara have children?" The learner can then type in, "Yes, she does." Then the learner can check whether it's the right answer or not. Exercise B is "Wh-Questions". The learner is asked questions like, "Where does Sara live?" The learner can then type in, "She lives in Pasadena." Then the learner can check his answer. Exercise C is "Ask Questions". The learner is given an answer like, "They have two children." The learner must then type in a question like, "How many children do they have?"The learner can then check to see whether he is correct or not. Exercise D is "Dictation". The learner listens to a sentence. Most of the sentences duplicate the sentences in the stories. The learner types the dictation and then checks to see whether he is correct or not. Work on the site is in progress. Help us make it better as the years go by. We welcome all comments, suggestions, complaints, new ideas, and questions. Click here to send us emails. 4

['QSN Where does this passage come from? ANS A website.', 'QSN The main purpose of this passage is to _ . ANS give a brief introduction of an English learning site', 'QSN All of the following statements are correct EXCEPT _ . ANS the stories are suitable for learners of different levels', 'QSN If you want to improve your listening ability, you may mainly do some practice in _ . ANS Exercise D']

Most teens can't wait to learn to drive. Not so with me. Driving made me nervous. I didn't get a license until I turned 24 years old. As a result, when I first married, we only had one car and car pooled to work. My husband's hours were different from mine by one hour. I worked earlier. So he dropped me off and went to the diner to drink coffee until work time. Then, in the afternoons, I leisurely walked the three miles to his work place where I waited in his car, reading a book. One day while waiting for him, I noticed the most beautiful Cadillac pull in the lot. It was powder blue and sleek looking. The kind of car you dream about. I was busily admiring the car, when I noticed the driver. Honestly, she was probably the prettiest woman I had ever seen off the movie screen. She pulled into the spot beside our car and it was all I could do not to stare. There was a striking resemblance to Liz Taylor. Jet black hair and alabaster skin. Our eyes made contact and she smiled at me. Her eyes were as blue as the sea, and teeth like an even row of pearls. She was wearing a light blue shirt that just matched her car. Peeking through her long, softly curled hair I could see gold hoop earrings. They had to be gold to shine like that. A couple of minutes later, a nice looking man came out of the building, entered her car, leaned over and kissed her and she drove away. Sitting there in my jeans, shirt and hair in a pony tail, I wanted to cry. How could some people have it all? Maybe I would have forgotten about her, but the following week, I saw her again. Then it became almost routine to see her about once a week. She seemed friendly and always waved, flashing a big smile. My envy lingered long after she drove away. Many nights when sleep evaded me, I would think about the beautiful lady. I wondered if she and her husband ate out, and where they dined, and what she was wearing. I wanted her to get out of the car and let me see her full length. Did she wear really high heeled shoes and pants, or a skirt. I would get my answers in a couple of weeks. Sitting in our usual parking lot, I was holding my book, watching her over the top of it. She was waiting and when her husband came to the car, she called to him. They spoke a few words and he opened the car door for her to step out. He took her arm and helped her out of the car. I could see very well as she moved to get out. She was wearing a skirt. She _ walked around to the passenger side very slowly, leaning on a walking cane. Sitting sideways in the car, she lifted one leg with her hands and then the other one. The beautiful lady had a prosthesis on the left leg and a brace on the right leg. I couldn't watch them drive away as the tears were blinding me. For weeks I had envied this woman and her way of life, while I had been able to walk three miles to our car! When my husband arrived and found me crying, he immediately asked what was wrong. Through my tears, I told him about the beautiful lady. He said he knew her husband and also knew the story. The beautiful lady and her parents were in a car that either stalled or got caught on the railroad tracks and was hit by a train. Both parents were killed and she was severely injured. She was only 12 years old. The railroad made a large settlement with her because the crossing had no signals. He explained her car was specially built for her needs as well as the home. I prayed for forgiveness all the way home. The lady I thought had everything I didn't. I realized how lucky I was to have my parents, the ability to walk, run or dance through life and many wonderful things money can't buy. I would not have traded places with the beautiful lady for anything. When you meet a person who seems to be much better off than you, don't be fooled. 4

["QSN In the afternoons the woman walked three miles to her husband's work place to _ . ANS wait for her husband", 'QSN After seeing the beautiful lady, the woman concluded _ . ANS the beautiful lady led a rich and happy life', 'QSN Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? ANS The woman learned that health and family are more important.', 'QSN Which of the following do you think can be the best title of the passage? ANS Looks can be deceiving']

The poorer mental function seen among alcoholics, many of whom also regularly smoke cigarettes, may be partly caused by the long-term effects of nicotine , new study suggests. "People who are also smokers are more dangerous," Dr. Jennifer M. Glass, of the University of Michigan's Addiction Research Center, said. In her study, "cigarette smoking had bad effects on IQ and thinking," she said. This finding may seem wrong because many smokers feel better after smoking. Studies show that up to 87 percent of alcoholics smoke cigarettes. Yet, few studies have looked into cigarette smoking as a reason that might explain the cognitive deficits reported among alcoholics. To find out that connection, Glass and her partners examined brain function among 172 men from the same community, including 103 men who are alcoholics. The team found that heavy smokers and those alcoholics both had lower IQ scores. In the further study, the experts found that smoking also appeared to be connected with weaker verbal and visual-spatial reasoning . So, though smoking did not account for all of the poorer mental function among the alcoholics, it did seem to account for some of the effects, the report shows. 4

["QSN Some people don't think that cigarette smoking will make their IQ and thinking ability poor because ANS this finding doesn't agree with their feelings.", "QSN What's the purpose of the study that was carried out by Glass and her partners? ANS To study if cigarette smoking can cause the cognitive deficits among alcoholics.", "QSN Which of the following is true? ANS Smoking can also influence a person's weaker verbal and visual-spatial reasoning.", 'QSN The passage mainly tells us that_. ANS smoking and drinking may make IQ and thinking ability poor.']

Older people who have low expectations for a satisfying future may be more likely to live longer, healthier lives than those who see brighter days ahead, according to new research "Our findings showed that being overly optimistic in predicting a better future was associated with a greater risk of disability and death within the following decade," said Frieder R. Lang, the leading researcher of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany." Pessimism about the future may encourage people to live more carefully, taking health and safety measures." Lang and colleagues examined data collected from 1993 to 2003 for the national German Socio-Economic Panel, an annual survey on approximately 40,000 people from 18 to 96 years old. The researchers divided the data according to age groups: 18 to 39 years old, 40 to 64 years old and 65 years old and above. Through mostly in-person interviews, the participants were asked to rate how satisfied they were with their lives and how satisfied they thought they would be in five years. Five years after the first interview, 43 percent of the oldest group had underestimated their future life satisfaction, 25 percent had predicted accurately and 32 percent had overestimated , according to the study. The researchers calculated that each increase in overestimating future life satisfaction was related to a 9.5 -percent increase in reporting disabilities and a 10- percent increase in risk of death. Because a darker outlook on the future is often more realistic, older adults' predictions of their future satisfaction may be more accurate, according to the study. In contrast, the youngest group had the sunniest outlook. "We argue, though, that the analysis may depend on age and available resources. These findings shed new light on how our perspectives can either help us take action or prevent us from taking action that can help improve our chances of a long, healthy life," Lang said. 5

["QSN Based on the passage, the researchers _ . ANS calculated people's life satisfaction within five years", 'QSN According to the study, older people predicted their life satisfaction more accurately because _ . ANS their outlook on the future was more realistic', "QSN What is Frieder Lang's attitude towards the results of the study? ANS Objective", 'QSN What can we learn from the passage? ANS The findings could help people to live a healthy life.', 'QSN The passage most probably appears in the _ section of a website. ANS health and fitness']

People celebrate birthdays in almost every country on earth. And they celebrate them in many different ways. In China and in Japan, for example, the arrival of New Year is more important than a person's birthday. So everyone adds a year to celebrate their ages on New Year's Day, instead of on their birthdays, In Brazil, the special birthday food isn't cake, but special candles. In China, it's long noodles--for long life. In Iceland, people have pancakes with candies rolled inside them on birthdays. In Britain, a birthday is an all-day celebration. At school, the birthday child is lifted up and "bumped" by his classmates. This means the child is lifted by the feet and arms and bumped to the ground, once for each year once for good growth. In Israel, the same custom is followed, except the birthday person is lifted and lowered while sitting in a chair. In Holland, children not only get presents, but also give things out. They give cakes, cookies and candles to their classmates and teachers on their birthdays. In Mexico, it's good luck to give birthday greetings as early in the day as possible. So it's usual for the birthday child to be woken up at midnight by fiends singing birthday songs. In India, birthday celebrations also begin before dawn. Prayers and blessings must be said before morning comes. In Thailand, two tall candles are lighted the night before the birthday. One is as tall as the birthday person. If it goes out early, it's bad luck. Another customs of Thailand is that they buy live fish and birds for the birthday person and then the birthday person frees the animals, and it brings good luck. In Nigeria, people in a certain age group celebrate their birthdays together, on a certain day. In many countries birthday customs are changing. Old customs are giving way to western style of birthdays, with candle topped cakes. But one thing never changes--birthdays are special days for everyone! 3

["QSN It's a custom to lift and lower the birthday person in a chair in _ . ANS Israel", 'QSN According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE? ANS In Holland people give presents to unbirthday persons on their birthdays.', 'QSN What does the text mainly talk about? ANS Different ways of celebrating the birthday in different countries.']

We live in a sweet world. The average American kid consumes more than 20 teaspoons of sugar per day, and adults eat 50% more sugar today than they did in the 1970s. We all know that too much sugar isn't good for you. But did we know it could be dangerous? A team of researchers at the University of Utah used mice to conduct a study on the negative effects of sugar. They found it could have serious effects on people's health. Sugar is found not only in sweets and candies, but also in many household items like pasta and crackers. During the 58-week-long study, mice were fed a diet containing 25% more sugar. This percentage equals a healthy human diet along with three cans of soda daily. The team found that these mice were twice as likely to die as mice fed a similar diet without the sugar. Though the mice did not show signs of obesity or high blood pressure, male mice were 26% less territorial and produced 25% fewer offspring than the other mice. Scientists often use mice for research because they have a similar genetic structure to humans. "Since most substances that are dangerous in mice are also dangerous in people, it's likely that those physical problems that cause those mice to have increased deaths also work in people," says study author James Ruff of the University of Utah. Findings from this study reveal negative effects that are not as noticeable as weight gain or heart problems. Sugar can contribute to long-term changes in the body that can change development and even shorten lives. Cutting sugar out of the American diet altogether may be difficult. But making the effort to control our nation's sugar desire will provide for a truly sweeter future. 4

["QSN The study conducted by researchers aimed at learning about _ ANS the negative effects of sugar on people's health", 'QSN According to the study, which of the following statements is wrong? ANS Eating much more sugar can make mice put on weight and get high blood pressure.', "QSN From the passage we can infer _ ANS sugar plays a very important role in Americans' diet", "QSN What's the best title of the passage? ANS Danger of sugar"]

Are you taking a summer vacation this year? If you are, have you already started preparing for your trip? Online, there are a large number of preparation tips available for summer travelers. While preparation advice and tips may be of assistance to you, they are often hard to go by. This is because not everyone spends vacations at the same location. No matter what your vacation destination is, you will need to take the climate into consideration. If you are visiting a tropical location, you will need to bring along the appropriate clothing. While you may be expecting warm and sunny weather, it is still advised that you prepare for the worst. Raincoats and an umbrella may be a great addition to your summer clothing. Perhaps, the most popular summer vacation destination is the beach. Each year millions of individuals and families flock to beaches. When vacationing at the beach, it is important that you bring along proper clothing and sunscreen. Many vacationers do not realize the dangers of sunbathing without sunscreen. In addition to sunscreen, you will need to make sure that you have beach towels and plenty of water on hand. For the most part, if you forget to bring along certain supplies you can purchase replacements. Many popular vacation destinations have inflated prices. To prevent unnecessary expenses, you are encouraged to check your luggage before you leave. In addition to the above mentioned preparation tips, you must inform friends and family of where you are going. In case something happens back home, you can easily be reached. 4

['QSN In the passage the author intends to _ ANS give advice on how to prepare for vacation', 'QSN As for the preparation advice and tips online, _ . ANS they may make you puzzled in a way', 'QSN If you travel to a tropical country, _ . ANS you must prepare proper clothes', 'QSN According to the passage we can know that _ . ANS vacationers on beach are at the risk of sunburn']

Ashrita Furman loves breaking records. In fact, over the last 30 years, he's broken almost 400 Guinness World Records. And he recently broke the Guinness World Record for "the most records held at the same time by an individual". Ashrita broke his first record in 1979, doing 27,000 star jumps in one go. But since then, he's set all sorts of records: clapping non-stop for 50 hours, balance a lawn mower on his chin for almost two minutes... the list is endless. The 57-year-old New Yorker runs a health food shop but spends his free time training to break new records. How does he decide which records to attempt? Simple! Ashrita studies the Guinness Book of Records online database. "I used to stay up two or three hours in the morning, _ the 40,000 records and chose the ones I was interested in." he explained. But these days, to make sure he has overall fitness, he chooses records that work different parts of his body. In his attempts to break records, Ashrita often travels abroad. In 2005, he set the record for the "fastest mile on a space hopper" while jumping along the Great Wall of China. In 2003, he set the record for the "longest time balancing on a Swiss ball" at Stonehenge, England. And he likes to make his record attempts as challenging as possible. As a teenager, he met a guru and began studying meditation . "It changed my life... And I soon realized that limits are all in the mind." One day, his guru told him to go and "break records". So he did and he hasn't stopped since. He recently said, "The point is joy. The point is the challenge. It's something silly, but you are the best in the world at it." 2

['QSN The reason why Ashrita keeps breaking so many records is that _ . ANS breaking records brings him much joy and challenge', 'QSN Which can be the best title for the text? ANS An amazing record-breaker']

While it may be unlikely for a computer to write a best seller, a technology expert has created a computer program that writes its own fiction stories with minimal user input. The program, called MEXICA, is the first to generate original stories based on computerized representations of emotions and tensions between characters. An Internet survey was carried out to see the popularity of the computer-generated stories, other computerized stories and stories written solely by a human. The result was that readers ranked MEXICA stories highest for flow and coherence, structure, content, suspense and overall quality. Rafael Perezy Perez, the creator of MEXICA, explained that a story might begin with something as basic as, "The enemy wounded the knight. The princess cured the knight. The knight killed the enemy. The knight rewarded the princess. The end." The program reads characters as variables and assigns a numerical value, between a continuum from -3 to +3, to emotional connections that are defined as either amorous or non-amorous. The numerical value is equivalent to the degree of emotion, with -3 being intense hate and +3 being intense love. The program also understands story tension, such as linking the word "wounded" with tension. This too is assigned a numerical value. Once these clusters of emotional links and tensions are established, the program begins what is called an "engagement reflection cycle". Basically this involves searching a database of story actions and other happenings, which are called "atoms", and determines the best match for the characters and contexts for that moment. The process repeats itself again and again until the system can no longer make any matches. At this point, the computer analyzes the story for coherence and "interestingness". The program views a story as interesting when tension levels increase and fall throughout the piece. If the program finds that the story is boring or incoherent in places, it will replace or insert atoms until a version is thought to be satisfactory. 4

['QSN What can we know about MEXICA from the passage? ANS It is a computer program created by Rafael Perezy Perez.', 'QSN What is basically needed for MEXICA to start to write a story? ANS The human operator should come up with a simple storyline.', 'QSN How does the computer system describe the characters in its story? ANS Characters in the story are given different numerical values.', 'QSN What are "atoms" understood by the computer system? ANS Events becoming of the characters.']

You do not need every word to understand the meaning of what you read. In fact, too much emphasis on separate words both slows your speed and reduces your comprehension. First, any habit which slows down your silent reading to the speed at which you speak or read aloud, is inefficient. If you point to each word as you read, or move your head, or form the words with your lips, you read poorly. Less obvious habits also hold back reading efficiency . One is "saying" each word silently by moving your tongue or throat; another is "hearing" each word as you read. These are habits which should have been outgrown long ago. The beginning reader is learning how letters can make words, how written words are pronounced, and how sentences are put together. Your reading purpose is quite different, which is to understand meaning. It has been supposed that up to 75% of the words in English sentences are not really necessary for expressing the meaning. The secret of silent reading is to find out those key words and phrases which carry the thought, and to pay less attention to words which exist only for grammatical completeness. An efficient reader can grasp the meaning from a page at least twice as fast as he can read the page aloud. He takes in a whole phrase or thought unit at a time. If he "says" or "hears" words to himself, they are selected ones, said for emphasis. 4

['QSN This passage is mainly about _ . ANS reading as fast as you can', 'QSN Saying each word to yourself as you read _ . ANS reduces reading efficiency', 'QSN Your reading purpose should be _ . ANS to understand meaning', 'QSN While reading, efficient readers usually _ . ANS take in whole phrases or thought units']

Homonym: a word that has the same spelling and the same pronunciation as another world, but a different meaning Same spelling, different meaning Imagine, then a situation where two words are spelt and pronounced exactly the same way, but have completely different meanings.Welcome to the world of homonyms.Take, for example, the word 'fail' --- it can be a kind of festival, and adjective to describe the color of your hair or how you should play a game. Don't take it literally So how do you know which meaning someone is referring to? --- You don't, except by the context.Obviously, if someone asks you to 'give them a hand', they don't want you to remove what is at the end of your arm. What's in a name? Sometimes even the context doesn't help much --- the result can be amusing.These sentences play with the double meaning of a noun: I used to be a banker, but I lost interest. Have you heard about the cross-eyed teacher who couldn't control his pupils? A small boy swallowed some coins and had to go to hospital.When his grandmother phoned to ask how he was, the nurse said: 'No change yet'. More ambiguity And these examples play with the different meanings of a verb: I wondered why the ball was getting bigger.Then it hit me. No one knew she had a dental implant until it came out in a conversation. A boiled egg in the morning is hard to beat. Double trouble And sometimes a word can be a noun and a verb, but have different meanings.Can you work this one out? Time flies like an arrow.Fruit flies like a banana. If you like these homonyms, you will be pleased to know that English has plenty more! Explanations of jokes in the text I used to be banker, but I lost interest.(I became bored with the job / I lost money) Have you heard about the cross-eyed teacher who couldn't control his pupils? (students / parts of his eyes) A small boy swallowed some coins and had to go to hospital.When his grandmother phoned to ask how he was, the nurse said: 'No change yet'.(no difference in the situation / no money) I wondered why the ball was getting bigger.Then it hit me.(the ball hit me / I suddenly realized) No one knew she had a dental implant until it came out in a conversation.(became known / fell out) A boiled egg in the morning is hard to beat.(can't be better / difficult to mix with a fork) Time flies like an arrow.(time goes quickly) Fruit flies like a banana.(insects enjoy eating fruit.) 2

['QSN Which of the following statements about homonyms is NOT true? ANS Their ambiguity brings great trouble to our life.', 'QSN The "beat" in the sentence "A boiled egg in the morning is hard to beat, making for a satisfying breakfast." has a similar meaning to _ . ANS Taking the bus sure beats walking.']

The Red Cross is an international organization which cares for people who are in need of help. A man in a Paris hospital who needs blood, a woman in Mexico who was injured in an earthquake, and a family in India that lost their home in a storm may all be aided by the Red Cross. The Red Cross exists in almost every country around the world. The world Red Cross organizations are sometimes called the Red Crescent, the Red Mogen Daid, the Sun, and the Red Lion. All of these agencies share a common goal of trying to help people in need. The idea of forming an organization to help the sick and wounded during a war started with Jean Henri Dunant. In 1859, he observed how people were suffering on a battlefield in Italy. He wanted to help all the wounded people regardless of which side they were fighting for. The most important result of his work was an international treaty called the Geneva Convention . It protects prisoners of war, the sick and wounded, and other citizens during a war. The American Red Cross was set up by Clara Barton in 1881. Today the Red Cross in the United States provides a number of services for the public, such as helping people in need, teaching first aid and providing blood. 3

['QSN A good title for this passage is _ . ANS The International Red Cross', 'QSN The author really tries to make the reader see that this organization _ . ANS works in many nations', 'QSN We may draw a conclusion that _ during a war. ANS the Red Cross helps all the people in need no matter which side they are fighting for']

iD Tech camps Camp Address: 910 E Hamilton Ave. Suite 300 Campbell, California 95008,USA Phone: (888) 709-8324 This summer, encourage the excellent in your child! At iD Tech Camps>> students age 7-17 can learn to code, design video games, engineer robots, model 3D characters, build websites, and Print 3D Capers meet new friends, learn STEM skills, and gain self-confidence. Alexa Cafestem Camp Camp Address:California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois Phone: (212) 796-8350 This summer, encourage the excellent in your daughter. At Alexa Cafe, girls ages 10-15 d,discover technology in a unique environment that celebrates creativity, and puiamhropy . Girls learn engineering principles, code games, design websites' model and print 3D objects. A Water Planet Dolphine Therapy Camp Camp Address: 203 Greenwood Drive, Panama City Beach, Florida 32407, USA Phone: (850) 230-6030 1-week camp in Panama City Florida where children with Special Needs swim with dolphins. Water Planets dolphin therapy programs use the emotional impact of a dolphins meeting in his own environment combined with expressive art, massage, and music as a beneficial experience. iD Tech Mini Camp Address: a lot of places>> California and more, USA Phone:(323) 287-5580 This summer, encourage the awesome in your child! We've full every half-day camp session with tons of tech awesomeness. Kids ages 6-9 can discover programming, game design, or robotics. And with an emphasis on creativity and exploration, every camper becomes a maker of fun. 3

["QSN What number had you better dial to make your kid's more confident? ANS (888) 709-8324.", 'QSN Which camp is only for girls? ANS Alexa Cafestem Camp.', 'QSN What is the common advantage of the four camps? ANS Doing good to children.']

A team of engineers at Harvard University has been inspired by Nature to create the first robotic fly. The mechanical fly has become a platform for a series of new high-tech integrated systems. Designed to do what a fly does naturally, the tiny machine is the size of a fat housefly. Its mini wings allow it to stay in the air and perform controlled flight tasks. "It's extremely important for us to think about this as a whole system and not just the sum of a bunch of individual components ," said Robert Wood, the Harvard engineering professor who has been working on the robotic fly project for over a decade. A few years ago, his team got the go-ahead to start piecing together the components. "The added difficulty with a project like this is that actually none of those components are off the shelf and so we have to develop them all on our own," he said. They engineered a series of systems to start and drive the robotic fly. "The seemingly simple system which just moves the wings has a number of interdependencies on the individual components, each of which individually has to perform well, but then has to be matched well to everything it's connected to," said Wood. The flight device was built into a set of power, computation, sensing and control systems. Wood says the success of the project proves that the flying robot with these tiny components can be built and manufactured. While this first robotic flyer is linked to a small, off-board power source, the goal is eventually to equip it with a built-in power source, so that it might someday perform data-gathering work at rescue sites, in farmers' fields or on the battlefield. "Basically it should be able to take off, land and fly around," he said. Wood says the design offers a new way to study flight mechanics and control at insect-scale. Yet, the power, sensing and computation technologies on board could have much broader applications. "You can start thinking about using them to answer open scientific questions, you know, to study biology in ways that would be difficult with the animals, but using these robots instead," he said. "So there are a lot of technologies and open interesting scientific questions that are really what drives us on a day to day basis." (392 words) 3

['QSN The difficulty the team of engineers met with while making the robotic fly was that _ . ANS they had no ready-made components', "QSN Which of the following can be learned from the passage? ANS Wood's design can replace animals in some experiments.", 'QSN Which of the following might be the best title of the passage? ANS Robotic Fly Imitates Real Life Insect']

Astronaut Zhai Zhigang became the first Chinese man to walk in space on Saturday, climbing out of prefix = st1 /China's Shenzhou VII spacecraft in a technological feat that made the Chinese people excited. "I'm feeling quite well. I greet the Chinese people and the people of the world," Zhai said as he climbed out of the craft at around 16:40 Beijingtime, a historic achievement telecast live on CCTV. Tens of millions of Chinese viewers gathered before TV screens to watch the moment. Chinese President Hu Jintao and other top leaders had appeared at the BeijingAerospaceControlCenterto watch the live transmission of Zhai's spacewalk. Zhai, 42, chosen by an expert team for the first "extra-vehicular activity". unveiled a red national flag, helped by colleague Liu Boming, who also briefly popped his head out of the capsule. Zhai slowly made his way towards a test sample of solid lubricant outside the capsule, took a sample and handed it to Liu. Zhai safely returned inside the craft after about 20 minutes. The walk marked the high point of China's third manned space journey, which has received widespread media coverage. Zhai wore a$4.4 million Chinese-made suit weighing 120kg. Liu wore a Russian-made one and acted as a back-up. The third crew member, Jing Haipeng, monitored the ship from inside the re-entry module. The risky manoeuvre is a step towards China's longer-term goal of assembling a space lab and then a larger space station, analysts said. "On this flight, Chinese people's footprints will be left in space for the first time," said a commentary by the Xinhua News Agency. The astronauts embarked on their walk after receiving a clean bill of health from doctors on the ground at mission control in Beijing, Xinhua said. Zhai's suit has 10 layers and takes up to 15 hours to assemble and put on. China's first manned spaceflight was in 2003. A second, two-manned flight followed in 2005. The only other countries that have sent people into space are Russiaand theUnited States. 4

['QSN Astronaut Zhai Zhigang will be remembered as the first Chinese _ . ANS to walk in space', 'QSN What did Zhai do outside the capsule in space? ANS He fetched a sample of solid lubricant and passed it to his colleague.', "QSN According to the text,China's goal of its space program is . ANS to build a space station.", "QSN What's the passage mainly about? ANS A Chinese astronaut takes historic walk in space."]

Cleverness is a gift while kindness is a choice. Gifts are easy---they're given after all. Choice can be hard. I got the idea to start Amazon 16 years ago. I came across the fact that the Internet usage was growing at 2300 percent per year. I'd never seen or heard of anything that grew that fast, and the idea of building an online bookstore with millions of titles was very exciting to me, I had just turned 30 years old , and I'd been married for a year, I told my wife MacKenzie that I wanted to quit my job and go to do this crazy thing that probably wouldn't work since most start-ups don't , and I wasn't sure what to expect, MacKenzie told me I should go for it. As a young boy, I'd been a garage inventor, I'd always wanted to be an inventor, and she wanted me to follow my passion. I was working at a financial firm in New York City with a bunch of very smart people, and I had a brilliant boss that I much admired. I went to my boss and told him I wanted to start a company selling books on the Internet. He took me on a long walk in Central Park, listened carefully to me, and finally said, "That sounds like a really good idea, but it would be an even better idea for someone who didn't already have a good job." That logic made some sense to me, and he convinced me to think about it for 48 hours before making a final decision. Seen in that light, it really was a difficult choice, but ultimately, I decided I had to give it a shot. I didn't think I'd regret trying and failing. _ After much consideration, I took the less safe path to follow my passion, and I'm proud of that choice, For all of us, in the end, we are our choice. 3

['QSN What inspired the author with the idea of building an online bookstore? ANS The greatly increasing usage of the Internet.', 'QSN We can know from the passage that _ . ANS the author might not regret if he failed the idea', 'QSN Which of the following would be the best title for the passage? ANS We Are What We Choose']

Steve Fossett did not really look like an adventurer, but he reached some of the most difficult goals in sailing and flying. Fossett was most proud of being the first person to fly around the world alone in a hot-air balloon. To make a trip around the world alone, it was necessary to have an improvedautopilot device. Fossett had one of his team members develop a more advanced balloon autopilot that would allow him to sleep and do other tasks while flying safely. Steve Fossett attempted the hot-air balloon trip around the world six times. This was not easy to do. He flew in the balloon'scapsule that was too small to stand upright. During his fourth attempt in 1998, he was almost killed during a storm off the coast of Australia. He fell 9,000 meters into the Coral Sea with his balloon's capsule on fire. He was later rescued at sea. Fossett successfully made the trip in 2002. The trip started and ended in Australia. He traveled more than 33,000 kilometers for more than 14 days. On this flight, Fossett set other records including a speed record of 322 kilometers per hour. One main problem with earlier balloon flights was the threat of dangerous storms. A team of weather experts e-mailed and talked to Fossett by a satellite telephone to help him avoid such weather. Steve Fossett's hot-air balloon is now at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. It is there as an example for other people to try and succeed in doing something important to them. 4

['QSN What did Steve Fossett specially prepare for the trip around the world? ANS He had an autopilot impvoved.', 'QSN Steve Fossett solved the problem of bad weather on his trip by _ . ANS communicating with experts', 'QSN We can learn from the text that Steve Fossett was _ . ANS brave and determined', "QSN What can we learn about Steve's flight in 2002? ANS He set a speed record of balloon flight."]

I attended a birthday party in 1991. My teacher was then 59 years old. But her fellow teacher said that we were celebrating her 39thbirthday! We were all surprised and puzzled. After the party I was told by the fellow teacher that American women have a special saying about birthdays. If a woman is over 40, or even if she is 80, her birthday is always the 39th. If she is in her thirties, her birthday will be the 29th. And in her twenties, it's the 19th. They usually have their "real" birthday when they are below 20. This shows that American women, especially elderly women, are very sensitive about their ages. But my teacher always says, "We want to be younger," so about the age of Western women, my advice is that if you don't know it, don't ask about it; if you really know it, don't mention it. 4

['QSN The writer felt the birthday party he attended was _ . ANS very strange', 'QSN The writer must be from _ . ANS Eastern countries', 'QSN In order to please an old Western woman , you can say to her," _ " ANS You look so young and beautiful.', "QSN The writer wants to tell us _ . ANS not to ask a Western woman's age whether you know her well or not"]

"Panopticon" is a place in which everything is in full view of others. A recent New York Times " House and Home" article featured the story of a man who lives in a glass house.Every wall in his home is transparent; he has no walls to hide behind, not even in the bathroom.Of course, he lives in a remote area where he doesn't exactly have neighbors looking in and watching his every move.But he has chosen to live without any physical privacy in a home that allows every action to be seen.He has created his own panopticon of sorts. The term panopticon was coined by Jeremy Bentham in the late eighteenth century when he was describing an idea for how prisons should be designed.The prisoners' cells would be placed in a circle with a guard tower in the middle.All walls facing the center of the circle would be glass.In that way, every prisoner's cell would be in full view of the guards.The prisoners could do nothing unobserved, but the prisoners would not be able to see the guard tower.They would know they were being watched - or rather, they would know that they could be being watched-but because they could not see the observer, they would never know when the guard was actually monitoring their actions. Similarly, it is common that people behave differently when they know they are being watched.We act differently when we know someone is looking; we act differently when we think someone else might be looking.In these situations, we are less likely to be ourselves; instead, we will act the way we think we should act when we are being observed by others. In our wired society, many talk of the panopticon as a metaphor for the future.But in many ways, the panopticon is already here.Monitoring cameras are everywhere, and we often don't even know our actions are being recorded.In addition, we leave a record of everything we do online.And most of us have no idea just how much information about us has been recorded and how much data is available to various sources.We can do little to stop the information gathering and exchange and can only hope to be able to control the damage if something goes wrong. 3

['QSN According to the passage, a panopticon is _ . ANS a place where everything can be seen by others', 'QSN Why does the author say that panopticon is already here? ANS Because our actions are observed and recorded in many cases.', "QSN A key difference between prison panopticon and panopticon in our daily life is that _ . ANS prisoners know that they may be being watched, but we often don't"]

Those accustomed to browsing through thousands of books in large bookstores may find Japan's Morioka Shoten a little strange. That's because this tiny bookstore that is located in Ginza, Tokyo sells only a single book at a time. Opened in May 2015, Morioka Shoten is the brainchild of Yoshiyuki Morioka. He began his career as a bookstore clerk in Tokyo's Kanda district before branching out to open his own store. It was here while organizing book reading and signing that he realized that customers usually came into the store with one title in mind. Morioka began to wonder if a store could exist by selling multiple copies of just one single book. In November 2014, he partnered with Masamichi Toyama to establish a unique bookstore with the philosophy of "A Single Room with a Single Book". The selections that are picked by Morioka change weekly and vary widely to attract customers with different interests. Recent choices include The True Deceiver, an award-winning Swedish novel by Tove Jansson, Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales, and a collection of Karl Blossfeldt's photography of plants. Morioka has also selected books written by a famous Japanese author Mimei Ogawa. To highlight his only offering, Morioka often uses clever tricks. For example, when selling a book about flowers, the storekeeper decorated his shop with the ones that had been mentioned in the book. He also encourages authors to hold talks and discussions so they can connect with customers. Morioka says his goal is for the customers to experience being inside a book, not just a bookstore. Risky as the idea might seem, things appear to be going well. The storekeeper says he has sold over 2,100 books. Things can get better given that his bookstore is becoming increasingly popular not just among the locals but also visitors form other countries. 4

['QSN What inspired Morioka to open such a bookstore? ANS His working experience.', 'QSN Why is Morioka Shoten unique? ANS It sells various copies of a book in a week.', 'QSN Why does Morioka encourage authors to hold talks? ANS To help readers make more friends.', "QSN What's the author's opinion about the bookstore's future? ANS Promising."]

My mother was a household servant. Through her work, she observed that successful people spent a lot more time reading than they did watching television. She announced that my brother and I could only watch two to three pre-selected TV programs during the week. With our free time, we had to read two books each from the Detroit Public Library and write book reports. She would mark them up with check marks. Years later we realized her marks were a _ My mother had only received a third-grade education. Although we had no money, between the covers of those books, I could go anywhere, do anything and be anybody. When I entered high school, I was an A-student, but not for long. I wanted the fancy clothes. I wanted to hang out with the guys. I went form being an A- student to a B- student to a C-student, but I didn't care. One night my mother came home and I complained about not having enough shirts. She said, "Okay, I'll give you all the money I make this week cleaning floors and bathrooms, and you can buy the family food and pay the bills. With everything left over, you can have all the shirts you want." I was very pleased with that arrangement but once I got through allocating money, there was nothing left. I realized my mother was a financial genius to be able to keep a roof over our heads and any kind of food on the table, much less buy clothes. I also realized that immediate satisfaction wasn't going to get me anywhere. Success required intellectual preparation. I went back to my studies and became an A-student again. I dreamed of becoming a doctor when I was just a kid. And now I have achieved my dream. Over the years my mother's changeless faith in God has inspired me, particularly when I found myself faced with my own medical illness. A few years ago I discovered I had a very serious cancer; I was told it might have spread to my spine . My mother believed in God very much. She never worried. She said that God would never throw me away forever; there was no way that _ was going to be a major problem. The abnormality in spine turned out to be not bad; I was able to have surgery and am cured. My story is really my mother's story -a woman little formal education or worldly goods who used her position as a parent to change the lives of her children. 3

['QSN When the author asked his mother to buy him shirts, she _ . ANS asked him to try to manage their money', 'QSN What do we learn about the author? ANS He now works as a doctor.', "QSN In writing the passage, the author mainly shows us _ . ANS his mother's great influence on his development"]

At a certain time in our lives we consider every place as the possible site for a house.I have thus searched the country within a dozen miles of where I live.In imagination I have bought all the farms, one after another, and I knew their prices. The nearest thing that I came to actual ownership was when I bought the Hollowell place.But before the owner completed the sale with me, his wife changed her mind and wished to keep it, and he offered me additional dollars to return the farm to him.However, I let him.keep the additional dollars and sold him the farm for just what I gave for it. The real attraction of' the Hollowell farm to me was its position, being about two miles from the village, half a mile from the nearest neighbor, bounded on one side by the river, and separated from highway by a wide field. The poor condition if the house and fences showed that it hadn't been used for some time.I remembered from my earliest trip up the river that the house used to be hidden behind a forest area, and I was in a hurry to buy it before the owner finished getting out some rocks, cutting down the apple trees, and clearing away some young trees which had grown up in the fields.I wanted to buy it before he made any more of his improvements.But it turned out as I have said. I was not really troubled by _ .I had always had a.garden, but I don't think I was ready for a large farm. I believe that as long as possible it is better to live free and uncommitted .It makes but little difference you own a farm or not. 4

['QSN What do we know about the author? ANS He made a study of many farms before buying.', 'QSN Why did the author decide to buy the Hollowell place? ANS It was in a good position.', 'QSN Why did the author want to buy the farm in a hurry? ANS He wanted to keep the farm as it was.', 'QSN What does the author believe as important in life? ANS To be free from worries']

The triathlon promises to be one of the most popular Olympic sports.Recently it has drawn huge crowds attracted by athletes swimming 1,500m,cycling 40km,then running 10km without stopping.But what makes an attractive 17yearold girl give up everything for the doubtful pleasure it offers? Melanie Sears has not yet learnt those oftenrepeated phrases about personal satisfaction,mental challenge and higher targets that most athletes use when asked similar questions."You swim for 1,500m,then run out of the water and jump on your bike,still wet.Of course,then you freeze.When the 40km cycle ride is over,you have to run 10km,which is a long way when you're feeling exhausted.But it's great fun,and all worth it in the end," she says. Melanie entered her first triathlon at 14 and she won the junior section.Full of confidence,she entered the National Championships,and although she had the second fastest swim and the fastest run,she came nowhere."I was following this man and suddenly we came to the sea.We realised then that we had gone wrong.I ended up cycling 20 kilometres too far.I cried all the way through the running." But she did not give up and was determined that she never will."Sometimes I wish I could stop,because then the pain would be over,but I am afraid that if I let myself stop just once,I would be tempted to do it again."Such doggedness draws admiration from Steve Trew,the sport's director of coaching."I've just been testing her fitness," he says, "and she worked so hard on the running machine that it finally threw her off and into a wall.She had given it everything,and she just kept on." Melanie was top junior in this year's European Triathlon Championships,finishing 13th."I was almost as good as the top three in swimming and running,but much slower in cycling.That's why I'm working very hard at it." She is trying to talk her longsuffering parents,who will carry the PS1,300 cost of her trip to New Zealand for this year's world championships,into buying a PS2,000 bike,so she can try 25km and 100km races later this year. But there is another price to pay."I don't have a social life,"she says."After two hours' hard swimming on Friday night,I just want to go to sleep.But I phone and write to the other girls in the team." What does she talk about?Boys?Clothes?"No,what sort of times they are achieving." 4

['QSN How does Melanie differ from other athletes,according to the writer? ANS She expresses herself differently.', 'QSN What upset Melanie during the National Championships? ANS She made a mistake during part of the race.', 'QSN What is Melanie trying to persuade her parents to do? ANS Buy an expensive bike for her.', 'QSN What does Melanie say about her relationships with her teammates? ANS She only discusses the triathlon with them.']

The US plans to extend its endangered species protection to lions in Africa. US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) will classify lions in southern and eastern Africa as threatened. The move will place tighter restrictions on the import of lion "trophies ", such as paws or heads. While the US cannot regulate hunting in other countries the move is significant because around half of all lion hunting in Africa is conducted by Americans. According to FWS data, more than 5, 600 lions have been killed and imported by American hunters over the past decade. Under the new FWS rules, bringing lion parts to the US will be banned in most circumstances if the animal is from a country where lions are endangered. Hunters will have to show the trophies were "legally obtained" from countries that have a scientifically sound management program that benefits the subspecies in the wild. This regulation is expected to place a far greater burden of proof upon hunters who claim that the money from lion hunting has been used to help communities in Africa and the overall conservation of lions. The persistent downward trend in lion numbers, due to habitat loss and hunting by locals and foreign tourists, suggests there has been little conservation benefit from organized hunts. An international study, published in September, found African lion numbers have decreased by half since 1993, with a further 50% decline expected over the next 20 years for populations in west, central and east Africa. "The lion is one of the planet's most beloved species and an irreplaceable part of our shared global heritage," said Dan Ashe, director of the FWS. "If we want to ensure that healthy lion populations continue to wander around the African savannas and forests of India, it's up to all of us--not just the people of Africa and India--to take action." 3

['QSN Why is the move of US significant? ANS Around half of all lion hunting in Africa is conducted by Americans.', 'QSN Where do most of the lion hunters come from? ANS America.', 'QSN What may be the result of the move? ANS The import of lion parts will be strictly limited.']

Sooner or later, most students are to take some form of English examinations. Often the more successful students are better prepared. However, sometimes students who do well have better test taking skills. These abilities really have nothing to do with understanding English better. They are skills that make taking the test easier, and therefore provide better results. Here are some very important--and often ignored--guidelines to taking a test successfully. Do not insist on completing each question before going to the next. This is extremely important. Remember one question may only be worth one point! You will become nervous when you fail to find out its answer, making you lose your concentration and leading to worse results. However, answering the questions you are sure you know results in your being more relaxed and feeling more confident. Go through the test a second time working out the answers to more difficult questions. Sometimes questions asked are answered in later questions asking for different things. Usually(but not always) a strong first impulse means we know the answer and we don't really have to think about it too much. Going back to think about it usually makes you unsure and often causes a mistake. This is very common, so be very careful! If you don't know the answer, write something. If you are answering a 4 possibility multiple choice question you will still have a 25% chance of being correct! Taking a test is as much for you as is for your teacher, so never cheat. If you cheat, you don't help yourself in the long run. 3

['QSN When taking an exam, you are advised _ . ANS to first answer the questions which are easier to you.', "QSN It is common that many students _ . ANS don't believe in their first impulse.", 'QSN What would be the best title of the passage? ANS Effective Test Taking Skills.']

One morning, teachers arrived to find the little country schoolhouse swallowed in flames. They dragged an unconscious little boy, who went to start the fire in the old-fashioned coal stove to heat, out of the flaming building more dead than alive. He had major burns over the lower half of his body and was taken to a nearby county hospital. From his bed the dreadfully burned, semi-conscious little boy faintly heard the doctor talking to his mother. The doctor told his mother that her son would surely die -- which was for the best, really -- for the terrible fire had ruined the lower half of his body. But the brave boy didn't want to die. He made up his mind that he would survive. Somehow, to the amazement of the physician, he did survive. When the deadly danger was past, he again heard the doctor and his mother speaking quietly. The mother was told that since the fire had destroyed so much flesh in the lower part of his body, it would almost be better if he had died, since he was doomed to be in a wheelchair all lifetime with no use at all of his lower limbs . Once more the brave boy made up his mind. He would not be a disabled man. He would walk. But unfortunately from the waist down, he had no motor ability. His thin legs just hung there, all but lifeless. Ultimately he was released from the hospital. Every day his mother would massage his little legs, but there was no feeling, no control, nothing. Yet his determination that he would walk was as strong as ever. When he wasn't in bed, he was confined to a wheelchair. One sunny day his mother wheeled him out into the yard to get some fresh air. This day, instead of sitting there, he threw himself from the chair. He pulled himself across the grass, dragging his legs behind him. He worked his way to the white fence bordering their lot. With great effort, he raised himself up on the fence. Then he began dragging himself along the fence,resolved that he would walk. He started to do this every day until he wore a smooth path all around the yard beside the fence. There was nothing he wanted more than to develop life in those legs. Ultimately through his daily massages, his iron persistence and his resolute determination, he did develop the ability to stand up, then to walk slowly, then to walk by himself -- and then to run. He began to walk to school, then to run to school, to run for the pure joy of running. Later in college he made the track team. Still later in Madison Square Garden this young man, the great athlete, Dr. Glenn Cunningham, ran the world's fastest mile! 4

['QSN Which word can best describe Glenn Cunningham according to the author? ANS Determined', 'QSN Glenn got seriously burned _ . ANS when he was probably younger than ten', "QSN Which cannot be inferred from the passage? ANS Glenn didn't catch what the doctor told his mother so he didn't worry about his burns.", "QSN The doctor advised Glenn's mother to let Glenn die because the doctor was too _ . ANS practical"]

The car was invented just a century ago. You may know all kinds of cars' names, but many people don't know who was the inventor of the first car. The first car was invented not by an Englishman, but by an American. His name was Henry Ford. Henry was born in a poor family, He was the eldest of the six children. When he was a boy, he became interested in watches and machines. When he was twelve years old, his mother died. Soon he had to work in a machine shop for two dollars and fifty cents a week. In the evenings, he repaired watches for another hour for another dollar a week. The hard life made him strong and able. At that time, there was another interest in the life of the young boy. He hoped to make a machine. It could run without horses. He overcame a lot of difficulties and in April, 1893, the "horseless carriage" was invented at last. It was the first car. Later, Henry Ford set up the Ford Motor Company. He was the really first inventor of car in the world. 4

['QSN This passage mainly tells us _ . ANS who invented the first car', "QSN Which of the following is NOT mentioned in this text? ANS Henry's father.", 'QSN Henry had to work hard in the shop because _ . ANS he had to support his family', "QSN From Henry Ford's example we can see that _ . ANS Hard work leads to success"]

In the near future, daily newspapers and monthly magazines will probably disappear. Electronic media can provide the same information faster and cheaper. The Internet, together with laptops and cellphones, makes it possible that almost everyone can at any time and in almost any place get some news for free or for few fees. You'll browse the computer newspapers or magazines just like switching on TV. An electronic voice will tell you stories about the latest events. You'll even get to choose the kind of voice you want to hear. Want more information on the brief story? A simple touch makes the entire text appear. There are the predictions from the experts working on the newspapers of the future. Pictured as part of home-based media and entertainment systems, computer newspapers and magazines would unite printed and broadcast news, offering information and analyzing video images of news events. The continuing loss of readers will result in a small number of advertisements in newspapers. It makes no sense to spend millions of dollars to print ads. With the development of technology, more and more electronic medium have been created until now, but replacing the traditional newspapers and magazines has a long way to go, because the _ to computer newspapers and magazines from journalism may be much stronger. Since it is such a cultural change, it may be not until the present journalists, who aren't used to it, die off that the newspaper industry is not considered as an industry any longer. Anyway, technology is making the traditional newspapers and magazines disappear gradually. 3

['QSN Computer newspapers and magazines have all the advantages except that _ . ANS they are more expensive than traditional newspapers', 'QSN We can infer from the passage that _ . ANS new things will replace the old ones in the future', 'QSN The author writes the article to _ . ANS let people know the great development of the journalism']

I remember the first time that I was extremely happy, I was about 8 years old when for the first time, there was a computer in the classroom. I remember that my teacher allowed each student to take turns to play various educational games on the computer. One day, I found the source code for one of these games. Without knowing or being taught any programming language, I was able to figure out some of the BASIC code. I just gave myself a limitless number of lives in the game, so I could continue playing it forever. This was also my first introduction to algebra, and I didn't even know it at the time. This was a decisive moment in my life. I was quite excited because of what I was learning and what I was able to do. As a result, I was enthusiastic for the rest of my life about self-learning and computers, and I was quite happy doing them too. I've noticed that people who are truly content with life are enthusiastic about what they do. This enthusiasm, along with good health, is the key to being happy. It also leads to self-confidence and content in life too. It may also lead to success, wealth and achievements. Success , wealth or achievements can also bring some people happiness , yet I know plenty of rich people who are unhappy . I know many people with successful businesses that are not happy with what they are doing .I know people who continuously buy themselves new toys , such as cars , computers ,and televisions ,yet never seem content for too long .Please remember , happiness is the journey of life , not the destination. 1

["QSN What is the secret of happiness in the author's opinion? ANS Enthusiasm and good health."]

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. 3

['QSN We learn from the ads that the Enterprise Shopping Centre needs a person who _ . ANS can work for about a month.', 'QSN Which position is open to recent school graduates? ANS Accountants Assistant.', 'QSN What kind of person would probably apply to Palmlace Limited? ANS One having good computer knowledge.']

We started out in a great morning and were heading over the mountain range to Ellensburg. We stopped at Snoqualmie summit for a quick rest. About a mile from there, we heard a loud sound and thought we might hit a rock. However, we were wrong. As we were turning into the rest area, we heard a loud banging sound again, and all I could do was get this car pulled over and stopped. Once we got stopped, and tire pulled off, we found that the bolt ,which is necessary for the brake to work, had been missing. Had I hit the brake with any more speed, I am sure the car would have turned over and we could have all been killed. The first thing we needed to do was get a new bolt, so my husband went to get a cup of coffee and to ask whether there would be an auto parts store. They told him where, and then he came back to find we had no way to get there. _ One of the coffee volunteers was getting off her shift and offered to take him to the auto parts store. So this angel took him to Ellensburg to get the part, only to find out that it was the wrong part. So she came back to see if everything fit and sure enough, she offered to take him to the hardware store in town to see if they could find this bolt! She spent well over 4 hours with us, driving us around to help fix our car and protect us until we were safe. She even followed us for a short time on the freeway until she knew we were well on our way safely. We were blessed that day, and when I told her she was an angel she just said we would do the same thing, and she was right, I would and I will again! 3

["QSN What actually happened when the writer heard the loud sound at the first time? ANS The brake couldn't work because of the lost bolt.", 'QSN Which of the following words can best describe the volunteer? ANS Kindhearted and patient.', 'QSN What is the best title for the passage? ANS An angel in the mountains!']

One day when I was driving on the freeway, I noticed all the way there were large dividing walls, which had been built between it and the road running parallel to it, for noise reduction and a sense of separation. The purpose was to create a sense of privacy for people on the other side. This got me thinking: How often do we put up mental barriers that keep us distant from others? Lifting the artificial barriers that keep us apart can offer opportunities to express our goodwill and create better relationships. If we can do like this, maybe our life will be a little different. There is a little post office in a nearby town, and since it is closer to me than the post office in my own town, I go there. One day, with many people jammed into the little building, a man came hurrying in to mail a letter, and the girl at the counter saw he had too little postage on it. She told him he needed 2 more cents. Obviously he was a little at a loss. He had hurried over from his office, and didn't have any money on him or time to stand in line. He was going to run back to get the needed money and wait in line again, but he hurried to get the letter mailed in the first place. As we were watching him, one woman volunteered a two-cent stamp, and the whole line became very quiet. It was a beautiful moment. The man hesitated for a little while and asked her if she was sure, and she assured him she was fine with giving him the stamp. He offered to go back to his office to get the two cents, and she told him not to bother. It was a small thing, but it meant something to both of the people involved, and to the rest of us. We aren't a yard that needs defining or a freeway that needs barriers. We are human beings who can contribute to each other's wellbeing by taking time to pay attention and interact. After all, we are all parts of a whole living in society. 3

['QSN What happened after the man being told he needed two more cents? ANS A woman offered a stamp to the man.', 'QSN What can we learn about the author? ANS She believes people should participate in the world around them.', 'QSN Which of the following would be the best title for the passage? ANS Artificial Barriers']

Q: My problem is computer gaming. I do it day and night, averaging four hours of sleep. I can't control of this, and I don't know where to go for help. Do you? --Player A: Dear Player, You have an addiction. For some people playing video games releases dopamine, a powerful brain chemical that makes you feel good. You'd toss your cigarettes if you were ready to quit, right? To kick the habit, get help from a health professional. And don't look for help on line; that would be like an alcoholic going to the bar for advice. Q: My brother's wife just had triplets . This is such a joy! Yet every time I share the news with co-workers, they ask me if she was on fertility pills. I think this is rude--or has society just become so talk-show numbed that you can ask anyone anything? --No Show Host A: Dear Host, Yes. Our society has become increasingly disrespectful of privacy. But don't blame it all on the talk-shows. Continue to celebrate and greet impolite questions with stony silence. Their fertility history is nobody's business but their own. Q: I work at an amusement park, and my manager steals supplies. She has a catering business on the side, and we've seen her load up her van at the back gates. The big bosses think she is the best thing since buttered bread, and we're all afraid that if we say anything, we'll lose our jobs. What can we do? --Righteous A: Dear Righteous, Be sure you're right. You must have evidence about what and why things are going out the back gates. Once you know for certain, it's time to go to the bosses and report what you have seen. Q: My stepson's wife sometimes leaves their eight-year-old home alone for "a short run to the store." That may be an hour or so. I believe by law we should report it. What do you think? --The In-laws A: Dear Laws, I don't know what the child-protection laws in your state are, but I do know that children need care and attention. This child may be able and unafraid, but kids aren't always careful. It also sounds like there is stress in your family relationship. One thing you can do to help this situation is offer to baby-sit when Mom needs to step out. 4

['QSN Which of the following statements is true? ANS Player is advised to stay clear of the screen.', "QSN According to the Q&A, _ . ANS Host's colleagues are insensitive", "QSN What we can infer from the Q&A is _ . ANS Laskas doesn't seem to approve of Laws' trying to report what she sees", 'QSN Which Q&A mentioned transport? ANS The third.']

During adolescence , peers play a large part in a young person's life and typically replace family as the center of a teen's social activities. Some kids give in to peer pressure because they want to be liked or because they worry that other kids may make fun of them if they don't go along with the group. Others may go along because they are curious to try something new that others are doing. The idea that "everyone's doing it" may influence some kids to leave their better judgment, or their common sense, behind. As children grow, develop, and move into early adolescence, contacts with one's peers and the attraction of peer identification increases. As pre-adolescents begin rapid physical, emotional and social changes, they begin to question adult standards and the need for parental guidance. They find it good to turn for advice to friends who understand-- friends who are in the same position themselves. By trying new things and testing their ideas with their peers, there is less fear of being laughed at. There are two levels of peer pressure. The first is in the large group: for most teens a school or a youth group are examples. This is the situation that gets the most attention. The second is in the close relationship with one or several best friends. This is the situation that is sometimes _ . The large group puts a general pressure on its members. It sets the standard for clothing, music, entertainment, and "political correctness". The pressure can be avoided by keeping quiet or by putting on the appearance of agreement. 2

["QSN Why can't some children follow their common sense? ANS Because they think all the children will do the same.", 'QSN When in pre-adolescence, who may children ask for suggestions? ANS Friends']

America is growing older. Fifty - eight years ago, only 4 out of every 100 people in the United States were 65 or older. To day, 10 out of every 100 Americans are over 65. The aging of the population will affect American society in many ways--education, medicine, and business. Quietly, the graying of America has made us a very different society-- _ in which people have a quite different idea of what kind of behavior is suitable at various , ages. A person s age no longer tells you anything about his/her social position, marriage or health. There's no longer a particular year in which one goes to school or goes to work or gets married or starts a family. The social clock that kept us on time and told us when to go to school, get a job, or stop working isn't as strong as it used to be. It doesn't surprise us to hear of a 29 - year - old university president or a 35 - year -old grandmother, or a 70 year - old man who has become a father for the first time. Public ideas are changing. Many people say, "I am much younger than my mother-- or my father-- was at my age. "No one says"Act your age" any more. We've stopped looking with surprise at older people who act in youthful ways. 3

["QSN It can be learnt from the text that the aging of the population in America _ . ANS has changed people's understanding of age", 'QSN "Act your age" means people should _ . ANS do the right thing at the right age', 'QSN If a 25 - year - old man becomes general manager of a big firm, the writer of the text would most probably consider it _ . ANS normal']

How to survive an earthquake prefix = st1 /Indonesia is located on the edge of the volcanic ring that circles the Pacific. This means volcanoes and earthquakes, which can cause serious loss of life. Many people there have heard suggestions of what to do in an earthquake. For instance, they are taught to stand in a doorway or, in a building, avoid the elevators and head for the stairs. Mr. Doug Copp is an expert on earthquakes and is the Rescue Chief and Disaster Manager of the American Rescue Team International. He has worked at every major disaster in the world since 1985. What his years of involvement have taught Doug is that when roofs and ceilings collapse they fall on objects and furniture, crushing them. Anyone hiding under a desk or a bed is always killed. However, Doug says the falling roofs and ceilings always end up forming triangle of space between the crushed object and the floor, what he refers to as Triangles Of Life. Instead of hiding under a solid object, lie on the floor next to it and you will likely have a space to survive. Doug says paper does not crush and usually where there are boxes of paper in an office building there will be a triangle space next to it. What about the old idea of standing in a doorway because the roof falls into the room? Dough says people who stand in doorways are usually killed, too. If the door falls forwards or backwards you will get crushed by the falling ceiling. If it falls sideways you will get cut in half by the doorway. What about stairs? Stairs have a different "moment of frequency " to the rest of the building and will swing back and forth until they collapse. Getting caught on a destroyed set of stairs means you will probably be injured or even killed by the different parts. 4

["QSN By telling Mr. Doug Copp's rescue experiences, the writer tried to_. ANS make people accept some advice", 'QSN Where will most probably a triangle space be formed? ANS Next to a desk.', 'QSN If you are in bed when an earthquake happens, you should_. ANS lie close to your bed', 'QSN Who has the highest probability to survive an earthquake? ANS Betty, lying besides a pile of magazines.']

Not only did the students ask for changes in the list of required subjects,but they also demanded the right to choose their courses according to their own taste and future needs.No more fixed programs,no guidance from educators and professors.All they wanted was to get their degree as fast as possible and go to work. Although the educators didn't all agree;a majority recognized that time had indeed changed and that education should perhaps adapt itself to the realities of modern society.Colleges and universities revised their programs to include a large number of specialized courses in business,nursing,engineering,and other professional fields.In the 1960s they also added courses requested by the students because they considered them"relevant "(Women Studies,Revolution,or Black History)or useful(glass blowing,infant care,slow running,or family life).The students were granted the right to choose their courses as they wished.Many traditional subjects had to be dropped,including history and foreign languages;the liberal education courses that were still useful were often neglected by the students,who didn't feel like working hard to learn something that was not required for graduation. Whether the revised programs have helped college graduates to find employment quickly is not clear.But after fifteen or twenty years of experimentation,they have raised a lot of criticism.Some of it comes from the graduates themselves,who discover that their practical knowledge is neither deep nor flexible .As soon as they progress to higher positions,they find that they need management training and more study in their own field.Besides,they feel disabled by their lack of general knowledge,for example,by their ignorance of the language and culture of the foreigners with whom they are doing business. Most of all they suffer from their inability to use English,their own language,easily and properly. 4

['QSN The students also demanded_,besides a change of program. ANS the right to choose their courses', "QSN What was the reaction of the colleges towards the students'demand? ANS A few educators disagreed with them.", 'QSN Who is it that criticized the new system of education? ANS Graduates', 'QSN In the opinion of the critics,the main problems are_. ANS the practical knowledge is impractical']

Traffic Management Traffic lights are key tools for regulating traffic How.They are not, however, perfect.Drivers exchange the traffic jams that would happen at unmanaged crossings for a pattern of stop-go movement that can still be annoying, and which bums more fuel than a smooth passage would. Creating such a smooth passage means adjusting a vehicle's speed so that it always arrives at the lights when they are green.That is theoretically possible, but practically hard.Roadside signs wired to traffic lights can help get the message across a couple hundred metres from a crossing, but such signs are expensive, and are not widespread.Margaret Martonosi and Emmanouil Koukoumidis at Princeton University, and Li-Shiuan Peh at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, however, have an idea that could make the process cheaper and more effective.Instead of a hardwired network of signs, they propose to use mobile-phone applications. For a driver to benefit, lie must load the team's software , named SignalGuru, into his phone and then put it on a special thing attached to the inside of his car's windscreen, with the camera lens pointing forward.SignalGuru is designed to detect traffic lights and track their status as red, yellow or green.It broadcasts this information to other phones in the area that are fitted with the same software, and --if there are enough of them ?the phones thus each know the status of most of the lights around town.Using this information, SignalGuru is able to calculate the traffic-light schedule for the area and suggest the speed at which a driver should travel in order to avoid red lights. Tests in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where five drivers were asked to follow the same route for three hours, and in Singapore, where eight drivers were asked to follow one of two routes for 30 minutes, revealed that SignalGuru was capable of predicting traffic-light activity with an accuracy of 98.2% and 96.3% respectively, in the two cities.This was particularly impressive because in Cambridge the lights shifted, roughly half-way through the test, from their unbusy schedule to their afternoon-traffic schedule, while in Singapore lights are adaptive, using detectors fixed under the road to determine how much traffic is present and thus when a signal should change.In neither case was SignalGuru fooled. Fuel consumption fell, too --by about 20% .SignalGuru thus reduces both annoyance and fuel use, and makes going back and forth to work a slightly less horrible experience. 4

['QSN Roadside signs wired to traffic lights are not the best way to create a smooth passage because _ . ANS they are too costly and not widely used', 'QSN SignalGuru is an application used on _ . ANS a mobile phone', 'QSN With the information it collects and processes, SignalGuru is able to _ . ANS allow drivers to adjust their speed', 'QSN The tests in Cambridge and Singapore were impressive because SignalGuru _ . ANS functioned rather stably']

Mouth bacteria grow fast in airless conditions. Oxygen rich saliva keeps their numbers down. When we sleep, for example, the saliva stream slows, and sulfur producing bacteria gains the upper hand, producing classic "morning breath". Alcohol drinking, too much talking, breathing through the mouth during exercise, anything that dries the mouth produces bad breath. So can stress, though it's not understood why. Some people's breath turns sour every time they go on a job interview. Saliva flow gradually slows with age, which explains why the elderly have more bad breath trouble than younger people do. Babies, however, who make plenty of saliva and whose mouths contain ly few bacteria have characteristically sweet breath. For most of us, the simple, dry mouth variety of bad breath is easily cured. Eating or drinking starts saliva and sweeps away many of the bacteria. Breakfast often stops morning breath. Those with constant dry mouth find that it helps to keep gum, hard candy, or a bottle of water or juice around. Brushing the teeth wipes out dry mouth bad breath because it clears away many of the offending bacteria. Surprisingly, one thing that rarely works is mouthwash. The liquid can mask bad breath smell with its own smell, but the effect lasts no more than an hour. Some mouthwashes claim to kill the bacteria responsible for bad breath. The trouble is, they don't necessarily reach all offending germs. Most bacteria are well protected from mouthwash under thick layers of mucus . If the mouthwash contains alcohol--as most do--it can worsen the problem by drying out the mouth. 4

['QSN Which of the following is mentioned as one of the causes of bad breath? ANS Mental pressure.', 'QSN According to the passage, alcohol has something to do with bad breath mainly because _ . ANS it affects the normal flow of saliva', "QSN Mouthwashes are not an effective cure for bad breath mainly because _ . ANS they can't get to all the offending bacteria", "QSN We can infer from this passage that _ . ANS offensive breath can't easily be cured"]

Swim Birthday Parties Ages 3 and up. Pool parties are during recreation swim in the 25-yard pool. Each party consists of an hour of celebration in a private room. Parties are for 1--5 children. All non-swimmers or children requiring floatation must _ from the pool and accompanied by an adult or guardian. Please contact Sarah Hagan 762--8384x210. Fee: Members $ 175/Non-members $225 Youth Fitness Birthday Parties Leave the party activities to us! Your party package includes:1/2 hour set-up,1 hour program time including equipment,props,etc.1 hour party time for cake,presents,etc.,1/2 hour clean-up time and 1 or 2 hours specialists. Parents supply decorations, food and paper goods. To schedule a Youth Fitness Birthday Party, call Mary Ann Genuario (x282). Fee:$295 for up to 10 children,$10 each additional child--16 children maximum. Non-member price available upon request. The Art Spot Birthday Parties The Art Spot offers a variety of creative fine art parties for Ages 4--Adult! We supply the invitations, a balloon bouquet , paper goods, project materials and a party host; all you need to bring is the cake! Parties are one and a half hours, the first hour the group create their art project, and last 1/2 hour is for cake and presents! Parties are usually held on Friday nights and weekends but weekday parties are available. Cost: $21 per child. Rain or shine there's no better place than the Art Spot for your child's next party! Nursery School Birthday Parties If planning a party is not your thing, let us do the work for you! We offer a variety of pre-planned parties to choose from. You may also do a combination of 2 parties for boy/ girl parties. All parties are on Saturday afternoons between the hours of 12:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. and are one and a half hours in length. Parties include a craft or activity and paper goods. You may arrive 15 minutes prior to your scheduled time to set-up. To schedule a party please contact Kim Murphy(x214). Fee(Up to 15 children):$200 Members/ $250 Non-member,$15 each additional child. 4

['QSN The phrase "be at arm\'s length" probably means" _ ". ANS be as faraway as possible', 'QSN If 12 children take part in Youth Fitness Birthday Parties, they will pay _ . ANS $315', 'QSN If your child joins in the Art Spot Birthday Parties, he will _ . ANS create his own art project', 'QSN What information can you get from the passage? ANS All of these birthday parties center on a special theme.']

The African elephant, the largest land animal remaining on the earth, is of great importance to African ecosystem . Unlike other animals, the African elephant is to a great extent the builder of its environment. As a big plant-eater, it largely shapes the forest-and-savanna surroundings in which it lives, therefore _ of existence for millions of other animals that live in its habitat. It is the elephant's great desire for food that makes it a disturber of the environment and an important builder of its habitat. In its continuous search for the 300 pounds of plants it must have every day, it kills small trees and underbushes, and pulls branches off big trees. This results in numerous open spaces in both deep tropical forests and in the woodlands that cover part of the African savannas . In these open spaces are numerous plants in various stages of growth that attract a variety of other plant-eaters. Take the rain forests for example. In their natural state, the spreading branches overhead shut out sunlight and prevent the growth of plants on the forest floor. By pulling down trees and eating plants, elephants make open spaces, allowing new plants to grow on the forest floor. In such situations, the forests become suitable for large hoofed plant-eaters to move around and for small plant-eaters to get their food as well. What worries scientists now is that the African elephant has become an endangered species. If the elephant disappears, scientists say, many other animals will also disappear from vast areas of forest and savanna, greatly changing and worsening the whole ecosystem. 3

["QSN What is the passage mainly about? ANS The effect of African elephants' search for food.", 'QSN According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE? ANS African elephants have 300 pounds of plants every day, including small trees and underbushes.', 'QSN The passage is developed mainly by _ . ANS showing the effect and then explaining the causes']

"Homestay is a form of study abroad program. It allows the visitor to rent a room from a local family to better understand the local lifestyle. It also helps to improve the visitor's language ability," said a teacher during a school meeting last term. "Students who wish to learn more about foreign cultures or to get foreign experience should join this kind of holiday. I am sure you won't be disappointed." After this special meeting, I always thought about this kind of holiday. Last month, I had a chance at last to go on such a holiday with some of my schoolmates and we went to London, a place where I had wanted to go since years ago. As we were still young, we had a group leader who planned things for us and looked after us. After we got to London, we went to stay with different families. I was lucky that my host family was a white couple who had a daughter about my age. They treated me as a daughter of their family during my stay there. They were interested in me and I learnt a lot of things from them, too. The holiday was filled with activities every day. After breakfast, a local teacher would come to take us in his car. Then we would have classes or go on a sight-seeing trip to different places of interest like the Big Ben, the London Bridge, and the Buckingham Palace. We would go back to our own homes after the activities. The holiday was a valuable experience for me. I enjoyed every minute of it. Yet, time really flew fast. Three weeks later, we had to leave "home" for Hong Kong. 4

['QSN In the "homestay" program, a visitor can _ . ANS improve the language ability', 'QSN The writer had wanted to visit London since _ . ANS a long time ago', "QSN The writer's host family _ . ANS was very kind to her", 'QSN From the passage, we know that the writer _ in London. ANS had a wonderful time']

Hearing live music is one of the most pleasurable experiences available to human beings. The music sounds great, but it sounds greater when you get to watch the musicians as they create it. No matter what kind of music you love, try listening to it live. This guide focuses on classical music, a tradition that _ before recordings, radio, and the Internet, back when all music was live music. In those days live human beings performed for other live human beings, with everybody together in the same room. When heard in this way, classical music can have a special excitement. Hearing classical music in a concert can leave you feeling refreshed and energized. It can be fun. It can be romantic. It can be spiritual. Classical music concerts can seem like snobby affairs full of foreign terms and unusual behavior. It can be hard to understand what's going on. It can be hard to know how to act. But don't worry. Concerts are no stranger than any other amusement, and the rules of behavior are much simpler and easier to understand than the stock market, football, or system software upgrades. If you haven't been to a live concert before, or if you've been confused by concerts, this guide will explain, so you can relax and enjoy the music. 2

['QSN The author considers that live classical music _ . ANS is exciting to both players and listeners', 'QSN The passage is _ which focuses on live classical music. ANS an introduction']

When I was 11, I threw a glance into Dad's lunch box and made the unexpected discovery that my mother still showed her love towards my father. The evidence, a napkin resting on top of the sandwiches packed in wax paper, was certain "Love you!" she had written on the napkin. " Meat loaf for supper!" Mom penned all kinds of messages to Dad on those paper napkins, and he saved a whole pile of them. What embarrassed me as a kid has become a precious memory of my parents. It also started my own brand of lunch box notes. When my kids were young, I'd glue little drawings on their lunches. Lots of sketches of our dog, Max, along with smiling flowers. When they were teenagers, I'd copy words of wisdom from great people, Einstein, for example, or Bruce Springsteen. Then, my kids grew up making their own handwritten notes. And my husband writes me love notes on recycled paper, because he's all about being green. Friends who know about my lunch box notes eagerly share stories of their own family traditions. So many focus on food. Maura's mom always drew hearts on the shells of hard-boiled eggs. Melinda wrote messages on her kids' bananas. We're into the third generation of lunch box notes in our home. Whenever my 3-year-old grandson, Clayton, spends the night, he knows his lunch is going to have a napkin note from Grandma in the morning. Last week, I drew a picture of me, waving widely and shouting his name. He took one look at it and screamed, " Where's Grandpa?" I added a man in a clean shirt. " You forgot his tie," he said. I quickly drew a line of stripes down the front of the shirt. Clayton smiled. "Grandpa," he whispered, running his fingers across the napkin. "It's you!" 4

["QSN When the author first saw Dad's lunch box notes, she felt _ . ANS awkward", 'QSN What did the author put in the lunch boxes when her kids were in their teens? ANS Famous words of wisdom', "QSN It can be inferred that _ . ANS the author's husband is an environmentalist.", "QSN What's the best title for the text? ANS Lunches packed with love."]

Small talk is part of everyday life, but it's the deep conversations that may make you happy. That's one possibility suggested in a new study which examined how conversation is related to happiness. Researchers, led by Matthias Mehl at the University of Arizona, looked at the different types of conversation that happy and unhappy people participate in. The study, published in the journal Psychological Science, was somewhat small, involving 79 undergraduates, but meshes well with established ideas that happiness and social life are connected. Experts found that the happiest people in the study engaged in 33% more small talk than the unhappiest participants . Happy people tended to have twice as many deep conversations, and spent 25 percent less time alone than the unhappiest participants. These insights fit with what psychologists have seen previously: that loneliness leads to depression , and that feelings of social connectedness are important for happiness, said Susan Turk Charles, a psychologist at the University of California, who was not involved in the study. Deep conversations create a feeling of belonging that leads to happiness, she said. On the contrary, people who suffer from depression tend to withdraw from others. The method that the researchers used was creative, Charles said. Instead of bringing people into a lab, as is traditionally done in these sorts of studies, they had participants wear a recording device for four days, picking up conversations that they had. The recorder sampled 30 seconds of sound every 12.5 minutes, giving researchers a broad range of conversations to examine in terms of "small talk" vs. "deep conversation". The bottom line is that maintaining friendships can help with emotional well-being(,). Friends buffer the effects of negative events and provide support, Charles said. Don't be too busy to have a deep conversation, she said. "It really is important. It should be something that you should pay just as much attention to as your career," she said. 3

['QSN What can we learn about the new study? ANS Its result is consistent with(...) the previously established ideas.', 'QSN According to Charles, _ . ANS deep conversations can make people happy', 'QSN What can we learn from the text? ANS The study was creative and different from traditional studies']

Some people have the feeling that nothing can be done about their poor reading ability. They feel hopeless about it. Can you learn to read better, or must you agree that nothing can be done about it? To be sure, people are different. You cannot expect to do everything as well as certain other people do. If all the students in a class tried out for basketball, some would be very good players; others would be very poor; . But even the very poor players can become much better players if they are guided in the right way, and with plenty of practice. It is the same with reading. Some seem to enjoy reading and to read well without any special help. Others find reading a slow and tiring job. In between, there are all degrees of reading ability. Many experiments have shown that just about every poor reader can improve his reading ability. In these experiments, the poor readers were given tests of reading ability. After some of the causes of their reading were discovered, they were given special instruction and practice in reading. After a few months, another test of the same kind was given. In nearly all cases, these people had raised their reading scores. 4

["QSN 61.With the example of basketball players, the author shows _ . ANS that there are differences in people's abilities", 'QSN 62. To improve their reading ability, people should _ . ANS have special help and practice', 'QSN 63.The experiments mentioned in the text show that _ . ANS almost all poor readers can make progress', "QSN 65. What's the purpose of the author's writing this passage? ANS To encourage people to improve their reading ability."]

Desert plants fall into two sorts according to the way they deal with the problem of surviving drought. There are the drought--avoiders--those which persist only as seeds, ready to spring up when it rains, to flower quickly and produce another crop of seeds, and to die again. There are also the drought--resisters--those which have evolved various methods for strong water, locating underground water, or reducing their need for water by such devices as shedding their leaves. The drought--resisters are perennials ,they manage to live from one rainy season to another, slowly growing bigger and bigger. Of these, the succulents is a small but interesting fraction . They may store water in their leaves, in their stems, or in underground containers. In the American deserts the best--known succulents are the cacti . They come in a wide range of sizes, from 50--foot tall giant saguaros to tiny round cacti about the size of a thumb--nail. They take thick, cylindrical or even spherical forms, thereby exposing a minimum of evaporating surface to the air and light. They are leafless, except in youth, and then the leaves are small. Typically their surfaces are spiny, discouraging thirsty animals, and channeled like an accordion , so the fleshy stem may expand quickly when the plant drinks and contract slowly as it uses up the water. The root system is widespread and shallow, with good reason; only about 3 per cent of the rain that falls on the desert penetrates to any significant depth into soil. 4

['QSN The passage classifies(......) the desert plants according to _ . ANS the ways they take to deal with the typical climatic condition in desert', 'QSN According to the passage, some desert plants drop their leaves _ . ANS so that the plants can evaporate less water', 'QSN What interests the author most when he or she mentions succulents is that _ . ANS they have many ways of containing water', 'QSN The passage gives us an impression that _ . ANS the desert plants are shaped in a way as if them were designed by somebody on purpose']

Doctors have known for a long time that extremely loud noises can cause hearing damage or loss. The noise can be the sound of a jet airplane or machines in factories of loud music or other common sound at home and at work. A person only needs to hear the noise for little more than one second to be affected. An American scientist has found that using aspirin increase the temporary hearing loss or damage from loud noise. He did an experiment using a number of students at a university who all had normal hearing. He gave them different amounts of aspirin for different periods of time, then he tested their hearing ability. He found that students who were given four grams of aspirin a day for two days suffered much greater temporary hearing loss than those who did not use aspirin. The hearing loss was about two times as great. The scientist said millions of persons in the U.S. use much larger amounts of aspirin than were used in his experiment. He said these persons face a serious danger of suffering hearing loss from loud noise. 5

['QSN Doctors have long known that _ . ANS one may lose his hearing when he hears a terribly loud noise.', "QSN This passage suggests that one's hearing _ . ANS will be damaged even if he has heard a loud noise for only little more than one second", 'QSN One conclusion you can draw from the passage is that aspirin _ . ANS makes hearing damage from loud noise worse', 'QSN Millions of Americans are in danger of suffering hearing loss because they _ . ANS take too much aspirin', 'QSN The American scientist did his experiment in order to find _ . ANS whether aspirin would increase the temporary hearing damage from loud noises']

In recent years, the price of gas has been rising sharply, and people have made many adjustments. 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 we wish them success or not? 4

['QSN The following sentences are the results of the gas price rising EXCEPT _ . ANS The auto industry has been forced to develop new models which are more expensive.', 'QSN Which is NOT the effect the rising oil price have on families ? ANS Children and parents make acquaintances with more people than before.', "QSN What's the writer's opinion to these adjustment? ANS Supportive", 'QSN What is the main idea of this passage? ANS This passage mainly shows the chain reactions of the rising gas price']

Census figures published last Friday indicate that the number of women in management jobs rose by 95% between 1980 and 1990. Most evidenced shows that women are still in the lowest class of management and in the lowest-paying industries. I first noticed that girls were different from boys when I was about 4 years old. No experiences either in my personal life or in my business life have caused me to change my opinion. Throughout my adult life, however, I have had to evaluate again and again these differences between men and women and how they affect the way men and women relate to one another and to the environment in which they work. Working with women has given me deep understanding I would never have gained in any other way. Women are working at a decided disadvantage in the business world created by men to make things comfortable for men. To me, this means men often understand the rules without having to be taught or even having to think about them. It is not so easy for women. If I may fall back on typically male _ women have had to learn both the game and the game plan at the same time. At least in my own observation, women in business tend to be more honest than men. A direct question to a woman often results in a direct response. This quality makes it more difficult for women to "yes" an employer. It also makes women more trustworthy than the men who often can't, or won't, give a straight answer to a question. Women are also more open than men about their feelings their ambitions, and everyday situations in the office. This makes them easier to be hurt than men. Traditionally, women in business have been more severely judged than men. They have had to be better in a job than a man to get ahead. 2

['QSN What is this passage mainly about? ANS the unfair treatment the working women suffering in business', 'QSN The author mentions the " _ " to show that . ANS men always make things comfortable for themselves']

Picture this scene, a 6-year-old girl is alone on a raft, with no lifejacket, 200 yards from the shore with the winds whipping up the water. She is pointing at her cousins, and yelling out, "They are drowning!" Your eyes scan left only to see a three-year-old above the surface of the water and you realize two hands are holding her up, the hands of 14-year-old Mallory, who is struggling below the surface of the water. Three seventeen-year-olds from Salt Lake City, Tiana Skeen, Caitlin Caldwell and Jessica Osterloh, were on the lake for fun in the sun at Bear Lake when they heard the cry for help and saw this terrifying scene. The teens witnessed the three young girls in this very dangerous situation. The teens reacted quickly and swam out to save the girls while crying out toward jet skiers and people on the beach for help. Fourteen-year-old Mallory was struggling to hold her little cousin Rylee above water. The teens rescued Rylee just in time but couldn't find Mallory. Meanwhile, 6-year-old Sydney was floating away on the raft with no lifejacket. The girls flagged down a jet ski to get her and bring her back to the beach. The three teen heroines saved the 3-year-old and the 6-year-old, but they feel Mallory is the real heroine, as she held her 3-year-old cousin above the water until the teens were able to rescue Rylee. Mallory was finally found, but she died on the way to the hospital. Now, the teen heroines strongly remind everyone to wear a life jacket when on the water. 3

['QSN What was Mallory doing, when the accident happened? ANS She was trying to help her cousin survive.', "QSN It is implied in the passage that _ . ANS Mallory couldn't have been killed with a life jacket", "QSN What's the best title for this passage? ANS Three teen heroines"]

George Gershwin, born in 1998, was one of America's greatest composers. He published his first song when he was eighteen years old. During the next twenty years he wrote more than five hundred songs. Many of Gershwin's songs were first written for musical plays performed in theatres in New York City. These plays were a popular form of entertainment in the 1920s and 1930s. Many of his songs have remained popular as ever. Over the years they have been sung and played in every possible way -- from jazz to country. In the 1920s there was a debate in the United States about jazz music. Could jazz, some people asked, be considered serious music? In 1924 jazz musician and orchestra leader Paul Whiteman decided to organize a special concert to show that jazz was serious music. Gershwin agreed to compose something for the concert before he realized he had just a few weeks to do it. And in that short time, he composed a piece for piano and orchestra which he called Rhapsody in Blue. Gershwin himself played the piano at the concert. The audience were thrilled when they heard his music. It made him world-famous and showed that jazz music could be both serious and popular. In 1928, Gershwin went to Paris. He applied to study composition with the well-known musician Nadia Boulanger, but she rejected him. She was afraid that classical study would ruin his jazz-influenced style. While there, Gershwin wrote An American in Paris. When it was first performed, critics were divided over the music. Some called it happy and full of life, to others it was silly and boring. But it quickly became popular in Europe and the United States. It still remains one of his most famous works. George Gershwin died in 1937, just days after doctors learned he had brain cancer. He was only thirty-nine years old. Newspapers all over the world reported his death on their front pages. People mourned the loss of the man and all the music he might have still written. 4

["QSN Many of Gershwin's musical works were _ . ANS performed in various ways", 'QSN What do we know about the concert organized by Whiteman? ANS It proved jazz could be serious music', 'QSN What did Gershwin do during his stay in Paris? ANS He created one of his best works', 'QSN Which of the following best describes Gershwin? ANS Talented and productive']

While it is impossible to live completely free of stress,it is possible to prevent stress as well as reduce its effect when it can't be avoided.The US Department of Health and Human Services offers the following suggestions for ways to deal with stress. *Try physical activity When you are nervous, angry or upset, try releasing the pressure through exercise or physical activity. Running,walking,playing tennis,and working in your garden are just some of the activities you might try. *Take care of yourself You should make every effort to eat well and get enough rest. If you easily get angry and can't sleep well enough, or if you're not eating properly, it will be more likely that you will fall into stressful situations.If stress repeatedly keeps you from sleeping,you should consult a doctor. *Make time for yourself Schedule time for both work and entertainment.Don't forget,play can be just as important to your overall well-being as work. You need a break from your daily routine to just relax and have fun.Go window-shopping or work on a hobby.Allow yourself at least a half hour each day to do something you enjoy. *Make a list of things to do Stress can result from disorganization and a feeling that "there's so much to do,and not enough time".Trying to take care of everything at once can be too much for you and as a result,you may not achieve anything.Instead,make a list of everything you have to do,then do one thing at a time,checking off each task as it is completed.Set out to do the most important task first. 4

["QSN Which of the following statements shows that you have fallen into stressful situations? ANS You can't sleep well all the time.", 'QSN According to the passage,how do you make a list of things to do? ANS Do one thing at a time.', 'QSN What is the best title for the passage? ANS How to Deal with Stress?', 'QSN Which of the following would be the advice to deal with stress according to the passage? ANS make a list to do things one by one']

Have you ever wondered what a Degree might be worth to you in your job or career ? It means a lot of Americans with an Associate Degree average nearly $10,000 more in yearly earnings than those with just a High School Diploma . Harcourt Learning Direct offers you a way to get a Specialized Associate Degree in 11 of today's growing fields-without having to go to college full time. With Harcourt, you study at home, in your spare time-so you don't have to give up your present job while you train for a better one. Choose from exciting majors like Business Management, Accounting, Dressmaking &Design, Bookkeeping, Photography, Computer Science, Engineering, and more! Your training includes everything you need! Books, lessons, learning aids-even professional-quality tools and equipment-everything you need to master your training and more ahead to a new career is included in the low tuition price you pay. Your education is nationally recognized! Nearly 2, 000 American companies-including General Electric, IBM, Mobile, General Motors, Ford, and many others-have used our training for their employees. If companies like these recognize the value of our training, you can be sure that employees in your area will, too! Earn your degree in as little as two years! Get a career diploma in just six months! The career of your dreams is closer than you think! Even if you have no experience before, you can get valuable job skills in today's hottest fields! Step-by-step lessons make learning easy. Prepare for promotions , pay raises, even start a business of your own! Send today for FREE information about Harcourt at home training! Simply fill in your name and address on the coupon above. Then write in the name and number of the one program you're most interested in, and mail it today. We'll rush your free information about how you can take advantage of the opportunities in the field you've chosen. Act today! Mail coupon today! Or call the number below 1-800-372-1589. Call any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. www. Harcourt-learning. com E-mail:Harcourt@learning. com. 3

['QSN This advertisement aims at calling on people to _ . ANS improve their education at home to get better jobs', 'QSN What does the writer of this ad intend to say by naming General Electric, IBM, Ford, etc.? ANS To prove the value of their training in every area.', 'QSN How many ways are mentioned in the ad for people to get in touch with the Harcourt Learning Direct? ANS Four.']

"A rolling stone gathers no moss ," but there is one living animal that does gather moss -- the three-toed sloth of South America. This slowest-moving member of the animal kingdom is so inactive that moss actually gathers on its body and turns it green -- strange as it seems! Most of the sloth's life is spent motionless, hanging upside down from a limb . And that is the way its hair grows. Long and coarse, the strands from receptacles for the damp jungle algae turn the brown fur a mossy green. Actually this moss helps the animal survive because it serves as a perfect camouflage against the leafy trees and hides the sloth from the jungle's swift-moving hunters. The sloth would have little chance of survival on the ground. With long, curved claws hooded over the limb of a leafy tree, it spends the long hot hours during the day drowsing and eating. Inch by inch, it strips the leafy limbs bare and crawls slowly down the trunk to find a new dining spot, but only at night. In addition to looking rather like a vegetable, the sloth is a strict vegetarian. Running out of its favorite leaf is about the only thing that will make a sloth move. Then its appetite may even force the animal into swimming a stream to reach a succulent . It will also force it into fighting to keep the tree all to itself. The sloth is lazy and prefers to be alone, but it will tolerate its own s! 5

['QSN A suitable title for this passage might be _ . ANS The Lazy Animal', "QSN The author's purpose in writing the passage is _ . ANS to introduce a particular animal to the common reader", 'QSN Which of the following is NOT true about the sloth? ANS For most of its time, the sloth remains motionless on the ground.', 'QSN According to the passage, the sloth will move about when _ . ANS it is short of its favorite food.', 'QSN Which of the following is NOT mentioned or implied by the author? ANS The sloth will never fight with other animals.']

TODAY, Friday, November 12 JAZZ with the Mike Thomas Jazz Band at The Derby Arms. Upper Richmond Road West, Sheen. DISCO Satin Sounds Disco. Free at The Lord Napier, Mort lake High St., from 8a. m. to 8p. m. Tel: 682--1158. SATURDAY, November 13 JAZZ Lysis at The Bull's Head, Barnes. Admission 60p. MUSICAL HALL at The Star and Garter, Lower Richmond Road, Putney, provided by the Aba Daba Music Hall company. Good food and entertainment fair price. Tel: 789--6749. FAMILY night out? Join the sing-along at The Black Horse. Sheen Road, Richmond. JAZZ The John Bennett Big Band at The Bull's Head, Barnes. Admission 80p. THE DERBY ARMS, Upper Richmond Road West, give you Joe on the electric accordion . Tel: 789--4536 SUNDAY, November 14 DISCO Satin Sounds Disco, free at The Lord Napier, Mort Lake High Street, from 8 a. m. to 8 p. m. FOLK MUSIC at The Derby Arms. The Short Stuff and residents the Norman Chop Trio. Non-remembers 70p. Tel: 688--4626. HEAVY MUSIC with Tony Simon at The Bull, Upper Richmond Road West, East Sheen. THE DERBY ARMS, Upper Richmond Road West, give you Joe on the electric accordion. 5

['QSN Where and when can you hear the Norman Chop Trio? ANS At the Derby Arms on Sunday.', 'QSN Where and when can you hear the Mike Thomas Jazz Band? ANS At the Derby Arms on Friday.', 'QSN You want to enjoy the electric accordion on Saturday. Which telephone number do you have to ring to find out what time it starts? ANS 789--4536.', 'QSN You want to spend the Saturday by joining the entertainment with your family. Where should you go? ANS The sing-along at The Black Horse.', "QSN You want to spend the same day at two different places and don't want to cross any street. Which of the following is your best choice? ANS Folk Music at The Derby Arms and Heavy Music with Tony Simon at The Bull."]

Most of the guests who come on our trips have never been to Egypt before .We want to make everyone comfortable and at ease, but we do always get the same questions in advance of trip. So here I will give you some travel tips. What should I wear? If you're lucky enough to visit Egypt between November and February, pack a sweater. You'll need it----the desert gets rather cold at night. During the day, the temperature will be agreeable and comfortable. Any other time, pack as if you're going to Phoenix of Vegas in August. For the ladies, bathing suits are normal if there's a pool where you are going, but leave the string bikini at home -it is a Muslim country, after all. Last, if you are planning on visiting any mosques or certain parts of upper Egypt, ladies will need to plan on bringing something that comes at least to the elbow , and no shorts for men or women in those areas. What special things do I need to pack? One of my favorite things in the world to bring to Egypt is an Evian Mister, a sprayer with a fine mist of Evian water. You may be able to find it in your local drug store. Spray a little on your face or head , and your body temperature will feel like it's dropped 10 or 15 degrees. Other items include your camera, sun block and extra batteries. How do I communicate with home? Internet cafes are plentiful everywhere, especially in Cairo, Luxor, and Alexandria. If you have international calling on you phone, you should be able to use it-AT&T and Sprint both work internationally for sure, but make sure you have the international coverage. A satellite phone is best if you are certain to need coverage in the middle of the country, like while sailing up the Nile , but for most people these days a cell phone is fine. What medical preparation do I need? In a word: none! The one thing you may come down with in Egypt is politely called "Pharoah 's Revenge. " The thing that gets rid of pharoah's Revenge is a regionally produced medicine, and is available at every drugstore for $1 a box . DON'T drink local water. DO drink bottled water, avoid the skins of fresh vegetables, and you'll be fine. 4

['QSN What clothing is proper for ladies visiting a mosque? ANS Long-sleeve clothes', "QSN What's the use of an Evian Mister? ANS To cool yourself down.", 'QSN What information is provided about distance communication? ANS A cell phone is enough for most people.', 'QSN The purpose of this passage is to_. ANS offer some practical tips on traveling in Egypt']

As we know, many teen celebrities feel and think that having a slimmer figure can do great good to them. But, does size really matter? Are teenage fans trying hard to become like their celebrity idols ? Do celebrities really have the power to influence people, especially teenagers? For the longest time, many parents blame teen idols for influencing the way their kids act. Have you noticed how teens idolize the celebrities these days? Even, their personal affairs are being followed by kids these days. Take for example the case of Lindsay Lohan of Mary Kate Ashley. They are definitely famous teen stars. But, since they are trying to project an image to satisfy a lot of people in show business, their health and body suffer. Many kids are aware of this problem. But they are easily influenced by these celebrities to exercise and eat less. It is a fact that the media, and especially famous teen celebrities, can influence people powerfully. But teenagers are easily influenced because teenage years are the period when our personality and identity developments take place. Teens watching TV shows and reading magazines are easily pulled into the dieting and harmful eating habits because the media have some ways to pull these acts. They use thin models and celebrities to endorse products or to star in an up-and -coming shows or movies. With fierce competition, celebrities are forced to eat less and do extreme exercise routines to get the roles or offers that come their way. Living in today's time and generation is a bit disturbing to a lot of parents. Media, especially as well as the celebrities, have a very powerful influence to drive teenagers to good or bad. It's good that we can control ourselves to avoid bad things from happening. If not, parents should really be aware and guide their teens to determine what's in ad what's out. 4

['QSN From the passage we can find Lindsay Lohan _ . ANS lives an unhealthy lifestyle', "QSN According to the writer, why are teenagers easily influenced by some TV shows? ANS They're in their development period.", 'QSN Many celebrities have to be on diet _ . ANS to survive under pressure', "QSN What's the title of the passage? ANS Bad influences of celebrities."]

It's going to be a chaotic day. How do I know? It's Monday. OK, joking. But, I do predict that today will be filled with the normal last-minute tasks, fire drills, and unforeseen events. So, how do you keep yourself from being swept away in the stream of chaos? How do you remain calm while others are rushing and panicking? There's a problem... Panic! When things don't go as planned, how do you react? Are you the calm one who works to fix things? Or the one running around like Chicken Little screaming that the sky falling? Getting upset or alarmed can seem like natural reactions to a problem. Here are a few tips to kelp you remain calm in the face of the storm: * Don't Panic You are better able to find a solution if you aren't panicking. If you can keep your head when others are losing theirs, you will be able to make a dear decision in the chaos. * There Aren't Many True Emergenaes My time as a Naval Officer taught me about true emergencies. In the military, when there is a problem, people can get hurt or die. This is not usually the case when the office copier or email server goes down. Keep things in perspective. There are very few true emergencies in life. * Avoid the "Fight or Flight" When you are stressed, your body will want to go into "fight or flight." Your body was designed to keep you safe from danger, but its natural reflexes aren't always the best solution against a project gone away. Keep your emotions in check and ensure that your physical reflexes don't make bad decisions for you. * Head Into The Problem While everyone else is running away, true leaders walk into a problem. Sticking your head in the sand only makes things worse. Instead of trying to ignore the situition, get to the heart of the issue as soon as possible. Only then can you address it How Will You React? When you find yourself ready to lose it, take a step back. Ask, "In this truly an emergcncy?" Keep your head when others are losing theirs. And you'll find that you are that much closer to a solution. 3

['QSN In order to make a wiser decision in the chaos, you should _ . ANS keep your head', "QSN The example of the author's time as a Naval Officer is used to illustrate _ . ANS there are seldom true emergencies in life", 'QSN What would the best title for the passage? ANS Keep calm in the face of the storm']

A French billionaire used to have a rough time when he was young. Later he carved out a career for himself in the field of drawing sales. Within ten years, he had become a young media tycoon in France. He died of cancer in 1998. A French newspaper published his will after his death, in which he claimed:"I was a poor guy. Before I reach the threshold of heaven, I leave my secret of how to become rich to the world. Anyone who can answer the question 'What is the most absent for the poor? ' will have discovered my secret of becoming rich. He will have my congratulations. My deposit of one million francs in the private safe of my bank will be the prize for his wisdom in uncovering the riddle of poverty." Many people responded to the publicized will. The answers, as one might imagine, were various. The majority of them thought the most absent for the poor was money. Some stated that what the poor most needed was opportunity. Still others thought that the poor needed skills to make money. The rest of the answers claimed that poverty could be attributed to the absence of help, love, attractiveness, name-brand clothes, and even a presidency of a state. On the first anniversary of the billionaire's passing, his lawyer and representative opened his private safe in the bank; the secret of getting rich was unfolded. The billionaire believed that the most absent of the poor was the ambition of getting rich. It was a nine-year-old girl who _ . Why did she regard "ambition" as the most absent for the poor? The day she was officially awarded the one million francs, she said: "Every time my elder sister brought her boyfriend home, she always warned me not to be ambitious. Not to be ambitious! So, I thought perhaps ambition was something that brought what you wanted." 4

['QSN According to the passage, which of the following is true about the French billionaire? ANS He did not have a happy life when he was young.', "QSN What will the winner get if he finds out the billionaire's secret of becoming rich? ANS The billionaire's francs", 'QSN What did most people think of the most absent for the poor? ANS Money', 'QSN From the passage, we can infer that the little girl find the secret _ . ANS quite by accident']

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 3

['QSN What did the guide do? ANS He stayed with visitors for extra time.', 'QSN During the tour, we can enjoy _ . ANS various local food', 'QSN We can infer from the passage that the ending time of the tour is _ . ANS 7. 30 PM']

To find how the name Canada came about we must go back to the 16th century. At that time, the French dreamed of disclosing and controlling more land, of expanding trade beyond their borders and of spreading their faith across the world .In 1535, Francois I ,King of France, ordered a navigator named Jacques Cartier to explore the New World and search for a passage to India. Cartier first arrived at the Gulf of the St. Lawrence, which he wanted to explore. He did not know what to expect but he hoped that this Gulf was just an arm of the ocean between two islands. If it was, he would soon be on his way to the Far East. So he sailed upstream along the St. Lawrence River. However, instead or reaching Asia he arrived at Quebec or Stadacona, as the Indians called it. It was at this point that the term " Canada" entered the country's history. Apparently the word "Canada" came from an Indian work "Kanata", which means community or village. Cartier first used it when he referred to Stadacona or Quebec. What a huge " village" Canada is! 5

['QSN In the early sixteenth century , the King of France ordered Cartier to _ ANS find the new world', 'QSN Having reached the Gulf of St. Lawrence Cartier thought _ ANS it was a water passage to the East', 'QSN In the early sixteenth century , Quebec was only _ . ANS an Indian village', 'QSN Pick out the right statements from the following _ ANS Stadacona was what the Indians called Quebec then', 'QSN "Canada" was first used to refer to _ ANS the place called Quebec']

Let's pay a visit to some of the most amazing and unusual places in the world, from icy hotels to temples on the side of cliffs . Hotel de Glace -- Canada If you don't mind the cold, this igloo style hotel is certainly for you. Nearly everything, including the bedding, is made of ice! This hotel is so well insulated that whatever the temperature outside is, the temperature inside never changes more than a few degrees. It's around 23 degrees to be exact. Since it is made of ice the hotel does have some dress requirements that can be found on their website. Arctic sleeping bags are provided for every guest, including children. For more information, visit the website: http://www.icehotelcanada.com. The Tigers Nest Monastery -- Bhutan Built directly onto a cliff side, this ancient temple has claimed its spot since 1692. Rich in history, Tigers Nest is constructed around eight attractive caves on the mountainside. Most of the caves are easy to reach through the natural rock stairways. However, some are more difficult, and can only be reached by shaky rope bridges. Visit the website http://www.bhutantouroperators.net/taktsang-monastery.php for more information. Dinosaur Provincial Park -- Canada Known to be one the greatest fossil locations in the world, Dinosaur Provincial Park has nearly 500 specimens in all shapes and sizes. The park itself has a vast collection of fossils and a unique natural ecosystem. For more information, please visit http://tpr.alberta.ca/parks/dinosaur/index.aspx. Leshan Giant Buddha -- Sichuan China The world's largest Buddha sits on the edge of two great rivers. Construction is believed to have started around the year 713, and at the time of this construction it was the tallest carved statue in the world. All 233 feet of the stature was carved from the surrounding cliffs and preserved in amazing condition. Even the 2008 earthquake was not enough to shake it. Its website http://yeschinatour.com/china-guides/china-attractions leshan-giant-buddha-leshan will provide you with more information. 5

['QSN Which of the following is NOT true about Hotel de Glace? ANS It lies in the Arctic.', 'QSN Which of the following websites can give information about the Tigers Nest? ANS http://www.bhutantouroperators.net/taktsang-monastery.php', 'QSN If John is interested in fossils, he can pay a visit to _ . ANS Dinosaur Provincial Park -- Canada', 'QSN This passage is mainly to tell us about _ . ANS four unusual places in the world', 'QSN The passage is probably taken from a magazine on _ . ANS travel']

Habits, whether good or bad, are gradually formed. When a person does a certain thing again, he is driven by some unseen force to do the same thing repeatedly, then a habit is formed. Once a habit is formed, it is difficult, and sometimes impossible, to get rid of. It is therefore very important that we should pay great attention to the formation of habits. Children often form bad habits, some of which remain with them as long as they live. Older persons also form bad habits lasting as long as they live, and sometimes become ruined by _ . There are other habits which, when formed in early life, are of great help. Many successful men say that much of their success has something to do with certain habits in early life, such as early rising, honesty and so on. Among the habits which children should not form are laziness, lying, stealing and so on. These are all easily formed habits. Unluckily older persons often form habits which could have been avoided. We should keep away from all these bad habits, and try to form such habits as will be good for ourselves and others. 4

['QSN _ are formed litde by little. ANS Both good habits and bad habits', "QSN Generally speaking, it's difficult for one _ and easy for them _ which should be avoided. ANS to form good habits; to form bad habits", "QSN Why should we pay much attention to the formation of habits? ANS Because it's hard and sometimes even impossible to throw away bad habits.", 'QSN According to the passage, early rising _ . ANS has something to do with success']

To help the environment, many Americans have made the change from paper and plastic bags to reusable grocery bags. But a report by a Florida newspaper says that reusable grocery bags sold by some supermarkets contain high levels of lead . Lead is a metal that can be harmful to humans, especially young children. Now, Senator Charles Schumer is asking the US government to investigate the use of lead in reusable shopping bags. "When our families go to the grocery store looking for safe and healthy foods to feed their kids, the last thing they should have to worry about is poisonous bags." Schumer said, "A quick investigation will allow everyone to make informed, timely decisions." Schumer added. Lead in the bags is not likely to rub off on food. But over time, paint on the bags can chip and the bags can wear out. When this happens, lead can be released . The Tampa Tribune newspaper said certain bags sold at Publix and Winn-Dixie supermarkets had lead levels that were a concern to health officials. The affected bags were found in Florida. But Publix has more than 1,000 stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Sough Carolina and Tennessee. Publix says that all of its bags are under current laws about lead content, but that they have asked the makers of the bags to reduce the lead levels in the product. The bags with the highest levels of lead had fancy designs and many pictures. Plain reusable bags without decoration were found to contain little lead. Consumers worried about lead levels in reusable bags can change to cloth or string bags. Paper bags are also a good choice, since paper can be recycled . Since 2007, Publix supermarkets have sold more than 13 million reusable bags. The store says because shoppers have made the change to reusable bags, it has saved more than 1 billion paper and plastics bags. 4

['QSN The shopping bags containing high levels of lead _ . ANS have been reported by a newspaper', "QSN From Schumer's words we can learn that _ . ANS people will be informed of the facts about the reusable bags", 'QSN It can be inferred from the text that Publix might believe that the bags they sold are _ . ANS dependable', 'QSN Customers are advised to choose bags _ . ANS made of paper']

Vienna--Although Iraq's decided to stop oil deliveries , the 11-nation Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) will not increase production to make up the shortfall caused by Iraq. The 11 oil ministers decided to meet again on July 3 to discuss the effects of the Iraq temporary stop. The organization's president Charkid Khelil of Algeria said after the meeting that stocks were high and prices were stable and that quota increases were not necessary. The EU Commission has also expressed concern about Iraq's output stop. A speaker said OPEC had to take all possible measures to keep or lower the oil price. Saudi Arabia's Oil Minister Ali Al-Nuaimi had earlier said that there would not be any shortfall of oil in the market. The organization had already taken steps to fill the gap , he said. OPEC Secretary General Ali Rodriguez added that the period of the Iraq stop to export was not known, so other exporters were not going to lift quotas yet. If the market was destabilized , a suitable response would be made. Iraq stopped delivery of crude oil on Monday to protest against the UN Security Council's decision to extend the oil-for-food program by only a month, instead of the normal six-month renewal . Just before the Vienna meeting, oil prices had gone up, with a barrel of OPEC crude selling for 27.05 dollars, up from 26.81 dollars last Friday. And north sea oil was at 29.26 dollars Monday evening. OPEC wanted the oil price to stay within a margin of 22 to 28 dollars and achieved that in January and March by reducing 2.5 million barrels per day off quotas. 4

['QSN Iraq made the decision to stop oil deliveries because _ . ANS the UN Security Council had decided to shorten the time for the oil-for-food program', "QSN The attitude the EU Commission took towards Iraq's output stop is _ . ANS concerned", 'QSN The main idea of the passage is _ . ANS OPEC will not increase oil production to make up the shortfall caused by Iraq', "QSN The 11 oil ministers decided to meet on July 3 so that _ . ANS they could have a discussion about the effects of Iraq's temporary oil stop"]

Tourism probably started in Roman times. Rich Romans visited friends and family who were working in another part of the Roman Empire. But when the empire broke down,this kind of tourism stopped. In the early 17th century, the idea of the "Grand Tour" was born. Rich young English people sailed across the English Channel .They visited the most beautiful and important European cities of the time, including Paris in France, and Rome and Venice in Italy. Their tours lasted for two to four years, and the tourists stayed a few weeks or months in each city. The "Grand Tour" was an important part of young people's education--but only for the rich. In the 18th century, tourism began to change. For example, people in the UK started to visit some towns, such as Bath to" take the waters". They believed that the water there was good for their health. So large and expensive hotels were built in these towns. In the 19th century, travel became much more popular and faster. When the first railways were built in the 1820s, it was easier for people to travel between towns, so they started to go for holidays by the sea. And some started to have holidays in the countryside as cities became larger, noisier and dirtier. Traveling by sea also became faster and safer when the first steamships were built. People began to travel more to far away countries. The 20th century saw cars become more and more popular among ordinary people. Planes were made larger, so ticket prices dropped and more people used them. Thus tourism grew. In 1949, Russian journalist Vladimir Raitz started a company called Horizon Holidays. The company organizes everything--plane tickets, hotel rooms, even food--and tourists pay for it all before they leave home. The package tour and modern tourist industry was born. The first travel agency in China was set up as early as 1949.But tourism did not take off until 1978.In 2002,the industry was worth 500 billion yuan and became an important part of China's social development. 3

['QSN In the early times, the travelers _ . ANS had lots of money', 'QSN _ played the most important role in the tourism development. ANS Transportation', 'QSN Modern tourism was born _ . ANS in 1949']

Do you drink water that's been left sitting out overnight or even for another day? Have you noticed it tastes different? Tap water that has been left to sit out slowly begins to acquire an off taste. Many people think that this is because of microorganisms . But that's not what makes old water taste not fresh. For that we can thank carbon dioxide. After about 12 hours, tap water starts to go flat as carbon dioxide in the air starts to mix with the water in the glass, lowering its pH and giving it an off taste. But it's most likely safe to drink. However, back to those microorganisms. If you use a dirty glass day after day, there is more of a chance of bacteria making themselves known; a risk that increases if you share the glass with another mouth as well. But assuming you use a fresh glass every few days, you probably won't have a problem unless the glass has been touched by dirty fingers, and especially if those dirty fingers went unwashed after using the bathroom. As for plastic water bottles that have been left out in the sun or in the car, step away from the bottle, warns Dr. Kellogg Schwab, director of the Johns Hopkins University Water Institute. "A chemical called bisphenol-A, or BPA, along with other things used to make plastic can leach into your water if the bottle heats up or sits in the sun," he explains. BPA, as you probably know, has been linked to everything from heart disease to cancer. Schwab also adds that plastic used for commercial bottled water isn't meant to be washed or refilled, so use only one time and recycle. Or don't buy them at all; use refillable water bottles instead. 4

['QSN Tap water begin to acquire an off taste because of _ . ANS carbon dioxide', "QSN According to Paragragh 2, tap water that's been left sitting out for 12 hours _ . ANS is still safe to drink", 'QSN What should we do with plastic water bottles that have been left out in the sun or in the car? ANS Throw them away.', 'QSN Which of the following is true about BPA? ANS It can cause great harm to people.']

Grammar is the system of a language. People sometimes describe grammar as the "rules" of a language; but in fact no language has rules. If we use the word "rules", we suggest that somebody created the rules first and then spoke the language, like a new game. But languages did not start like that. Languages started by people making sounds which evolved into words, phrases and sentences. No commonly-spoken language is fixed. All languages change over time. What we call "grammar" is simply a reflection of a language at a particular time. Do we need to study grammar to learn a language? The short answer is "no". Very many people in the world speak their own, native language without having studied its grammar. Children start to speak before they even know the word"grammar". But if you are serious about learning a foreign language, the long answer is "yes, grammar can help you to learn a language more quickly and more efficiently." It's important to think of grammar as something that can help you, like a friend. When you understand the grammar (or system) of a language, you can understand many things yourself, without having to ask a teacher or look in a book. So think of grammar as something good, something positive, something that you can use to find your way---like a signpost or a map. Except invented languages like Esperanto . And if Esperanto were widely spoken, its rules would soon be very different. 2

['QSN Which of the following statements is NOT true? ANS Someone created the grammar first and then people learn the language according to it.', "QSN What is the author's attitude towards grammar learning? ANS His attitude is objective ."]

China's economic growth "hard to predict" The worsening global economic situation makes it difficult for China to predict its growth for next year, a senior official said on Friday. "How fast China's economy will grow next year is uncertain," Liu He, deputy director of the Office of the Central Leading Group on Finance and Economy Work, told China Daily. "To a large , the rate will be decided by the external situation," Liu said during a discussion with Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt and other economists in Beijing. "This year, GDP is estimated to grow at 9.4 or 9.5 percent, down from 10.6 percent last year," he said. "However, the impact of the current financial turbulence on our economy is much less than on the rest of the world." Nicholas Stern, a former UK government advisor, also told China Daily it will take at least one or two years for the world to recover from the recession, which is now spreading from the US and the UK to the rest of the world. "We don't know how long the recession will last, but it is unlikely to be short," he said. Liu said China can use the downturn as an opportunity to restructure its economy, which has relied heavily on government investment, foreign trade and low-cost technology over the past years. "When the economy is experiencing fast growth, companies are unwilling to upgrade their technologies," Liu said. "The slowdown gives such firms the opportunity to enhance their competitive edge through better technologies." (From China Daily 2009-01-11) 3

['QSN How many people are mentioned in this passage? ANS At least 5.', "QSN It can be inferred from Liu's words that the impact of the current financial turbulence on China's economy is _ . ANS the least", "QSN According to the passage, the reason why Liu said this downturn is an opportunity for China to restructure its economy is that _ . ANS The downturn will force China's companies to upgrade their technologies"]

Ever wonder how this season's celebrations affect the environment? Guest blogger Krista Fairles takes an amusing look at this very topic: The holidays are a wonderful, cheerful time when most people wait for Santa to bring them presents. But I'm not like most people. I spend my time wondering just what the environmental impacts of Santa Claus and his reindeer are, and more importantly, how I can calculate those impacts. Lately I've been particularly curious as to whether Santa's old sled is a clean green flying machine, or if he should be replacing his 8 reindeer with an environmentally-friendly car. I should mention that, surprisingly, I was unable to find statistics specific to Santa's magical flying reindeer, so these calculations use numbers from various sources and may not represent actual pollution caused by Santa and his animals. In other words, don't complain to the government about the damage Santa is causing the environment based on this article. Santa's yearly trip around the globe is 44,000km long, twice the average of a North American driver. If we assume that the magic provides the altitude for this trip, then reindeer power only needs to push Santa's sled forward. To complete the trip in 12 hours, I estimate they must travel at a speed of about 3100km/h. To travel at this speed, for this length of time, the reindeer need to eat an incredible 980 million calories each!! So the next question is: how much food is in 980 million calories? Well, if they're eating corn, they'd need to eat 16,500 lbs each -- or 1.6 acres of food. Growing 12.8 acres of corn has its own implications for the environment that we'll leave for another calculation. We now need to consider that during the global trip the reindeer are "letting out" some of that corn in the form of methane (,). A resting cow produces 110 kg of methane per year, so flying reindeer would each let out about 4.8 tons. With methane causing 20 times the global warming damage of CO2, and the altitude increasing that damage by 1000% that another 20 times, we can put Santa's round-trip emissions at 15,488 tons. This is much more than the 100 tons an environmentally-friendly car would release on the same trip! Bad Santa. 4

["QSN Which aspect does the writer NOT include in her analyses about reindeer's influence on environment? ANS Money spent on food.", 'QSN Which of the following statements would the writer most probably agree with? ANS Raising animals has a negative influence on environment.', 'QSN Which of the following words best describes the language style of the passage? ANS Humourous and concerned.', 'QSN Which of the following is the best title for this passage? ANS Is Santa driving clean and green?']

If you are a fruit grower--or would like to become one--take advantage of Apple Day to see what's around. It's called Apple Day but in practice it's more like Apple Month. The day itself is on October 21, but sinceit has caught on, events now spread out over most of October around Britain. Visiting an apple event is a good chance to see, and often taste, a wide variety of apples. To people who are used to the limited choice of apples such as Golden Delicious and Royal Gala in supermarkets, it can be quite an eye opener to see the range of classical apples still in existence, such as Decio which was grown by the Romans. Although it doesn't taste of anything special, it's still worth a try, as is the knobbly Cat's Head which is more of a curiosity than anything else. There are also varieties developed to suit specific local conditions. One of the very best varieties for eating quality is Orleans Reinette, but you'll need a warm, sheltered place with perfect soil to grow it, so it's _ for most apple lovers who fall for it. At the events, you can meet expert growers and discuss which ones will best suit your conditions, and because these are family affairs, children are well catered for with apple-themed fun and games. Apple Days are being held at all sorts of places with an interest in fruit, including stately gardens and commercial orchards .If you want to have a real orchard experience, try visiting the National Fruit Collection at Brogdale, near Faversham in Kent. 3

['QSN What can people do at the apple events? ANS Taste many kinds of apples.', 'QSN What can we learn about Decio? ANS It is rarely seen now.', "QSN What is the author's purpose in writing the text? ANS To introduce an apple festival."]

You may have heard about the many benefits of yoga, but a recent New York Times story, has stirred up more than a little controversy in the yoga community. "How Yoga Can _ Your Body," by science writer William J. Broad, quotes a long-time yoga teacher who "...has come to believe that 'the vast majority of people' should give up yoga altogether. It's simply too likely to cause harm." He goes on to describe a number of cases where people have been injured doing yoga, including himself. The research in the article isn't groundbreaking: doing any form of exercise you could potentially hurt yourself. If you look at the injury rates of other physical activities, the number of injuries sustained from yoga would pale in comparison. Practicing yoga is just like anything in life: You have to push yourself in order to grow. But you also have to know your limits and when you're breaking them. If you stick to your comfort zone, you'll never be able to increase your flexibility. If you push to the point where you're not only uncomfortable, but in real pain, you'll likely injure yourself. The reasons that yoga causes "serious injury", according to the Times story, range from students' physical weaknesses to inexperienced teachers pushing too hard to the growing number of inflexible "urbanites who sit in chairs all day" trying hard to twist themselves into difficult postures. Yoga is called a "practice" for a reason. You don't have to be perfect. You don't have to tackle every pose. It doesn't matter if you can touch the floor with your palms during your first forward bend or your thousandth, or if you never get there. We go to the mat to learn to better listen to what our bodies are telling us, and to better hear that quiet inner voice drowned out by the noise of our busy lives. It's a shame to discourage the majority of people from practicing yoga and missing out on all of the mind-body benefits that going to the mat has to offer. 2

["QSN Which is not mentioned among the reasons for yoga being likely to cause injury? ANS The body doesn't tell when you are in real pain.", "QSN What is the author's attitude towards practicing yoga? ANS One should enjoy the physical and mental benefit that yoga brings."]

A small piece of fish each day may keep the heart doctor away. That's the finding of a study of Dutch men in which deaths from heart disease were more than 50 percent lower among those who consumed at least an ounce of salt water fish per day compared to those who never ate fish. The Dutch research is one of three human studies that give strong scientific support to the long held belief that eating fish can provide health benefits, particularly to the heart. Heart disease is the number-one killer in the United States, with more than 550,000deaths occurring from heart attacks each year. But previous research has shown that the level of heart disease is lower in cultures that consume more fish than Americans do. There are fewer heart disease deaths, for example, among the Eskimos of Greenland, who consume about 14 ounces of fish a day, and among the Japanese, whose daily fish consumption averages more than 3 ounces. For 20 years, the Dutch study followed 852 middle-aged men, 20 percent of whom ate no fish. At the start of the study, average fish consumption was about two-thirds of an ounce each day, with more men eating lean fish than fatty fish. During the next two decades, 78of the men died from heart disease , The fewest deaths were among the group who regularly ate fish, even at levels far lower than those of the Japanese of Eskimos, This _ was true regardless of other factors such as age, high blood pressure, or blood cholesterol levels. 3

['QSN Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage? ANS People who regularly eat fish never suffer from heart disease.', "QSN The passage is mainly about _ . ANS the effect of fish eating on people's health", 'QSN We can infer from the passage that there are fewer heart disease deaths _ . ANS in countries with high consumption of fish']

Until late in the 20th century, most Americans spent time with people of generations. Now mid-aged Americans may not keep in touch with old people until they are old themselves.That's because we group people by age. We put our three-year-olds together in day-care center, our 13-year-olds in school and sports activities, and our 80-year-olds in senior-citizen homes. Why? We live away from the old for many reasons: young people sometimes avoid the old to get rid of fears for aging and dying. It is much harder to watch .someone we love disappear before our eyes. Sometimes it's so hard that we stay away from the people who need us most. Fortunately, .some of us have found our way to the old. And we have discovered that they often save the young. A reporter moved her family onto a block filled with old people. At first her children were disappointed. But the reporter baked banana bread for the neighbours and had her children deliver it and visit. Soon the children had many new friends, with whom they shared food, stories and projects. "My children have never been less lonely," the reporter said. The young, in turn, save the old. Once I was in a rest home when a visitor showed up with a baby. She was immediately surrounded. People who hadn't gotten out of bed in a week suddenly were ringing for a wheelchair. Even those who had seemed asleep wake up to watch the child. Babies have an astonishing power to comfort and cure. Grandparents are a special case. They give grandchildren a feeling of security and continuity. As my husband put it, "my grandparents gave me a deep sense that things would turn out right in the end." Grandchildren speak of attention they don't get from worried parents. "My parents were always telling me to hurry up, and my grandparents told me to slow down," one friend said. A teacher told me she can tell which pupils have relationships with grandparents: they are quieter, calmer, more trusting. 5

['QSN Now in an American family, people can find that _ . ANS not all working people live with their parents', 'QSN The reason why old people are left alone may be that _ . ANS different generations have different lifestyles', 'QSN The fact that the reporter told us shows that _ . ANS old people are easy to get along with', 'QSN Seeing a baby, the old people get excited because _ . ANS the baby brought them the image of life', 'QSN Why do children not get attention from their parents? ANS Because their parents are too busy to take care of them.']

When was the last time your family sat down together to have a dinner? The speed at which we live today no longer allows for slow eating habits. Most people work long hours. There is lots of fast food and eating out is now on the increase. Often, food is eaten in front of the television in silence, or a child eats alone in front of the computer. When I was a child, every evening around the same time, one of the children would be asked to set the table, and then we'd go and wash our hands: before the meal. This was the time of day when we would talk about our day at school. But now things have changed a lot. A family environment plays an important role for children in learning to communicate with others and understanding table manners, such as waiting for others to finish before leaving the table and not speaking with a mouth full of food. Parents' likes and dislikes of a certain food will also influence a child's own likes and dislikes. Studies have shown that children who often eat with their families have better results at school than children who eat with their families less than twice a week. Regular meal times give children the chance to discuss their problems with family members. They can also learn to respect others around the table. Talking to your children over dinner is the best way of having their-trust. Children learn good eating habits from their parents at a very young age. Family meals are important. Prepare them for your children. 4

['QSN Some families eat less together because _ . ANS people are busy with their work', 'QSN Children who often eat with their families _ . ANS turn out to do better in their studies', "QSN Which word can best describe the writer's attitude towards eating together with families? ANS Supportive.", 'QSN Which would be the best title of the passage? ANS Why should the family eat together?']

Here's one number to keep in mind during your next cell phone conversation: 50. A new experiment shows that spending 50 minutes with an active phone pressed up to the ear increases activity in the brain. This brain activity probably doesn't make you smarter. When cell phones are on, they emit energy in the form of radiation that could be harmful, especially after years of cell phone usage. Scientists don't know yet whether cell phones are bad for the brain. Studies like this one are attempting to find it out. The 47 participants in the experiment may have looked a little strange. Each one had two Samsung cell phones attached to his or her head -- one on each ear. The phone on the left ear was off. The phone on the right ear played a message for 50 minutes, but the participants couldn't hear it because the sound was off. With this set-up, the scientists could be sure they were studying brain activity from the phone itself, and not brain activity due to listening and talking during a conversation. After 50 minutes with two phones strapped to their heads, the participants were given PET scans. The PET scan showed that the left side (the side with the phone turned off) of each participant's brain hadn't changed during the experiment. The right side of the brain, however, had used more glucose, which is a type of sugar that provides fuel to brain cells. These right-side brain cells were using almost as much glucose as the brain uses when a person is talking. This suggests that the brain cells there were active -- even without the person hearing anything. That activity, the scientists say, was probably caused by radiation from the phone. Henry Lai, who works at the University of Washington in Seattle, is uncomfortable with the data related to cell phones. Holding a cell phone to your ear during a conversation is "not really safe," Lai told Science News. Lai is a bioengineer at the University of Washington in Seattle. He wrote an article about the new study for a journal, but he did not work on the study. Bioengineers bring together ideas from engineering and biology. For those who don't want to wait to find out for sure whether cell phones are bad for the brain, there are ways to talk more safely. You can have short and sweet conversations, use a speakerphone or keep the phone away from your head. 4

['QSN Which of the following statement is true? ANS Radiation from the phone probably causes the change in the brain.', "QSN Why weren't the participants allowed to have a conversation on the phone during the experiment? ANS Because the scientists want to be sure of the accuracy of the experiment.", 'QSN What is glucose? ANS A type of sugar that gives energy to brain cells.', 'QSN Where is this article probably taken from? ANS Science News.']

Phillip Island Penguins The Little Penguin has called prefix = st1 /PhillipIslandhome for untold generations. Get to Phillip Island inplenty of time to watch a summer sunset at Summerland Beach-the stage is attractively set to see the Little Penguin leave water and step onto land. *Leave Melbourne at 5:30 pm. for a direct journey to PhillipIsland *See the Gippsland area-Guinness Book of Records place for the world's longest earthworm *Journey along the coastal highway around the Bay with French Island and Churchill Island in the distance *Cross the bridge at San Remo to enter Phillip Island-natural home for Little Penguins and many animals *Take your place in special viewing stands to watch the daily evening performance of the wild Little penguins Ultimate Penguins (+U) Join a group of up to 15. This guided tour goes to an attractive, quiet beach to see Little Pen-guins. You can see penguins at night by wearing a special pair of glasses. Adult $ 60.00 Child $ 30.00 Viewing Platform Penguin Plus (+V) More personalized wildlife viewing limited to 130 people providing closer viewing of the penguin arrival than the main viewing stands. Adult $ 25.00 Child $ 12.50 Penguin Skybox (+S) Join a group of only 5 in the comfort of a special, higher-up viewing tower. Gain an excellent overview of SummerlandBeach. Adult 16 yrs + $ 50.00 3

['QSN What kind of people is the text mainly written for? ANS tourists.', 'QSN We can learn from the text that Little Penguins _ . ANS have been on PhillipIslandfor years', 'QSN How much would a couple with one child pay for a closer viewing tour? ANS $ 62.50.']

Traveling can be a way to gain life experiences,especially during Spring Break--a week long school vacation in the United States. But what if you're a student and don't have enough money for a trip?Don't worry. Here are some useful suggestions. Save:This probably is the most important preparation for traveling. Cut expenses to fatten your wallet so you'll have more choices about where to go and how to get there. Plan ahead:Don't wait until the last minute to plan your trip. Tickets may cost more when bought on short notice. Giving yourself several months to get ready can mean security and savings. Do your homework:No matter where you go,research the places you will visit. Decide what to see. Travel books will provide information on the cheapest hotels and restaurants. Plan sensibly:Write down what you expect to spend for food and hotels. Stick to your plan or you may not have enough money to cover everything. Travel in groups:Find someone who is interested in visiting the same places. By traveling with others you can share costs and experiences. Work as you go:Need more money to support your trip?Look for work in the places you visit. Go off the beaten path:Tourist cities may be expensive. You may want to rethink your trip and go to a lesserknown area. Smaller towns can have many interesting activities and sights. Pack necessary things:The most important things to take are not always clothes. Remember medicine in case you get sick and snacks in case you cannot find a cheap restaurant. Use the Internet:The net can help to save money. Some useful websites include _ . By planning sensibly,even students can enjoy the travel. Your travel experiences will be remembered for a lifetime. 4

['QSN This passage is about _ . ANS how to plan your travel', 'QSN Before your trip,the first thing you should do is _ . ANS to save money by spending less', 'QSN The writer advises you _ . ANS not to go to wellknown places', 'QSN During your trip, _ . ANS you can gain valuable life experiences']

What do you think of British people and American people? You might think that there are no differences between the people in the two countries. After all they speak the same language, don't they? But if you ask a British or an American person, the differences are quite great. What do British people think Americans are like? The British think Americans are very strange. They make a lot of noise and they laugh too loudly. They are rich, and they only think about money. But the British do say that Americans are kind, friendly people. They are happy to help you if you are in trouble. What do Americans think of the British? Well, they think the British are cold and very unfriendly. They are not interested in success or in making lots of money. They think Britain is the best country in the world. They look down upon other countries. But Americans say that the British are quite good workers. They are brave and honest. And in time of trouble they face difficulties happily. You can see that these ideas can cause misunderstanding between the British and Americans. But when American and British people become friends, they usually find things are not as bad as they expected. ,: 3

['QSN What do you think of the differences between British and American people? ANS The differences are very great.', 'QSN What do the British think Americans are like? ANS They are strange but friendly.', 'QSN The American and British people usually get along quite well _ . ANS once they become friends']

In Florida,one McDonald's customer started a pay-it-forward chain that inspired other 249 customers to be generous and do the same. ABC News reports the spirit of giving is in the air as 250 drive-thru customer at a local McDonald's paid for the meals of the people next to the them.Lakeland customer Torie Keene was paying for her food on Wednesday morning when she decided to pay for the meal of the car next to her. Keene then purposely told McDonald's cashier Marisabel Figueroa to greet the other customer "Merry Christmas" and not "Happy Holidays."The next customer was moved when Figueroa said her food was already paid by the previous car.That's when she thought that she would love to do the same and the domino effect followed. Figueroa,who worked from 9 a.m.to 3 p.m.on Wednesday,said that the chain reaction almost lasted for her entire shift."I just kept giving everyone the same message,and they were all so stunned and so happy,"she continued."One lady even paid for the meals of the next three cars behind her." While people were amazed by how generous they could get,Figueroa said she had "never experienced something like that before" in her 12 years of working for McDonald's."I feel very blessed to have been a part of a11 that,"the cashier said. Keene contacted Figueroa on Facebook when the pay-it-forward chain came out in the local news.She revealed that she was the "mystery customer" that started the long chain of kindness. Keene added that she was surprised by the number of people who continued her good deed when she was only trying to brighten someone's day. 3

['QSN Who started the pay-it-forward chain? ANS Torie Keene from Lakeland.', "QSN What're the drivers' reactions towards the generous behavior? ANS Amazed and moved.", 'QSN For how long did the chain last? ANS About six hours.']

Owning a personal island is a luxurious treat one can imagine. New Holland Island $400 million, 18 acres Roman Abramovich Investment Banker Located in Saint Petersburg Canal in Russia, the island takes its name after its resemblance to areas in Amsterdam. The owner plans to turn it into a cultural center. The new look of this island is expected to be revealed in another six years. Musha Cay Island $150 million, 700 acres David Copperfield Famous magician World-famous magician David Copperfield has developed the island located in the southern part of Bahamas into a magical resort with adventures, treasure hunts, luxurious apartments, and water sports. All these, for $32,250 a night! Mago Island $10 million, 5,400 acres Mel Gibson Actor Interestingly, this island is almost the size of a small country! Mel Gibson does not plan on developing it into a resort, thus keeping its natural beauty. Mosquito Island $15 million, 120 acres Richard Branson Investor This island is rich in eco-diversity and is also one of the rich rainforest places. Branson plans to make this island the most eco-friendly and develop the biodiversity of this island. James Island $19 million, 780 acres Craig McCaw Cell phone pioneer Craig McCaw plans to develop the island, but not at the cost of losing its natural beauty. Smoking is banned on the island, and only electric bikes or cars are used for transport. All power lines are laid underground. The island also has a golf course designed by the excellent golf champion Jack Nicklaus. Allan Island $13.5 million, 292 acres Paul Allen Investor The island is reportedly named after a hero, and Paul Allen plans on building a vacation home here. However, his vacation home was built on another island nearby. So, the Allan Island now has only a caretaker's small house without electricity. And it is up for sale. Hands anybody? 4

['QSN The island which has been developed now belongs to a(n) _ . ANS famous magician', 'QSN How many acres does the cheapest island of the six cover? ANS 5,400.', "QSN Who will be potential visitors to the James Island? ANS Those who agree with the environmentalists' ideas.", 'QSN If you want to buy a personal island, you should pay a visit to _ . ANS the Allan Island']

Lisa has always been overweight. She wanted to lose weight, not just because she wanted to look more beautiful and healthier, but also because it would make life easier. For example, it was difficult for Lisa to find ready-made clothes that would fit. She had to ask a tailor to make clothes that were large enough. In school, she needed a special chair which was bigger and stronger than the other chairs. If she went for a walk, she got tired very quickly. She was also unhappy about the way people treated her sometimes. "People look at me and even make fun of me. That's unfair! It's true that I'm overweight, but I don't think people should treat me differently because I'm big. I can't enjoy having dinner with my friends because I'm afraid of getting fatter. "Her friends and family never made fun of her. They tried to help her instead. They wanted her to be happy and healthy. Sometimes when Lisa was feeling sad, she didn't want to speak to anyone. But now things are quite different. Last month her classmates were preparing for the School Art Week. Someone advised Lisa to play the lead role of the Proud Queen who was tall and fat. Lisa agreed and practiced a lot. Soon after the play, Lisa became the star! She did so well that everybody remembered the Proud Queen. They stood around her and said "Congratulations"to her. She even won the School Best Actress Award for her wonderful performance. Now Lisa doesn't worry about being fat any more. She believes in the English saying " _ 2

['QSN How did Lisa feel about her weight at first? ANS Worried', 'QSN Why was Lisa chosen to play the role of the queen in the play? ANS Because she was fat.']

At the U.S. Open championships in Flushing Meadows, New York last week, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) held an unusual youth press conference . I say "unusual" because the main idea wasn't to promote the sport for young children. Yes, there was a youth tennis exhibition in which a group of fresh-faced kids from the area showed off their well developed skills. They used junior racquets and larger, low-pressure balls on a half-size tennis court-a way the organization supports as a means to help children have early success and stick with the game. But the event's real purpose was to help parents realize the importance of introducing kids to all kinds of athletic programs rather than focusing specially on one. _ may sound like something easy to do, but it's not. In today's achievement-oriented ( ) environment, children are being pushed to specialize in a single sport-whether it's tennis, hockey, soccer, or gymnastics - at ever-younger ages. Tom Farrey, executive director of the nonprofit Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program, says year-round sports programs are now offered down to age 5, too early an age for a child to limit himself or herself to a single activity. While parents naturally want the best for their child, they are being pressured by coaches to let him or her stick with one thing. The result: More kids under age 12 are suffering injuries or, worse, burnout. According to the Aspen Institute's report, Project Play, fewer kids today are staying involved with sports than five years ago, partly because of forced specialization. Today's children are already on track to live shorter, less healthy lives than their parents because of obesity and related diseases, and this trend is only worsening matters. Multi-sport participation, however, leads to better performance (because kids get a chance to develop different sets of skills ) and greater enjoyment of the game, says Farrey. The headlining athletes at the event repeated the idea that having kids do more than one sport is a plus (good for them). 3

['QSN According to Tom Farrey, which of the following statements is TRUE? ANS Parents are being pressured to let their kids stick with one sport.', 'QSN Fewer kids are staying involved with sports now than five years ago partly because they _ . ANS are pushed into specialized sport too hard', "QSN What's the best title for the passage? ANS Stop Specializing in Sports So Early"]

Do you know of anyone who uses the truth to deceive ? When someone tells you something that is true, but leaves out important information that should be included, he can give you a false picture. For example, some might say, "I just won a hundred dollars on the lottery . It was great. I took that dollar ticket back to the store and turned it in for one hundred dollars!" This guy's a winner, right? Maybe, maybe not. We then discover that he bought $200 worth of tickets, and only one was a winner. He's really a big loser! www. .com He didn't say anything that was false, but he left out important information on purpose. That's called a half-truth. Half-truths are not technically lies, but they are just as dishonest. Some politicians often use this trick. Let's say that during Governor Smith's last term, her state lost one million jobs and gained three million jobs. Then she seeked another term. One of her opponents said, "During Governor Smith's term, the state lost one million jobs!" That's true. However, an honest statement would have been, "During Governor Smith's term, the state had a net gain of two million jobs." Advertisers will sometimes use half-truths. It's against the law to make false statements so they try to mislead you with the truth. An advertisement might say, "Nine out of ten doctors advised their patients to take Yucky Pills to cure toothache." It fails to mention that they only asked ten doctors and nine of them work for the Yucky Company. This kind of deception happens too often. Lies are lies, and sometimes the truth can lie as well, which is a sad fact of life. 3

['QSN How much did the lottery winner lose? ANS One hundred dollars.', 'QSN We may infer that the author believes people should _ . ANS not take anything at face value', 'QSN What can we know from the example of the Yucky Pill advertisement? ANS Half-truths are often used to mislead people.']

Ask a group of elderly people what it was about their lives that made them happiest overall, and they'll probably mention some warm relationships with family and friends. If you're satisfied with your social life, according to psychologists, you tend to be satisfied with life in general. From the point of my 50s, I'd say that sounds about right. Some of my happiest moments are the ones I spend with my husband, a few close relatives, and a handful of very good friends who know me well and like me anyway. But the more I read about how social media are interfering with good old-fashioned friendship, creating virtual bonds that can't quite take the place of real ones, the more I wonder just how today's 20-somethings will look back on their own lives when they're my age. After all, much crucial relationship building work is done in the 20s. According to research by the late Bernice Neugarten of the University of Chicago, who helped launch the academic study of human development, people choose most of their adult relationships, both friends and lovers, between the ages of 22 and 28. The friends we make in our 20s are not only best friends forever; they're also our first truly chosen friends. And choosing how to commit to these friendships is an essential psychological task of the 20s. But with so much of friendship in this age group now being developed online, an essential question is what the effect of that interaction is. A study, conducted in 2010 by Craig Watkins and Erin Lee of the University of Texas at Austin, investigated the Facebook habits of 776 young people between the ages of 18 and 35. "Whether it is a wall post, a comment, or a photo," they wrote, "young people's engagement with Facebook is driven, primarily, by a desire to stay connected to and involved in the lives of friends who live close by, far away, or have just entered into their lives." This kind of constant contact can be efficient, but it can also be upsetting. For one thing, it adds a new layer of concern to a young person's already-heightened awareness of social ranking, giving appearance-conscious young people yet another thing to worry about. "I see other 20-somethings feeling pressured to constantly keep up a public image, especially a public image online," wrote Ariana Allensworth on the group blog. "Folks are always keeping the world informed one way or another about what they're up to, where they're at, what projects they're working on. It can be a bit much at times." Not the most fertile ground for real-world friendship. 4

['QSN According to the passage, the 20s is an age for people to _ . ANS develop critical relationships', 'QSN Which of the following is a disadvantage of making friends online? ANS It robs people of the happy moments spent with friends.', 'QSN What was the aim of the study conducted by Craig Watkins and Erin Lee? ANS To find out how social media affect real-world social life.', 'QSN The author may agree that _ . ANS real-world friendship is a better choice for young people']

On the first day of the New Year 2013, I made up my mind to go to Thailand to teach English as a volunteer. Fresh out of college with the world at my fingertips, all I cared about was travelling and seeing the world. Little did I know how awesome my life would be in the coming months! My journey began with the attendance of TESOL certification course in my home state of Florida last February. After 3 weekends of study and another 40 hours' post-study online, I received my TESOL certificate. I was put in touch with Philip, who is Program Director of the Teach in Thailand. In close consultation with Philip, I chose my employment school and after many months of excitement, I finally boarded my plane to Thailand in early April, and set off on an adventure! After a few weeks of single travel, I met up with Philip and the other new teachers in my program in Bangkok. It was great to meet other people who were on the same journey as me, see some cool sights and hang out in Thailand's cities! Directly after that, I attended the week-long seminar , which is included in the Teach in Thailand Program. At the end of the seminar, I was transported to my employment school---Anuban Buriram Primary School. I truly love my job--- I teach Grades 5 and 6 and I have the cleverest and most motivated kids in the world. It's a truly fantastic thing that you can see the difference you make in someone else's life, right in front of you! The city Buriram is small, surrounded with green rice fields. People here are more friendly than anyone I've ever met--I've never been anywhere where a smile is so easily received, where everyone you pass is so eager to say "Hello" and "Good morning". I've been taken out to countless dinners, and been lent a guitar, a digital camera, and even a motorbike, and I am constantly given little Thai treats and the most delicious fresh fruits many times a week. I only hope to pay it forward in the future. 4

['QSN To teach English in a foreign country, one has to _ . ANS receive a certificate of TESOL', 'QSN What did the author do immediately after arriving in Thailand? ANS He travelled around Thailand by himself.', 'QSN The author wrote this passage in order to _ . ANS tell us his voluntary experience in Thailand', 'QSN The author found his teaching in Thailand _ . ANS rewarding']

David Cameron mistakenly left his eight-year-old daughter in a pub by herself when he drove off without her, as was reported last night. The Prime Minister --who had been enjoying Sunday drinks with his family near Chequers--only realized his eldest daughter was missing when he arrived back at his official country house. The Camerons had been drinking at the Plough Inn, in Cadsden, Buckinghamshire, with their three children and two other families. As they were to leave, Nancy went off to the toilet without telling them. The Prime Minister was driven back to Chequers, which is two miles from the pub, with protection officers in one car. Mr Cameron thought that Nancy was in the car with his wife, while she thought that their daughter had jumped in with the Prime Minister. A spokesman for the Prime Minister last night said he was worried when he realized what had happened. They later confirmed that Mr Cameron returned to the pub to pick up Nancy. "Thankfully when they phoned the pub she was there safe and well," the spokesman said. "The Prime Minister went down straight away to get her." When Mr Cameron arrived back at the pub, he found his daughter happily helping the owner of the pub. It is understood she had been left by herself for 15 minutes. The spokesman refused to discuss whether Mr Cameron had drunk alcohol. "He had gone with friends at lunchtime, with a number of families with children, and they left in various different vehicles. As you know, the Prime Minister is a very busy man but he always tries to live as normal a life as possible with his family." he said. Last night a pub "insider" said: "You'd have thought that someone would have done a headcount or something." It's not like you can look up David Cameron in the phonebook and then ring to say you've left your daughter behind. It's frightening that the Prime Minister of Britain can forget something so important as his own daughter. 2

['QSN What can we learn about the Camerons? ANS Nancy was left at the pub by chance.', 'QSN Where is the passage probably taken from? ANS A newspaper.']

Top Four Ways to Build a Wonderful Life 1. Live Below Your Means There will always be temptation to give up the future for immediate pleasure. We all want to buy that new piece of technology, treat ourselves to an expensive night on the town, or take out a loan for the flashy car we can't afford. It might feel great at the time but unwise spending hurts a lot later on. Enjoy life's simple pleasures and save as much as you can. Expensive things don't create lasting happiness and security. Careful spending will bring you greater leisure and enjoyment in the long run. 2. Put Your Money to Work Saving is great, but to make the most of your money you need to put it to work. Good investments can be the difference between retiring in your 40's or in your 60's. A post today at The Simple Dollar really got me thinking. According to Trent's estimates, if a person in their early 20's invests 20% of their income in an S&P index fund, the interest they earn will equal their current salary when they reach their early 40's. They could retire without a drop in income! Wise investing is the surest path to financial independence and it's something everyone can work on. It's definitely an area I'll be devoting more attention to in my personal life. 3. Educate Yourself To be happy we need continuous growth. The best way to grow is life-long education. This doesn't mean you need to pursue a doctorate or spend 2 hours reading every day. Self-education can be anything that takes you out of your comfort zone. The important part is keeping an open mind and searching for fresh ideas and perspectives. Education builds over time. It might feel like the bits of wisdom you acquire don't mean much, but over the years they add up to form a wiser, kinder, more interesting person. 4. Develop Lasting Personal Relationships Suppose you had everything you wanted. Would you be happy without anyone to share it with? The personal relationships we develop with friends and family members are the greatest source of happiness in our lives. Don't forget about them. Taking the time to cultivate and enjoy personal relationships is essential to long-term happiness. Without the people you care about you'll probably be miserable, no matter how successful you become. 4

["QSN According to the passage, in order to achieve financial independence after retirement, we'd better _ . ANS invest our money wisely when we are young", 'QSN From the passage we can infer that some people try to _ . ANS gain happiness by buying themselves expensive things', 'QSN The author of the passage may agree that the key to self-education is _ . ANS being open to new ideas and views', 'QSN The above passage is written in order to _ . ANS offer ways to achieve a happy and successful life']

Miep Gies, the woman who hid the Dutch girl Anne Frank's diary from the Nazis to become one of the world's most-read books, died after a brief illness at the age of 100. It was Gies who guarded Anne's diary, and presented it to the girl's father, Otto, when he returned from the Auschwitz concentration camp at the end of World War II--the only one of his family to survive. In her diary, Anne Frank wrote about her teenage life hiding from the Nazis in Amsterdam from 1942 to 1944, when the Nazi police discovered her and her family's hiding place. The diary, first published in 1947, has been translated into 70 languages. Anne Frank expressed a great wish to live on after death. Miep Gies saw it as her duty to help in making this happen. Born in Vienna in 1909, Gies moved to the Netherlands at the age of 11. In 1933, she began working for Otto Frank at his trading company. At great risk to her own safety, she and four other helpers brought food and supplies to the Frank family hiding in a secret office building for more than two years. When she turned 100, _ . "I'm not a hero," she said. " It wasn't something I planned in advance. I simply did what I could to help." Every day she received letters from all over the world with questions about her relationship with Anne Frank and her role as a helper. Gies received many honors for her role, including from the Netherlands, Germany and Israel. 5

['QSN When did Miep Gies move to the Netherlands? ANS In 1920.', "QSN Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? ANS Anne's father Otto survived World War II.", 'QSN By saying "Gies tried to play down her own role", the writer means Gies _ . ANS thought she was overpraised', "QSN What's the best title for the passage? ANS Woman who saved Anne's diary dies at 100.", "QSN What can we infer from the passage? ANS Miep Gies did a great favor to Anne's family."]

We know, painkillers in a tablet can make your headache go away, and antibiotic from a tube can prevent your cuts from becoming infected. Can medicine come in chicken eggs? A team of scientists from Scotland says "yes." They've kept some special chickens that lay eggs with disease-treating drugs inside. These drugs are made of molecules called proteins. Animals make thousands of proteins--they're the main ingredients in skin, hair, milk, and meat. Since animals can make proteins easily, they're good animals for making protein drugs. Researchers have already made cows, sheep, and goats that pump out protein drugs in their milk. But chickens are cheaper to take care of, need less room, and grow faster than these other animals. "Those qualities could make chickens a better choice to become living drug factories." says Simon Lillico of the Roslin Institute near Edinburgh, Scotland. Lillico and a team of researchers changed chickens' DNA--the code that tells cells how to make proteins--so that the birds' cells made two protein drugs. One drug can treat skin cancer, and the other treats a nerve disease called multiple sclerosis. The scientists changed the chickens' DNA so that the birds made these drugs only in their egg whites. This protects the chickens' bodies from the drugs' possible harmful effects and makes it easy for scientists to collect the drugs. These special chickens can pass on their drug-laying abilities to their chicks. So far, the Scottish researchers have kept five generations of drug-producing chickens. But the scientists need to improve these chickens. The chickens don't make enough drugs to treat people yet. Once the researchers perfect their technique, you might eventually take your medicine from chicken eggs. 4

['QSN What is the best title of the passage? ANS Chickens: a Better Choice of Living Drug Factories.', 'QSN Which of the following is Not True according to the passage? ANS Chickens can produce the best quality of drugs among the drug-producing animals.', 'QSN Why did the chickens make the drugs only in the egg whites? ANS Because it will help to collect the drugs easily.', 'QSN What can be inferred from the passage? ANS This technique still needs improving so as to satisfy the normal application.']