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

Question: What does the author think Joe Temper should be to blame for?

Choices:
- He should have equipped his car with a security system.
- He should not have his car refilled at the gas station.
- He should not have been so sure of himself..
- He should have shut down the engine of his car.

Question: What is NOT a reason for the increase of car theft as mentioned in the passage?

Choices:
- Police don't give enough attention to car theft cases.
- More people parked their cars and left the keys inside.
- Measures and laws against car thieves are not effective enough.
- Car theft brings car thieves much money.

Question: It is obvious that the Michigan program  _  .

Choices:
- has an effect on the whole USA
- involves the development of a new safety system
- involves the construction of larger prisons
- involves much work but proves to be quite effective

Question: What type (s) of safety system can help the police find a stolen car back?

Choices:
- The device that sends out radio signals.
- The device that disables the fuel pumps.
- The device that disables the starter.
- All of the above.


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

Question: What changes the color of your shirt?

Choices:
- The mirror.
- The counter.
- The shirt itself.
- The medicine.

Question: How do the shoes know that your shouldn't eat the breakfast cereal?

Choices:
- By pouring the breakfast into a bowl.
- By listening to the doctor's advice.
- By testing the food supplies in the kitchen.
- By checking the nutrition details of the food.

Question: The strawberries the children eat serve as  _  .

Choices:
- lunch
- vaccines
- breakfast
- nutrition

Question: How is the text organized?

Choices:
- In order of time.
- In order of frequency.
- In order of preference.
- In order of importance.


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

Question: Why do stores usually display fruits and vegetables in the first section?

Choices:
- To save customers times.
- To show they are high quality foods.
- To help sell junk food.
- To sell them at discount prices.

Question: What is the California builder's story intended to prove?

Choices:
- The house structure is a key factor customers consider.
- The more costly the house is, the better it sells.
- An ocean view is much to the customers' taste.
- A good first impression increases sales.

Question: What is the main purpose of the passage?

Choices:
- To explain how businesses turn people into their customers.
- To introduces how businesses have grown from the past.
- To report researches on customer behavior.
- To show dishonest business practices.


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

Question: What is the text mainly about?

Choices:
- What to do on Father's Day.
- How to choose Father's Day gifts.
- How to remember Father's Day.
- How to make a meaningful Father's Day gift.

Question: Making a gift yourself for Father's Day might   _  .

Choices:
- show your talent for art
- cost you a lot of money and time
- make your father think about how time flies
- make your father keep the gift for a long time


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

Question: What was the difficulty that passengers met with on the very first day of the opening?

Choices:
- It was difficult for them to find the right car parking spaces.
- It took too long to get through security to get into the building.
- They were not familiar with the new systems in the building.
- They had to wait a long time and play catch-up when checking in.

Question: What can we infer from the passage?

Choices:
- People expected too high for London Heathrow Terminal 5.
- Something went wrong on the very first day of the opening.
- Staffs were complaining about the shamble in the day.
- The British Airline was the only airline operating at Terminal5.

Question: What is the best title of the passage?

Choices:
- London Heathrow Terminal 5.
- The First Day of Heathrow Terminal 5.
- A New Star for Heathrow Terminal 5.
- A Dark History of Heathrow Terminal 5.


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

Question: What did Larry do to save the runaway bus?

Choices:
- He parked it for the sleeping bus driver.
- He helped all the kids climb out through the windows.
- He made a call to the police.
- He pressed the brake.

Question: When did Larry finally feel safe?

Choices:
- When the kids finally stopped screaming.
- When the police officers arrived.
- Once he pressed the brake, and the bus stopped.
- When the bus driver started driving again.

Question: Larry got the following as praise for his hero action Except   _  .

Choices:
- appearing on TV shows
- a scholarship from his school
- a big gift from the bus company
- a medal of honor

Question: Larry thanked his brother Jerrick for   _  .

Choices:
- helping him get the bus driver up
- helping him work on his old truck
- teaching him how to find the brake
- teaching him how to stop the bus


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

Question: Why didn't Florence swim across the Catalina Channel for the first time?

Choices:
- Because she was too tired to go on swimming.
- Because the fog was so thick that she couldn't see her support boats clearly.
- Because she couldn't see the goal on land.
- Because the sea water was too cold.

Question: Which of the following is NOT true?

Choices:
- .Florence Chadwick spent less time swimming across the Catalina Channel than men.
- .Florence Chadwick succeeded in swimming across the Catalina Channel in September,1952.
- People had to use guns to drive away some flesh-eating animals in the sea.
- .No women but Florence Chadwick were able to swim the English Channel in both directions.


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

Question: The current shopping behavior in the US is becoming  _  .

Choices:
- arbitrary
- protective
- conservative
- aggressive

Question: Which is the measure the retailers won't take to attract shoppers?

Choices:
- Adding more stores to the busy retail landscape.
- Keeping the editions of products limited.
- Making "one-stop" shops for customers.
- Concentrating on private brands and downsizing.

Question: What will the consumers do with the worrying US economy?

Choices:
- Having existing stores target local markets.
- Going without some favorite items.
- Giving up their near-term shopping plan.
- Opening their wallets for daily buying.

Question: According to the report,   _  .

Choices:
- bigger shops will be more successful
- supermarkets do better than super centers
- clothing will recover smoothly in 2010
- most respondents suffer from the crisis


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

Question: According to the passage, Ronnie put the truck in the ditch because of   _  .

Choices:
- his concern for his own safety
- his poor driving skill
- the icy road
- his concern for others' lives

Question: What probably made Ronnie come to life after driving the truck in the ditch?

Choices:
- The noise from the highway.
- The call from the Coopers.
- The pain from the burning legs.
- The heat of the fire.

Question: How did Steve put out the flames in Ronnie's legs?

Choices:
- He beat the flames with Ronnie's shirt.
- He beat the flames with his own shirt.
- He put out the fire with a tank of water.
- He put out the fire with a bag of sand.

Question: Which of the following can be the best title of this passage?

Choices:
- Heroes: The Coopers
- Heroes: Roadside Flames
- Accidents on the Icy Road
- Accidents in the Ditch


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

Question: What was the coaches' first attitude towards Brittany's dream?

Choices:
- Supportive
- Enthusiastic
- Optimistic
- Doubtful

Question: What was Brittany's reaction after the operation?

Choices:
- She abandoned herself to self-pity.
- She refused to use the prostheses.
- She accepted the result and tried to get used to it.
- She challenged the children who laughed at her.

Question: What does Brittany want to achieve at the moment?

Choices:
- To stop others'laughing at her.
- To prove her coaches wrong.
- To remove her prostheses.
- To be a flyer.

Question: . What's the best title for the text?

Choices:
- A new leg,a new life
- A new cheerleader, a new record
- Passing the test
- Seeking advantages


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

Question: The advice given by the writer in the passage focuses on   _  .

Choices:
- how to make your house safer from burglars
- what to do when your house is broken into
- how to improve social security in the United States
- how to run a home business

Question: Some home-based entrepreneurs don't invite clients to their home   _  .

Choices:
- to enjoy convenience outside their home
- for reasons of their property safety
- not to let others know their business
- in order to avoid being seen by burglars

Question: All of the following are part of the writer's advice except that the homeowner   _  .

Choices:
- buy a security alarm and turn it on in the evening
- fix an extra lock on the door from inside
- have the doors made of solid hardwood or heavy metal
- keep lights on in all rooms to threaten burglars


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

Question: We can learn from the text that Mr.Filio  _

Choices:
- was generous to young people
- was good at word puzzles
- lived quite near the restaurant
- won a prize from the Philippine Star Newspaper

Question: The author was given a gift because  _  .

Choices:
- Mr.Filio was thankful for her help.
- Mr. Filio was satisfied with her service
- she was the first person to beat Mr.Filio
- she was the new record keeper in the restaurant

Question: After she heard what Mr. Filio said, the author probably felt  _  .

Choices:
- amazed
- excited
- touched
- inspired


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

Question: If you are interested in personal life stories, then you can choose the book   _  .

Choices:
- A Stolen Life
- The Jungle Book
- The Fashion Police
- While We're Far Apart

Question: The ISBN of the book that is most popular among the readers is   _  .

Choices:
- ISBN-13: 978-1613820742
- ISBN-13: 978-1442344983
- ISBN-10: 0764204971
- ISBN-13: 978-1451555653

Question: What makes the book The Fashion Police distinguish itself from others?

Choices:
- It wins the award Christy Award five times.
- It is a great book on violence and family education.
- It is nominated Best Novel with Romantic Elements 2010.
- It has many elements borrowed from stories of true policemen.


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

Question: Where did the writer probably work parttime before attending the university?

Choices:
- In a restaurant.
- In the tennis camps.
- In a company.
- In the admissions office.

Question: The writer took a class at a community college mainly because   _  .

Choices:
- she wanted to save money
- life there was relatively easy
- summer time was tiring
- it was required by the university

Question: The writer's major concern about the trip to Israel was that   _  .

Choices:
- her mother would not give her approval
- she would fail to get credits in Israel
- a wellpaid summer job would be lost
- $1 600 couldn't be drawn out in time

Question: The passage is mainly about how the writer   _  .

Choices:
- made money on the college campus
- managed to make full use of her vacation
- was forced to support herself by her mother
- was shaped by working parttime through college


Every fall, many Jewish people around the world celebrate the holiday of Sukkot  . They build huts   in their backyards, and if it is warm and dry outside, they live in those huts for seven days and nights. Living in a sukkah   is meant to remind Jewish people that for 40 years their ancestors   lived in huts in the desert. In modern times, it has also become a reminder that many people do not have a place to call home.
In 2010, an American reporter named Hoshua Foer was building his own sukkah when he came up with an idea. He wondered what it would be like to have a competition for people around the world to use their imaginations to create modern sukkahs. It would be a design competition. But the sukkah would have to be built according to Jewish laws. These laws are found in an ancient book called Talmud. Some of the laws are surprising! ks5u

* It can be built on a boat.
* It must have at least two and a half walls.
Joshua got in touch with his friend Roger Bennett. They announced the competition in May 2010. More than 600 designers sent plans. Twelve were chosen as finalists  . Then those finalists were each given money so they could build their sukkahs in a park in New York City. People building the final sukkahs were from the United States, France, England, Japan, and Germany.
More than 17,000 people voted   for the winners. At the end of the competition, the sukkahs were sold. The money was then given to a group that helps homeless people.

Question: According to Joshua Foer,   _  .

Choices:
- imaginations are very important to win the competition
- sukkahs can be built at any place and in any shape
- the winning sukkahs will be included in Talmud
- competitors should follow laws made by him

Question: Which of the following is TRUE about the first competition?

Choices:
- More than 600 sukkahs were built in a park in New York City.
- The winning sukkahs were sold to help homeless people.
- Only American people took part in the competition.
- There were 12 judges voting for the winners.

Question: What's the passage mainly about?

Choices:
- How Jewish people design and build modern sukkahs.
- How Jewish people celebrate the holiday of Sukkot.
- A Jewish holiday reminds people of their ancestors.
- A Jewish tradition becomes the idea for a competition.


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

Question: According to this passage, the true statement about human fingerprints is that   _  .

Choices:
- people's fingerprints sometimes can be passed on from parents to children
- people's fingerprints are unique but identical twins may have the same fingerprints
- using fingerprints is the only way to identify people
- people's fingerprints will not change in all their lives

Question: We prefer to use fingerprints to identify people because   _  .

Choices:
- we can never find the same set of fingerprints among human beings
- finger impressions can be taken easily and quickly
- fingerprints offer a most useful and foolproof way of identifying people
- all of the above

Question: The word "foolproof" (Line 7, Para. 1) most probably means   _  .

Choices:
- that is permanent
- that is acceptable
- that can not go wrong
- that is not foolish

Question: About the classification of fingerprints, which is TRUE?   _  .

Choices:
- Fingerprints can be classified in three ways
- All fingerprints can be divided into 1, 024 groups and can not be divided further
- It is not easy to find a particular set of fingerprints in a short time
- People can not classify the fingerprints in an effective way


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

Question: Children play with Webster toys   _  .

Choices:
- only in countries far away from each other
- in countries all over the world
- in only four countries of the world
- everywhere except in the Far East

Question: The person will speak   _  .

Choices:
- English and only one other language
- English or any other language
- English or any other Far Eastern language
- English and a Far Eastern language

Question: "Someone who can stand on his own feet" means   _  .

Choices:
- someone who does not stand on others' feet
- someone who can understand money
- someone who can work by himself
- someone who understand many language


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

Question: We can learn from the passage that   _

Choices:
- all the theme parks are creating the fast roller coasters
- the Smiler sends out passengers from 0-240km/h in just 4.9 seconds
- it is unusual for fighter pilots to feel up to 4.8G
- the more the money is spent, the faster the roller coaster can go

Question: The feature of the "coal-mine-themed" ride is

Choices:
- 3Dtechnologies
- indoor rides
- G-forces
- dynamic structures

Question: What is the best title for the passage?

Choices:
- The Fastest Roller Coaster
- The Smiler and G-forces
- Screaming for Fun
- The New Technology


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

Question: Most graduates of Schouten University will work in the field of   _  .

Choices:
- education
- military
- medicine
- business

Question: According to the advertisement, which of the following DOESN'T belong to soft skills?

Choices:
- Leadership skills.
- Communication skills.
- Driving skills.
- Motivational skills.

Question: The time to participate the residential weeks is   _  .

Choices:
- flexible
- fixed
- unnecessary
- inconvenient

Question: If you attend the two Residential Study weeks, you will have to pay for   _   besides your tuition.

Choices:
- housing
- participation fees
- meals
- travel costs

Question: The advertisement is probably intended for   _  .

Choices:
- full-time college students
- working businessmen
- studying teenagers
- retired managers


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

Question: Tourism officials have been crisscrossing the globe to   _  .

Choices:
- learn from resorts
- strengthen communication
- draw tourists to India
- enjoy the scenery

Question: It can be learned that   _  .

Choices:
- Kant is satisfied with the trend of tourism
- Kant worries about the future of India's tourism
- Choudhury doesn't think the situations of tourism will improve
- Choudhury thinks Indiashould make full preparations for the crisis of tourists

Question: Which of the following may NOT belong to the advantages of India?

Choices:
- Hospitality.
- Cultural diversity.
- Good value for money.
- Natural scenery.

Question: The passage is mainly about   _  .

Choices:
- tourism in India
- India's technique
- the future of India
- India's position in people's mind


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

Question: According to the psychologists, a compulsive spender is one who spends large amounts of money  _  .

Choices:
- and takes great pleasure from what he or she buys
- in order to satisfy his or her basic needs in life
- just to meet his or her strong psychological need
- and feels he or she is cheated

Question: Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the text?

Choices:
- People spend money for exactly the same reason that they need to buy things.
- Business people and advertisers can use the psychology of people's spending habits to increase sales.
- Business people understand the psychology of compulsive buying better than scientists do.
- Compulsive bargain hunters do not have problems with money.

Question: What is the text mainly about?

Choices:
- The psychology of money-spending habits.
- The habits of compulsive spenders.
- A special psychology of bargain hunting.
- The use of the psychology of spending habits in business.

Question: From the text we may safely conclude that compulsive spenders or compulsive bargain hunters   _  .

Choices:
- are really unreasonable
- need special treatment
- are really beyond drugs
- can never get any help to solve their problems with money


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

Question: Among African Americans,   _  .

Choices:
- women equal men in the use of the Internet
- women use the Internet less than men
- women use the Internet more than men
- women use the Internet better than men

Question: In which age group do women fall behind men in the use of the Internet?

Choices:
- 18 to 29.
- Over 30.
- 65 and older.
- Under 20.

Question: What does the passage mainly tell us?

Choices:
- Women are catching up in the use of the Internet.
- Men and women use the Internet for different purposes.
- How people use the Internet in different age groups
- Why women fall behind in the adoption of Internet technologies.


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

Question: What would be the best title for the passage?

Choices:
- Studying in the US
- Rules on Alcohol on Campus in the US
- Campus Life in the US
- Alcohol on Campus in the US

Question: If a student under 21 drinks alcohol for the first time in Virginia,he might   _  .

Choices:
- drop out of school.
- require an alcohol education program.
- be tried and sentenced to a year or so in prison.
- be fined five hundred dollars as well as fifty hours of community service.

Question: Which of the following is true according to the passage?

Choices:
- Underage drinking is very popular in the US.
- Alcohol is forbidden in colleges and universities.
- Many students completed an alcohol education program in the US.
- It's hard for an international student to enter the US again if he breaks the rules.


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

Question: The ugly cruel and strange paintings by Picasso   _  .

Choices:
- make us try to notice something latent  in the things
- allow us to ask questions about them
- force us to question anything we see
- cause us to think what Picasso saw was different from what we see

Question: The sentence "Sometimes he seemed to break them apart and throw the pieces in our faces" means   _  .

Choices:
- sometimes he tore his pictures into pieces
- he broke something he was painting and threw them away
- sometimes he showed some broken pictures to others
- things in some of his pictures seem to be in disorder

Question: Why have people called Picasso "the youngest painter in the world?"

Choices:
- Because he observed things with the eye and the mind.
- Because he looked young when he was old.
- Because he never stopped painting he was old.
- Because he never gave up looking for something new.


It'll be an ordinary morning,like all the others.But instead of being woken up by the buzzing of an alarm clock, you'll be roused by the smell of freshly made coffee,light entering your room as the curtains open automatically,and a gentle back massage provided by your high-tech bed.
    This is what a typical person's life will be like two decades from now,according to The Guardian. Want to know more?
    After you get up,your apartment will be like an electronic orchestra with you as the conductor.With simple moves of your hand and spoken instructions,you'll be able to control your apartment's temperature,humidity,music and lighting.You'll be able to look through the day's news on translucent screens while your breakfast waits for you in the automatic oven.
    As you move into your kitchen,maybe you will stub your toe on the edge of a cabinet. You'll grab your cell phone and open the diagnostics app.Inside your phone there will be a tiny microchip that uses X-ray waves to scan your body. The scan will reveal that your toe is just slightly hurt,not broken,which will convince you not to see a doctor.
    After breakfast,your driverless car will take you to work.While you drive,your central computer system will suggest a list of chores your housekeeping robots could see to today and it will also remind you to buy a gift for your mother's upcoming birthday.
    As you can see,with the help of advanced technologies,our lives will be more efficient. Teehnology will mitigate our forgetfulness and free us of many small burdens that distract us, such as buying a ticket or trying to remember our kids' parent-teacher meeting.Our brain will therefore be able to focus on more important things like preparing for a presentation or doing "deep thinking".
    However,the development of technology might have some disadvantages as well. By 2033,we'll be relying heavily on the virtual world,which will mean that all of our data will be stored in the cloud,a remote digital storage system with near limitless capacity. That will increase the possibility of someone else accessing,sharing or controlling our personal information.

Question: What might be the author's purpose in writing the text?

Choices:
- To stress the iniportance of developing technology.
- To describe how advanced technologies will affect our future lives.
- To introduce one new invcnfion that will benefit our future lives.
- To remind people not to depend too much on computers.

Question: According to the text,in two decades,

Choices:
- you'll be able to rely on an electronic orchestra to wake you up instead of an alarm clock
- a tiny microchip in your phone will treat you when you are sick
- you will be able to adjust the conditions of your apartment via oral instructions or simple hand gestures
- technology will be smart enough to help us with important things like preparing for a presentation

Question: Which best describes the author's attitude toward our future lives?

Choices:
- Objective
- Worried
- Skeptical
- Negative


Zoe Chambers was a successful PR(Public Relations) consultant and life was going well -- she had a great job, beautiful flat and a busy social life in London. Then one evening in June last year, she received a text message telling her she was out of work. "The first two weeks were the most difficult to live through." she said. "After everything I'd done for the company, they dismissed me by text! I was so angry and I just didn't feel like looking for another job. I hate everything about the city and my life."
Then, Zoe received an invitation from an old school friend, Kathy, to come and stay. Kathy and her husband, Huw, had just bought a farm in north-west Wales. Zoe jumped at the chance to spend a weekend away from London, and now, ten months later she is still on the farm.
"The moment I arrived at Kathy's farm, I loved it and I knew I wanted to stay." said Zoe. "Everything about my past life suddenly seemed meaningless."
Zoe has been working on the farm since October of last year and says she has no regrets. "It's a hard life, physically very tiring." she says. "In London 1 was stressed and often mentally exhausted. But this is a good, healthy tiredness. Here, all I need to put me in a good mood is a hot bath and one of Kathy's wonderful dinners."
Zoe says she has never felt bored on the farm. Every day brings a new experience. Kathy has been teaching her how to ride a horse and she has learnt to drive a tractor. Since Christmas, she has been helping with the lambing -- watching a lamb being born is unbelievable, she says, "It's one of the most moving experiences I've ever had. I could never go back to city life now."

Question: When working as a PR consultant in London, Zoe thought she lived a   _  life.

Choices:
- satisfying
- tough
- meaningless
- boring

Question: The most important reason why Zoe went to visit Kathy's farm is that  _  .

Choices:
- Zoe lost her job as a PR consultant
- Kathy persuaded her to do so
- Zoe got tired of the city life
- Zoe loved Wales more than London

Question: How docs Zoe feel about the country life according to the passage?

Choices:
- Tiresome and troublesome.
- Romantic and peaceful
- Mentally exhausting but healthy
- Physically tiring but rewarding.

Question: Which of the following is closest to the main idea of the passage?

Choices:
- A friend in need is a friend indeed.
- Where there is a will, there is a way.
- A misfortune may turn out a blessing.
- Kill two birds with one stone.


No matter where you travel in Asia, you'll find yourself faced with a new culture. You can start your Asian exploration by visiting some of these attractive  cities first.
Beijing, China
              Beijing is the second largest city in China and serves as the capital. The city is so old, in fact, that almost every building has some sort of cultural or historic features -- no matter how small. Getting around the city you'll find yourself faced with amazing temples  , the largest palaces   in the world, and many works of art that leave you breathless.
Siem Reap, Cambodia
              Siem Reap is the capital city of Siem Reap Province in northwestern Cambodia. Siem Reap has a lot of French and Chinese-style architectures. In the city, there are traditional dance performances, silk farms, fishing villages and a bird sanctuary   near the Tonle Sap Lake. Siem Reap today, being a popular tourist attraction , has a large number of hotels and restaurants.
Kathmandu, Nepal
              Situated  in the heart of the Himalayans, Kathmandu, the largest city and capital of Nepal, is considered to be one of the most outstanding cities in the world today. The shopping districts are world famous and the hotels in Kathmandu are among the most comfortable in the world.
Kyoto, Japan
              The city of Kyoto served as the capital of Japan from 794 to 1868. No longer the capital, it is known for being the seventh largest city in Japan. Kyoto was destroyed throughout history by fires and war. But now the city is home to more than 1.4 million people, and it presents a modern face to the rest of the world.
              Every city throughout Asia has a story of its own. It's up to you to explore them all and find out exactly what each one has to offer. Enjoy!

Question: If you want to visit the biggest place where ancient emperors lived in the world, you can go to   _  .

Choices:
- Beijing
- Siem Reap
- Kathmandu
- Kyoto

Question: In Siem Reap you can see the following EXCEPT   _  .

Choices:
- Chinese-style buildings
- excellent art works
- traditional dances
- a protected bird area

Question: Which city's development was greatly influenced by war?

Choices:
- Beijing.
- Siem Reap.
- Kathmandu.
- Kyoto.

Question: We can learn from the passage that   _  .

Choices:
- the cities are all capital cities now
- Beijing is the largest city in China
- one can't find a good hotel in Kathmandu
- all the cities have their own stories

Question: The writer's purpose in writing the passage is   _  .

Choices:
- to introduce several attractive cities in Asia
- to compare some tourist cities in Asia
- to tell readers not to visit European cities
- to write an advertisement about a travel company


After the first World War, a small group of veterans   returned to their village in Britain. Most of them managed to get along fairly well, but one--Francis Blustering, who had been wounded and who never recovered his strength-- was unable to work like others. In time he became very poor. Yet he was too proud to accept anything from the people in the village.
Once, these veterans held a reunion dinner in the home of Jules Grandin, who had made a good deal of money. Grandin produced a curiosity --a large old gold coin. Each man examined it with interest as it passed around the long table. All, however, had drunk wine freely and the room was full of noisy talk, so that the gold piece was soon forgotten. Later, when Grandin remembered it and asked for it, the coin was missing.
One of them suggested everyone be searched, to which all agreed, except Blustering. "You refuse, then?" asked Grandin. Blustering said with a red face, "Yes, I cannot allow it."
One by one, the others turned out their pockets. When the coin failed to appear, attention was focused on poor Blustering. Under the pitying stares of his friends, he walked out and returned to his home.
A few years later, Grandin made his house repaired. A workman found the gold coin, buried in dirt between planks   of the floor. Hurrying to Blustering's home, Grandin apologized to him.
"But why didn't you allow yourself be searched?"
"Because I was a thief," Blustering said brokenly. "For weeks we had not had enough to eat and my pockets were full of food that I had taken from the table to carry home to my wife and hungry children."

Question: Francis Blustering lived a poor life because   _  .

Choices:
- he was badly wounded in the battle
- he was unable to work like ordinary people
- he was too proud to get on well with other people
- he was waiting for his chance

Question: The coin was missing because   _  .

Choices:
- all the friends were drunk
- the room was too noisy
- they were too excited to pay attention to it
- Blustering hid it in a secret place

Question: When Blustering turned red and refused to be searched, all people thought   _  .

Choices:
- he was really a poor fellow
- he must have stolen the gold coin
- the coin must be hidden somewhere in the room
- poor Blustering had hidden some food in his pockets

Question: What can we learn from the story?

Choices:
- Think twice before you make a judgment.
- Blustering is a poor father and husband.
- Blustering would rather live alone than be considered a thief.
- Blustering is an example we should learn from.


BEIJING--Seven prestigious universities in China announced Sunday that they would begin using the same independent exam --besides the national one --to test students hoping to gain entrance to them in 2011.
The seven are Peking University, Beihang University, Beijing Normal University, Nankai University, Fudan University, Xiamen University and Hong Kong University.
Students who want to gain entrance to any of the seven universities will only have to sit one independent exam, according to the joint announcement.
"This will help lighten the students' load, otherwise they must take several exams for different universities ,"said the announcement.
Passing the exam could result in more than one interview chance, giving the students more opportunities to choose their favorite universities.
China' s college entrance exam system is undergoing reform as universities aim to select students based on independent criteria rather than just using the results of the national exam.
In 2003, Peking University and another 21 universities were allowed to pilot   the reform by using their own criteria to independently select five percent of their students.
Now nearly 80 universities across the country have the right to select talented students based on their own exams.
Education experts regard universities selecting students according to independent examinations as conducive   to better understanding where the students' talents lie.
Although this may be the case, it has also created problems as students may sit many different exams as they often apply for a number of universities.
To relieve students from such pressures, the national education outline (2010--2020) released in July this year encourages high-level universities to group together to use the same exams.

Question: If students want to be admitted to the seven prestigious universities, they can  _  .

Choices:
- only pass the interview.
- only take the national exam.
- only take the independent exam.
- either take the national exam or take the independent exam.

Question: What's the purpose of students sitting one independent exam to gain entrance to the seven universities?

Choices:
- It can reduce students' load to take several exams.
- The universities will have the same standard to test students.
- There will be less trouble marking students' test papers.
- It can avoid fierce competition among these universities.

Question: If students pass the independent exam, they will   _  .

Choices:
- take the national exam.
- have one or more interview chances.
- be admitted to one of the universities.
- he trained to be adapted to universities life and studies.

Question: What is the advantage of universities selecting students according to independent examinations?

Choices:
- Students needn't take the national exam.
- Students 'education cost can be lowered.
- Students' abilities and talents can be better found.
- It can encourage middle schools to recommend more qualified students.


A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to visit their old university professor, now retired. During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives.
Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and other things including cups-porcelain , glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some elegant -- telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate.
When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said: "I notice that all the nice looking and expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. The cup that you're drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each others cups. Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate; your job, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life. The cup you have does not define, nor change the quality of life you have. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate we have. The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything that they have. Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Thank the Lord for your blessings in 2011. And enjoy your hot chocolate in 2012!"

Question: When did they decide to go to see their professor?

Choices:
- After the reunion.
- During the get-together.
- Before they graduated.
- Just after the professor retired.

Question: Why did the professor offer them different cups?

Choices:
- Because cups were not enough for everyone.
- Because cups were beautiful.
- Because the professor wanted to teach them something.
- Because hot chocolate should be contained in different cups.

Question: What caused the professor to say those words?

Choices:
- Their graduation.
- Their reunion.
- Their visit.
- Their complaints.

Question: What does the word "cup" in this passage refer to?

Choices:
- Life
- happy things in life
- hot chocolate
- tools to hold and contain life

Question: What is the purpose of the professor's words?

Choices:
- To tell them life is not easy, so try their best to be happy.
- To educate them that the happiest people don't have the best of everything.
- To wish them to be grateful to their life and make the best of everything that they have.
- To use different cups to tell them they should try different things in life.


Did the iPod kill music ?
DID Steve Jobs kill the music industry? That's the question on many people's lips since rock star Jon Bon Jovi accused the apple boss of personally destroying the music industry.
Bon Jovi centers his criticism   on how he believes music downloading has robbed young people of what he calls the "beauty of buying on album", "Kids today have missed the beauty of taking your allowance   money and making a decision based on the  _ , not knowing what the record sounded like," he said.
But far from killing the industry, many young people today think Jobs has been a blessing  , offering you instant, and selective access to a whole world of music.
Keith Staskiewicz at Entertainment Weekly speaks for the feelings of many music lovers. He believes listening to Mp3s rather than records or CDs "just saves them money" and doesn't "eliminate   the sense of discovery they get from new music", Staskiewicz also argues that it's wrong to blame Jobs and Apple for destroying anything."Change is just part of the business," Staskiewicz said. "No doubt in 50 years, Justin Bieber will complain in his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction speech about how kids don't listen to iPods any more."
For now, though, it appears that music downloading is set to continue for the near future. According to Summer Redstone, chairman of media company Viacom, iTunes has "resurrected   the music industry by creating a legal, affordable purchasing system for fans".
But recent surveys suggested that, despite the "legalizing" of music downloading via sites like iTunes, young people are still choosing to download music illegally.A report by Jupiter Research suggested that illegal downloading sites are used three times as much as legal ones.
The problem, according to its analyst Mark Mulligan, is how today's youth grow up viewing music as something they can get for free. "Unless the music industry can shift these consumers   while they are young away from free consumption to paid music formats  ,they may never develop music purchasing behavior," warned Mulligan " recording industry could suffer long-term harm."

Question: Jon Bon Jovi thinks Steve Jobs has destroyed the music industry because   _  .

Choices:
- Apple encourages illegal music downloading
- children today prefer music downloading to buying albums
- children today do not like to discover new music
- children don't care what a record sounds like

Question: Which of the following statements might Keith Staskiewicz agree with according to the article?

Choices:
- Records or CDs shouldn't be sold in stores any more.
- Steve Jobs and Apple are partly to blame for destroying the music industry.
- There are surely more ways to enjoy music than on iPods.
- Music downloading has its advantages and is a change that should be accepted.

Question: According to Mark Mulligan, the best solution to illegal music downloading is to   _  .

Choices:
- legalize music downloading via sites like iTunes
- ban the illegal music downloading sites on the Internet
- help young consumers get used to paying for music
- offer young consumers instant and selective access to a variety of music

Question: What is the main point of the article?

Choices:
- How Steve Jobs and Apple changed people's music tastes.
- Opinions on effects of music downloading.
- How to fight illegal music downloading.
- Criticism of free downloading of music by young people.


Home to me means a sense of familiarity and nostalgia . It's fun to come home. It looks the same. It smells the same. You'll realize what's changed is you. Home is where we ran remember pain, live, and some other experiences; We parted here; My parents met here; I won three championships here.
If I close my eyes, I can still have a clear picture in mind of my first home. I walk in the door and see a brown sofa surrounding a low glass-top wooden table. To the right of the living room is my first bedroom. It's empty, but it's where my earliest memories are.
There is the dining room table where I celebrated birthdays, and where I cried on Halloween-when I didn't want to wear the skirt my mother made for me. I always liked standing on that table because it made me feel tall and strong. If I sit at this table, I can see my favorite room in the house, my parents' room. It is simple: a brown wooden dresser lines the right side of the wall next to a television and a couple of photos of my grandparents on each side. Their bed is my safe zone. I can jump on it anytime - waking up my parents if I am scared or if I have an important announcement that cannot wait until the morning.
I'm lucky because I know my first home still exists. It exists in my mind and heart, on a physical property  on West 64th street on the western edge of Los Angeles. It is proof I lived, I grew and I learned.
Sometimes when I feel lost, I lie down and shut my eyes, and I go home. I know it's where I'll find my family, my dogs, and my belongings. I purposely leave the window open at night because I know I'll be blamed by Mom. But I don't mind, because I want to hear her say my name, which reminds me I'm home.

Question: What can be learned from the passage?

Choices:
- The old furniture is still in the author's fist bedroom.
- The author can still visit her first physical home in Los Angeles.
- The author's favorite room in her first home is the dining room.
- Many people of the author's age can still find their first physical homes.

Question: Sometimes when she feels lost, the author will   _  .

Choices:
- Open the window at night
- lie down in bed to have a dream
- try to bring back a sense of home
- go to Los Angeles to visit her mom

Question: What is the author's purpose of writing this passage?

Choices:
- To express how much she is attached to her home.
- To declare how much she loves her first house.
- To describe the state of her family.
- To look back on her childhood.


Some kinds of mental skills naturally decrease as people get older. Yet research seems to show that some training can improve such skills. A recently published study also appears to demonstrate that the good effects of training can last for many years after that training has ended.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland wanted to learn how long memory and thinking skills would last in older people who trained to keep them. The people were part of the ten-year research project. They were taught methods meant to improve their memory, thinking and ability to perform everyday tasks.
More than 2,800 volunteered for the study called ACTIVE - short for Advanced (Cognitive) Training for Independent and Vital Elderly. Most studied when they were more than 70 years old.
The volunteers took one of several short training classes meant to help them keep their mental abilities. One class trained participants in skills including how to remember word lists. Another group trained in reasoning. A third group received help with speed-of-processing - speed of receiving and understanding information. A fourth group - the control group did not get any training.
Earlier results had established that the training helped the participants for up to five years. Now, lead study writer George Rebok says, the research showed most of the training remained effective a full ten years later.
Professor Rebok and his team found that the people trained in reasoning and speed-of-processing did better on tests than the control group.
"We are wondering whether those effects which endured over time would still be there ten years following the training, and in fact, that's exactly what we found."
The effect on memory, however, seemed not to last as long. Still, the old people in any of the three classes generally reported less difficulty in performing daily activities than the control group. The total training time for the older people was between 10 and 15 hours.

Question: Which statement is true according to the text?

Choices:
- This kind of training can only have effect on people for a few years.
- The people were trained during a period of ten years.
- All the people who were studied were more than 70 years old.
- The second group were trained how to remember word lists.

Question: What can be inferred from the passage?

Choices:
- There were four groups being trained.
- The old people trained can remember words better.
- The second and third group improved their skills better than the first one.
- The research showed that the effect of the training could absolutely last 10 years.

Question: What's the main idea of the fourth paragragh?

Choices:
- What was the meaning of the research?
- How was the research conducted?
- Why was the mental training effective?
- How long did the research last?

Question: What is the best title of the passage?

Choices:
- Mental Training Helped Elderly Stay Sharp for Years
- How to improve our mental health
- Four groups of old people were trained mentally.
- The result of a ten-year research


I was now in my twenty third year of residence in this island and was accustomed to the place and to the manner of living. If it had not been the savages who had come to the place to disturb me, I could have been content to spent the rest of my time there, even to the last moment, till I had laid me down and died, like the old goat in the cave.
I had also arrived to some little recreations and amusements, which made the time pass more pleasantly with me a great deal than it did before.
At first, I had taught my Poll to speak. And he did it so familiarly and talked so clearly and plain that it was very pleasant to me. And he lived with me no less than twenty six years. How long he might live afterwards, I don't know; though I know they have an idea in Brazil that they live a hundred years. Perhaps poor Poll may be alive there still, calling Poor Robin Crusoe to this day. I wish no other English man had the bad luck to go there and hear him. But if he did, he would certainly believe it was the devil .
My dog was a very pleasant and loving companion to me, for no less than sixteen years of my time, and then died of mere old age.
As for my cats, they multiplied to that degree that I had to shoot several of them at first to keep them from eating up all I had.
Besides these, I had two more parrots which talked pretty well and would all call Robin Crusoe, but none like my first. Nor indeed did I take the pains with any of them that I had done with him.
I had also several sea-fowls, whose names I don't know, that I caught upon the shore and cut their wings. And the little stakes which I had planted before my castle wall being now grown up to a good thick bush, these fowls all lived among these low trees and bred there, which was very agreeable to me; so that as I said above, I began to be well content with the life I led if not worried about the threat from the savages.

Question: What does the passage mainly talk about?

Choices:
- Robin Crusoe treated animals kindly.
- Robin Crusoe led a hard life on the island.
- The animals raised by Robin Crusoe brought him much pleasure.
- The savages always spoiled Robin Crusoe's happy life.

Question: How many parrots did Robin Crusoe mention in this passage?

Choices:
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5

Question: According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?

Choices:
- Robin's dog may be still alive on the island.
- Robin Crusoe lived in harmony with savages.
- Robin Crusoe met an English man while on the island.
- Parrots raised by Robin could talk very well.


There are 132 rooms, 32 bathrooms, and 6 floors to accommodate all the people who live in, work in, and visit the White House. There are also 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, 7 staircases, and 3 lifts.
At various times in history, the White House has been known as the "President's Palace", the "President's House", and the "Executive Mansion". President Theodore Roosevelt officially gave the White House its current name in 1901.
The White House receives approximately 6,000 visitors a day.
With five full-time chefs, the White House kitchen is able to serve as many as 140 guests and hors d'oeuvres   to more than 1,000 people.
The White House requires 570 gallons of paint to cover its outside surface.
For recreation, the White House has a variety of facilities available to people who live in, including a tennis court, a jogging track, a swimming pool, a movie theater and a bowling lane.
The first US President to live in the White House was John Adams. Adams and his family moved to the White House in 1800, when the decoration of the building was not finished. And it was not until during Thomas Jefferson's term (1801-1809) that the decoration was finally completed.
President John Tyler (1841-1845) was the first president to have his photo taken. President Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909) was not only the first president to ride in an automobile, but also the first president to travel outside the country when he visited Panama  . President Franklin Roosevelt (1933-1945) was the first president to ride in an airplane.

Question: In normal cases, how many people visit the White House per day?

Choices:
- 1,000.
- 6,000.
- 140.
- 570.

Question: Which President was in office when the decoration of the White House was completed?

Choices:
- John Adams.
- John Tyler.
- Thomas Jefferson.
- Theodore Roosevelt.

Question: According to the passage, when did American President first visit a foreign country?

Choices:
- Between 1801 and 1809.
- Between 1901 and 1909.
- Between 1841 and 1845.
- Between 1933 and 1945.


Do dogs understand us?
Be careful what you say around your dog. It might understand more than you think.
A _ named Rico recognizes the names of about 200 objects, say researchers in Germany. The dog also appears to be able to learn new words as easily as a 3-year-old child. Its word-learning skills are as good as those of a parrot or _ .
In one experiment, the researchers took all 200 items that Rico is supposed to know and divided them into 20 groups of 10 objects. Then the owner told the dog to go and fetch one of the items and bring it back. In four tests, Rico got 37 out of 40 commands right. As the dog couldn't see anyone to get clues, the scientists believe Rico must understand the meanings of certain words.
In another experiment, the scientists took one toy that Rico had never seen before and put it in a room with seven toys whose names the dog already knew. The owner then told Rico to fetch the object, using a word the dog had never heard before.
The correct object was chosen in seven out of l0 tests, suggesting that the dog had worked out the answer by the process of _ . A month later, Rico remembered half of the new names, which is even more impressive.
Rico is thought to be smarter than the average dog. For one thing, Rico is a border collie, a _ known for its mental abilities. In addition, the 9-year-old dog has been trained to fetch toys by their names since the age of nine months.
It's hard to know if all dogs understand at least some of the words we say. Even if they do, they can't talk back. Still, it wouldn't hurt to sweet-talk your dog every now and then. You might just get a big, wet kiss in return!

Question: Both experiments show that_.

Choices:
- Rico is smart enough to get all commands right
- Rico can recognize different things including toys
- Rico has developed the ability of learning mathematics
- Rico won't forget the names of objects once recognizing them

Question: Which of the following statements is true?

Choices:
- The purpose of the experiments is to show the border collie's mental abilities.
- Rico has a better memory partly because of its proper early training.
- The border collie is world-famous for recognizing objects.
- Rico is born to understand its owner's commands.

Question: What does the writer want to tell us?

Choices:
- To train your dog.
- To talk with your dog.
- To be friendly to your dog.
- To be careful with your dog.


Children will find it more difficult to buy cigarettes as vending machines selling tobacco will be officially banned in England today.According to the British Heart Foundation(BHF),around 200,000 young people start smoking regularly in England each year and 11 per cent of l1-to15-year-old regular smokers in England and Wales get their cigarettes from vending machines.
    Betty McBride, Director of Policy and Communications at the British Heart Foundation,said,"Thousands of children who are at risk of addiction regularly get tobacco from these machines,which of course,don't ask them to prove their age.With the tobacco industry increasingly depending on young smokers to keep their profits,they're fighting tooth and nail to stop any changes that might hit their bottom line."
    The ban, which makes it illegal to sell tobacco from vending machines and requires shopkeepers to ensure all tobacco advertising on the machines is removed,comes into force in England today.It is the first ban in Europe to prohibit selling cigarettes from vending machines.which shows the determination of England to fight against smoking.
   Other measures to protect young people from the dangers of smoking are also on the way.In April 2013 large retailers in England and Scotland will have to get rid of all tobacco displays and small shops will be expected to do that from April 2015.Wales and Northern Ireland also plan to make similar regulations.
   The UK Government is due to begin a public consultation before the end of the year on whether to introduce plain packaging for cigarettes which would reduce their marketing appeal to young people,help to make health warnings more effective and,alongside other measures,help to reduce the number of smokers in the long term.

Question: According to the text,vending machines selling cigarettes  _  .

Choices:
- offer cheaper products
- have more varieties of products
- don't check buyers' personal information
- keep a record of every purchase

Question: The tobacco industry may be against the new regulation because   _

Choices:
- more children will be at risk of tobacco addiction
- it will bring inconvenience to its consumers
- young smokers will be discouraged
- many vending machines will be left unused

Question: Small stores in Scotland   _

Choices:
- will be banned from selling tobacco next year
- can still present cigarettes for around 2 years
- must get rid of all tobacco advertisements
- must show warnings about cigarettes in 2013

Question: It can be inferred from the text that  _

Choices:
- plain packaging is a must for cigarettes
- the number of tobacco companies will be limited
- tobacco's harm to health will be put down on packages
- opinions will be asked for on plans of tobacco controlling

Question: What is the best title for the text?

Choices:
- Cigarette vending machines banned
- The youth's addiction to tobacco
- UK's efforts to improve people's health
- Strong opposition from tobacco industry


Cyberspace, the connections between computers in different places, considered as a real place where information, messages and pictures exist, mirrors the real world in many ways. People ask for information, play games, and share hobbies. Others buy and sell products. Still others look for friendship, or even love.
Unlike the real world, however, your knowledge about a person is limited to words on a computer screen. Identity and appearance mean very little in cyberspace. Rather, a person's thoughts--or at least the thoughts they type--are what really count. So even the shyest person can become a chat room star.
Usually, this "faceless" communication doesn't create problems. Identity doesn't really matter when you're in a chat room discussing politics or hobbies. In fact, this emphasis(,) on the ideas themselves makes the Internet a great place for exciting conversation. Where else can so many people come together to chat? But some Internet users want more than just someone to chat with. They're looking for serious love relationships. Is cyberspace a good place to find love? That answer depends on whom you ask. Some of these relationships actually succeed. Others fail miserably.
Supporters of online relationships state that the Internet allows couples to get to know each other intellectually first. Personal appearance doesn't get in the way. But critics of online relationships argue that no one can truly know another person in cyberspace. Why? Because the Internet gives users a lot of control over how others view them. Internet users can carefully craft their words to fit whatever image they want to give. And they don't have to worry about what their "nonverbal"  communication is doing for their image. In a sense, they're not really themselves.
All of this may be fine if the relationship stays in cyberspace. But not knowing a person is a big problem in a love relationship. With so many unknowns, it's easy to let one's imagination "fill in the blanks." This inevitably  leads to disappointment when couples meet in person. How someone imagines an online friend is often quite more different than the real person. So, before looking for love in cyberspace, remember the advice of Internet pioneer Clifford Stoll: "Life in the real world is far richer than anything you'll find on a computer screen."

Question: According to the passage, chatting in the cyberspace   _  .

Choices:
- puts emphasis on people's thoughts
- needs people to be rich in knowledge
- stresses more about people's identity
- allows people to discuss politics secretly

Question: People who are against online love think   _  .

Choices:
- what is said online is under control of the Internet
- it is hard to protect the other's identity
- the faceless communication is exciting
- one may not show the real self in cyberspace

Question: By saying "With so many unknowns, it's easy to let one's imagination 'fill in the blanks'", the writer means that   _  .

Choices:
- the Internet allows people to get more information about their loved ones
- the Internet makes it easy for people to imagine how others view them
- people usually get to know each other by chance through the Internet
- people may be disappointed when they meet in person


California places limits on water use to deal with the state's four-year drought. Californians are feeling the heat after Governor Jerry Brown announced an order that puts mandatory  statewide water cutbacks into effect.
California has faced water-use cutbacks in the past. In January 2014, Governor Brown called for residents to curb their water use by 20 percent, but many places around the state failed to meet that goal. This most recent announcement, however, marks the first time in the state's history that mandatory restrictions have been ordered.
Most of California's water supply comes from the Sierra Nevada mountain range snowpack. Normally, during the spring and summer, this snow melts and puts new supplies into groundwater. but this past winter, the snowpack reached its lowest point since 1950. "today we are standing on dry grass where there should be feet of snow" announced Governor Brown.
As part of his order, Governor Brown called upon the state Water Resource Control Board to draft emergency rules for water use in the coming month. Cities and towns across the state must cut water usage by 25 percent. If city water agencies fail to meet these targets for water conservation, they could be fined $10,000 a day.
The state will also support local governments in replacing 50 million square feet of lawns with drought-tolerant plants that use less water. Outdoor lawn watering will be limited to two days per week, and residents will not be permitted to water their lawns during rainstorms and for two days afterwards. The order also asks local water agencies to raise the price of water to discourage excessive water use.
Governor Brown said change may not be easy, but it's necessary to ensure that residents can fill their water glasses into the future. "it is a wake-up call," he said. "it's requiring action and changes in behavior."

Question: This year's drought in California is mainly caused by_.

Choices:
- The lack of rainfall last winter.
- Its residents' excessive water use.
- The historically low temperature last winter.
- The reduction of snowpack on the Sierra Nevada

Question: Why will local government remove the 50 million square feet of lawns?

Choices:
- To get rid of dry grass
- To decrease the use of water
- To develop the land for water storage
- To grow plants that can block rainstorms

Question: According to the new order, Californians should_.

Choices:
- Water their lawns every three or four days.
- Avoid watering their lawns before rainstorms.
- Take mandatory lessons on water conservation.
- Keep the emergency rules for water use in mind