Rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are a major cause of climate change, and now a new study has confirmed that atmospheric CO2is also affecting the ocean chemistry and potentially harming sea life.
Montana State University scientist Robert Dore has been researching the water in the Pacific Ocean for almost two decades. We've been going to the same spot in the Pacific Ocean, and we try and characterize long-term change in the open ocean environment. And one of the key things that we measure is CO2levels. And we've been able to record this increasing quantity of atmospheric CO2into the ocean.
Scientists expected that as atmospheric CO2increased, more and more of the carbon dioxide would be absorbed into the ocean, affecting the chemical balance of the sea water, with a potentially harmful impact on shellfish and coral in particular.
"As carbon dioxide dissolves  in the water, or seawater in this case, it forms a weak acid, carbonic acid," Dore explains. "And therefore, as the concentration of CO2in the atmosphere goes up and that exchanges with the surface seawater, it drives the PH down, and makes it more acidic."
The seawater Dore and his colleagues have analyzed confirms what the theory predicts.
The effect was particular striking at about 250 meters down, and again at 500 meters. Dore and his colleagues came up with two possible explanations. It could be that surface water picked up CO2and then moved to those depths. Or there could be a biological explanation.
"It's important to realize that the oceans are really becoming acidic. And it can have negative  impacts on a whole variety of sea life from fish to coral. It's potentially catastrophic."

Question: What can be the best title of the passage?

Choices:
- Sea Life Facing Danger
- Scientist Researching Seawater
- Oceans Becoming More Acidic
- Climate Change Affecting Seawater

Question: With the increase of atmospheric CO2,  _  .

Choices:
- more corals will appear in the sea
- the surface water is becoming warmer
- the chemical balance of the seawater is affected
- the PH of the ocean out here has been increasing

Question: Scientist Robert Dore came to the conclusion based on  _  .

Choices:
- his research and analysis
- the expectation of other scientists
- some former theory
- a major cause of climate change


Scientists have exactly discovered the set of brain cells involved in making risky decisions, and have been able to control them in rats using targeted light. By changing the activity of the cells they were able to change the behaviour of risk-taking rats to avoid risk, hinting the approach could in future be used to treat people with impulse   control problems.
Risk-taking is a key part of survival, knowing when to take a chance could pay off--such as moving to a new area to look for food when pickings are slim.
While all animals need an element of risk, the preference towards it varies between individuals. Researchers found this variation, which determines how risk-averse an individual is, is regulated by brain cells in a region of the brain called the nucleus accumbens. This cluster of neurons releases the neurotransmitter dopamine, which regulates the brain's reward and pleasure centres.
Previous studies have shown that in patients with Parkinson's disease, taking medication which blocks specific dopamine receptors (DR2)   leads to increased gambling   behaviour and risk taking behaviour. In studies with rats, researchers were able to use a technique called optogenetics  --which uses light sensitive proteins to change the activity of cells--to modify cells with DR2 in the nucleus accumbens.
Rats were trained to choose one of two levers, offering them a choice between a "safe" or "risky" choice. The safe option resulted in a small, but consistent amount of a sugar water treat. But the risky choice consistently delivered smaller amounts of sugar water, with the occasional large pay off--essentially encouraging the animals to gamble for a bigger prize. Around two-thirds of the animals weren't keen on risk, opting for the safe option, but the remaining third were risk-seekers. Brain scans of the animals showed that those with low levels of DR2 consistently went for the gamble.
But using pulses of light to stimulate   the DR2 cells and improve their activity could cause the risk-takers to play it safe and opt for the guaranteed but less rewarding option. Once the light-pulses stopped, the risk-takers returned to their gambling strategy.
In the _ , stimulating the same cells had little to no effect.
Professor Karl Deisseroth, of Stanford University in California, said: "Humans and rats have similar brain structures involved."And we found a drug known to increase risk preference in people had the same effect on the rats. So every indication is that these findings are relevant to humans. "Risky behavior has its moments where it' s valuable. As a species, we wouldn't have come as far as we have without it."

Question: The variation in people's preference towards risks is directly regulated by   _  .

Choices:
- nucleus accumbens
- light sensitive proteins
- neurons
- dopamine

Question: From the experiment with rats, we can conclude that   _  .

Choices:
- the lack of DR2 cells results in a safe option
- the levels of DR2 have little to do with their choices
- the high levels of DR2 can make animals avoid risks
- the risky choice is a less rewarding option

Question: What can be inferred from what Professor Karl Deisseroth said?

Choices:
- Humans and rats differ in their preference for risk-taking.
- Too much risk-taking can do more harm than good.
- Risk-taking can be used to treat people with impulse control problems.
- Risk-taking is a means of survival and brings higher returns to humans.


Nowadays everybody seems to think that they know English. Many people speak it but few speak it really well. Practice is necessary in speaking English well.
Reading is also one of the things that will help you to speak English better. Read whenever you can and whatever you like! Read papers and Internet sites that you like in English every day. Then, you will see that the number of known words is increasing and you are able to speak with more skills. Then you will have made the foundations and a good basis of English. It is not good to stop and get stuck there.
Going to England or an English speaking country is a good choice, but many people cannot afford it. If you cannot go, reading and speaking with your friends will also help you to practice your English. However, I think that it is very good to visit some English speaking country to see and test your knowledge in everyday life. You will feel the everyday usage of the language in its natural environment. There your level of English is going to improve even faster. Your ability to speak English is better. Nothing can match the excitement and happiness when a native speaker tells you that your English is very good!
Finally, in order to speak English well, you must be persistent and do it every day. It is like playing the piano. Pianists play it every day and so should you. Include English in your life and you will see where it is going. Practice, practice! Read, write and improve your language skills and you are on your way when you will be able to speak it with more and more confidence!

Question: Which of the following could be the best title for the passage?

Choices:
- How to Improve Your Language Skills
- How to Speak English Well
- Speaking English
- Practice, Practice

Question: What does the writer suggest doing about reading?

Choices:
- Trying to improve your vocabulary.
- Keeping on reading when you have time.
- Stopping when you have a good basis of English.
- Looking up every unknown word when reading.

Question: In the writer's eyes, the essential way to improve your speaking skills is  _  .

Choices:
- practicing
- going abroad
- reading
- writing

Question: According to the passage, what may make the author excited?

Choices:
- Reading papers and Internet sites.
- Having a good basis of English.
- Going to an English speaking country.
- A native speaker's praise.


A recent study, published in last week's Journal of the American Medical Association, offers a picture of how risky  it is to get a lift from a teenage driver. Indeed, a 16-year-old driver with three or more passengers is three times as likely to have a deadly accident as a teenager driving alone, while the risk of death for drivers between 30 and 59 decreases with each additional passenger.
The authors also found that the death rates for teenage drivers increased sharply after 10 p.m., and especially after midnight. With passengers in the car, the driver was even more likely to die in a late-night accident.
Robert Foss, a scientist at the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center, says the higher death rates for teenage drivers have less to do with "really stupid behavior" than with just a lack of driving experience. "The basic issue," he says, "is that adults who are responsible for issuing licenses fail to recognize how complex and skilled a task driving is."
Both he and the author of the study believe that the way to mitigate (......)the problem is to have states set up so-called graduated licensing systems, in which getting a license is a multistage process. A graduated license requires that a teenager first prove himself capable of driving in the presence of an adult, followed by a period of driving with night or passenger limits, before graduating to full driving licenses.
Graduated licensing systems have reduced teenage driver crashes, according to recent studies. About half of the states now have some sort of graduated licensing system in place, but only 10 of those states have limits on passengers. California is the strictest, with a new driver under 20 forbidden to carry any passenger (without the presence of an adult over 25) for the first six months.

Question: Which of the following situations can we infer is most dangerous according to the passage?

Choices:
- A teenager driving after midnight with passengers in the car.
- Adults giving a lift to teenagers on the highway after 10 p.m.
- Adults driving with three or more teenage passengers late at night.
- A teenager getting a lift from a stranger on the highway at midnight.

Question: According to Robert Foss, the high death rate of teenage drivers is mainly because of   _  .

Choices:
- their frequent driving at night
- their improper ways of driving
- their driving with passengers
- their lack of driving experience

Question: A suggested measure to be taken to reduce teenagers' driving accidents is that  _  .

Choices:
- driving in the presence of an adult should be made a rule
- the licensing system should be improved
- they should not be allowed to drive after 10 p.m.
- they should be forbidden to take on passengers


Why do men die earlier than women? The latest research makes it known that the reason could be that men's hearts go into rapid decline  when they reach middle age.
The largest study of the effects of ageing on the heart has found that women's _ may be linked to the fact that their hearts do not lose their pumping power with age.
"We have found that the power of the male heart falls by 20-25 percent between 18 and 70 years of age," said the head of the study, David Goldspink of Liverpool John Moores University in the UK.
"Within the heart there are millions of cells that enable it to beat. Between the age of 20 and 70, one-third of those cells die and are not replaced in men," said Goldspink. "This is part of the ageing process."
What surprises scientists is that the female heart sees very little loss of these cells. A healthy 70-year-old woman's heart could perform almost as well as a 20-year-old one's. "This gender( ) difference might just explain why women live longer than men," said Goldspink. They studied more than 250 healthy men and women between the ages of 18 and 80, focusing on healthy persons to remove the confusing influence of disease. "The team has yet to find why ageing takes a greater loss on the male heart," said Goldspink.
The good news is that men can improve the health of their heart with regular exercise. Goldspink stressed that women also need regular exercise to prevent their leg muscles becoming smaller and weaker as they age.

Question: The text mainly talks about   _  .

Choices:
- men's heart cells
- women's ageing process
- the gender difference
- hearts and long life

Question: According to the text, the UK scientists have known that   _  .

Choices:
- women have more cells than men when they are born
- women can replace the cells that enable the heart to beat
- the female heart loses few of the cells with age
- women never lose their pumping power with age

Question: If you want to live longer, you should   _  .

Choices:
- exercise regularly to keep your heart healthy
- find out the reason for ageing
- enable your heart to beat much faster
- prevent your cells from being lost

Question: We can know from the passage that   _  .

Choices:
- the reason why ageing takes a greater loss on the male heart has been found out
- scientists are on the way to finding out why the male heart loses more of the cells
- the team has done something to prevent the male from suffering the greater loss
- women over 70 could lose more heart cells than those at the age of 20


Certain plants and animals can survive under what seem like impossible conditions. Blind fish live freely under ocean depths that are  ly dark and cold. Bacteria live at temperatures of 600 degF or a higher in places where the heat comes from the deep earth. One of the most remarkable achievements that we can observe directly is the ability of the plants and animals in the desert.
In the Death Valley ,temperatures of 134 degF in the shade have been officially reported Yet lizards live there ,along with 600 species of plants, 30 species of mammals? and even fish. While the days are terribly hot, the nights are extremely cold. Temperatures can fall down by as much as 50 degF.
Plants called xerophytes are perfectly adapted to the extremely dry conditions. These plants have survived by developing techniques for coping with their environment. Like all living things ,they must have water ,and they get it in several ways.
The mesquite and the prickly  pear pick up moisture in opposite ways. The mesquite sends its roots down as deep as 60 feet to tap the water table. The prickly pear, on the other hand ,spreads its roots wide. These roots are shallow but they pick up whatever moisture is available at ground level. The paloverde saves water by shedding leaves in times of extreme drought The barrel cactus makes sure of a water supply by storing water in the plant itself. The saguaro cactus stores so much water that it can survive years of drought. But even the saguaro will die sooner or later if there is no rain. All these plants ,although well adjusted to their environment, must eventually get water.
Even if the parent plants die, there are always seeds to keep the species alive. Since the desert is so tough, thousands of seeds must be released to produce one plant. To get rooted, these seeds must have exactly the right conditions. They can lie dormant for months, even years, until a little water stimulates the sparks of life.

Question: Which of the following can best express the main idea of the passage?

Choices:
- The Death Valley is a living museum ,where many plants and animals exist.
- Plants and animals can survive in the desert by adjusting to the environment.
- Days in desert can be deadly hot, while nights can be terribly cold.
- Bacteria survive in the ocean depth and the desert burning heat.

Question: The prickly pear survives in the desert by  _  .

Choices:
- shedding leaves in times of drought
- sending its roots down 60 feet
- spreading its roots wide
- storing water in itself


Harvard researchers have created a tough, low-cost, biodegradable   material inspired by insects' hard outer shells. The material's inventors say it has a number of possible uses and someday could provide a more environmentally friendly alternative to plastic. The material, made from shrimp (') shells and proteins produced from silk, is called "shrilk." It is thin, clear, flexible and strong.
A major benefit of the material is its biodegradability. Plastic's toughness and flexibility represented a revolution in materials science during the 1950s and '60s. Decades later, however, plastic's very durability   is raising questions about how appropriate it is for one-time products such as plastic bags, or short-lived consumer goods, used in the home for a few years and then cast into a landfill where they will degrade for centuries. What is the point of making something that lasts 1,000 years?
Shrilk not only will degrade in a landfill, but its basic components are used as fertilizer , and so will enrich the soil.
Shrilk has great potential, the inventors said. Materials from which it is made are plentiful in nature, found in everything ranging from shrimp shells, insect bodies to living plants. That makes shrilk low cost, and its mass production possible should it be used for products demanding a lot of material.
Work on shrilk is continuing in the lab. The inventors said the material becomes flexible when wet, so they're exploring ways to use it in wet environments. They're also developing simpler production processes, which could be used for non-medical products, like for computer cases and other products inside the home. They're even exploring combining it with other materials, like carbon fibers, to give it new properties.

Question: What has become a concern about plastic?

Choices:
- Using it properly.
- Producing it cheaply.
- Developing its properties quickly.
- Evaluating its contributions fairly.

Question: According to the inventors, shrilk has great potential partly because  _  .

Choices:
- it can help plastic degrade
- it can be found in living things
- its mass production has been realized
- its raw materials are abundant in mature

Question: What are the inventors doing in the lab?

Choices:
- Replacing carbon fibers with shrilk.
- Testing ahrilk's use in wet conditions.
- Making shrilk out of used household goods.
- Improving shrilk's flexibility for medical purposes.

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

Choices:
- Recent Progress in Environmental Protection
- Benefits of Insects in Scientific Research
- The Harm of One-time Products
- A Possible Alternative to Plastic


You use her as a shoulder to cry on. She texts you back with casual jokes. But she, Xiaoice, is only a virtual chatbot.
Xiaoice, Microsoft's latest artificial intelligence robot, was briefly released in 2014, and returnen to WeChat in 2015, where she became a big hit. Millions of young Chinese now exchange messages with her daily, The New York Times reported. On WeChat, Xiaoice is an official account. After following it, users can start text-based conversations with Xiaoice.
"Her incredible learning ability was why people loved to talk with Xiaoice," Liu Jinchang, a researcher at High-tech Research and Development Center under the Ministry of Science and Technology, told China Daily. Apart from her ability to identify photos and send emojis m conversations, Xiaoice gains 45 percent of her knowledge from interacting with users, China Daily reported.
Chatbot programs first appeared in the mid-1960s in the US. Driven by top tech companies, they are becoming smarter and more common. For instance, IBM's latest artificial intelligence program served as an academic consultant at Australia's Deakin University, answering students' questions about course schedules and financial aid. Apple's Siri and Amazon's Alexa have been used as voice assistants who can read news, play music and even make jokes for their users.
These programs are expected to move beyond smartphones, into televisions, cars and living rooms, The New York Times pointed out. However, it may take decades before scientists develop a "Samantha", the advanced chatbot seen in the fiction film Her. In the film, Samantha sparks a romantic relationship with her user played by US actor Joaquin Phoenix. Many viewers were enthusiastic about this fan tasy of virtual soul mates.

Question: Which of the following can Xiaoice do?

Choices:
- Do housework.
- Spread messages.
- Identify various photos.
- Read news to its users.

Question: Which company's chatbot program can act as an academic consultant?

Choices:
- Microsoft.
- IBM.
- Apple.
- Amazon.


It is under the CPC's leadership that China has overcome many challenges in its economic, political and social systems and achieved remarkable progress the world has ever seen. Under the CPC's leadership, China has become the world's largest second largest economy. People's lives have greatly improved, and hundreds of millions of people have been lifted out of poverty, an objective fact no one can deny. At the same time, China is quickly becoming a major player on the world stage.
As a responsible nation, China has been playing a growing role and shouldered greater responsibilities in world affairs. Such achievements, especially for a nation with a size equaling to a continent and a population of nearly 1.4 billion, are not easy to make. What roles do you think CPC has played in China? Do you think it's the CPC leadership that has made China's economic _ possible? Is there any room for improvements for the future role of CPC? What challenges will lie ahead for the future leadership of CPC? Please share your opinion with us.

Question: According to the passage, CPC refers to_.

Choices:
- Communist  Party of China
- Cost Per Click
- card-programming control
- Computer Process Control

Question: How does the author feel about the roles the CPC has played in China?

Choices:
- Dissatisfied
- Amazed
- Annoyed
- Proud

Question: What's the best title for this passage?

Choices:
- What roles do you think CPC plays in China?
- Why has CPC played an important role in China?
- China has become the world's second largest economy.
- China has overcome many challenges and achieved remarkable progress.


In a world with limited land, water and other natural resources, the harm from the traditional business model is on the rise. Actually, the past decade has seen more and more forests disappearing and the globe becoming increasingly warm. People now realize that this unhealthy situation must be changed, and that we must be able to develop in sustainable ways. That means growth with low carbon or development of sustainable products. In other words, we should keep the earth healthy while using its supply of natural resources.
Today, sustainable development is a proper trend in many countries. According to a recent study, the global market for low-carbon energy will become three times bigger over the next decade. China, for example, has set its mind on leading that market, hoping to seize chances in the new round of the global energy revolution. It is now trying hard to make full use of wind and solar energy, and is spending a huge amount of money making electric cars and high-speed trains. In addition, we are also seeing great growth in the global markets for sustainable products such as palm oil, which is produced without cutting down valuable rainforest. In recent years the markets for sustainable products have grown by more than 50%.
Governments can fully develop the potential of these new markets. First, they can set high targets for reducing carbon emissions and targets for saving and reusing energy. Besides, stronger arrangement of public resources like forests can also help to speed up the development. Finally, governments can avoid the huge expenses that are taking us in the wrong direction, and redirecting some of those expenses can accelerate the change from traditional model to a sustainable one.
The major challenge of this century is to find ways to meet the needs of growing population within the limits of this single planet. That is no small task, but it offers abundant new chances for sustainable product industries.

Question: The traditional business model is harmful because of all the following EXCEPT that   _  .

Choices:
- it consumes natural resources
- it makes the world warmer
- it brings severe damage to forests
- it makes growth hard to continue

Question: To fully develop the low-carbon markets, governments can   _  .

Choices:
- cut public expenses
- encourage energy conservation
- develop public resources
- forbid carbon emission

Question: What is the main purpose of the passage?

Choices:
- To advocate sustainable development.
- To compare two business models.
- To predict a change of the global market.
- To introduce a new business model.


It was 9:00 am already! Richard had to leave for work! Before leaving he hurriedly looked at the newspaper and stood still! Is he seeing it right? He rubbed his eyes and saw again... Yes, it was his name in the obituary ! He threw the paper in the bin and screamed.
Richard started to recollect. He remembered that last night when he went to bed he had a chest pain and he was rushed to hospital. Then he went into a sound sleep. But what happened after that?
He could suddenly see his living room filled with people... all in tears; his mom, his wife and his children. He also saw his best friend, the one he had a serious misunderstanding a few days back. He wanted to say "Sorry" to him... but now no one could hear his voice.
He wondered how he could tell his mom that he felt so thankful to have her in his life! He wanted to tell his children how much he loved them. He wanted to tell his wife how much he loved her; he felt sorry to have hurt her sometimes.
Richard started crying and pleading to God for one LAST chance! "God, one last chance, please", shouted Richard and opened his eyes.
Oh, this was a dream!
He woke up; looked around everywhere. He was on his bed; his wife lay beside him, deep in sleep. Richard whispered in her ears, "You are the best thing to have ever happened to me!"
He went up to the window, looking outside. Yes, everything was just the way he has been knowing so long. He decided to meet up his friends and clear all misunderstandings; he also decided to tell everyone who mattered to him all that has remained unsaid so far!

Question: When Richard saw his name in the newspaper, he felt   _  .

Choices:
- sad
- shocked
- regretful
- worried

Question: Richard felt sorry to his wife because   _  .

Choices:
- they had a quarrel the other day
- he misunderstood her
- he hurt her sometimes
- he didn't love her

Question: After the dream, Richard would probably   _  .

Choices:
- be on good terms with his friend again
- express appreciation and thanks to his friend
- demand an apology from his friend
- break up with his friend

Question: The writer of the story mainly tells us that   _  .

Choices:
- misunderstanding between friends is common
- we need to see a doctor when having a chest pain
- getting along well with friends is important
- we should tell our family how much we love them


For almost two months Dominic York, a 23-year-old hairdresser, wandered about hospitals all night, wearing a white coat and pretending he was a doctor. Yesterday he proudly claimed in court that despite his complete lack of medical experience or qualifications, he had saved several people's lives. He had even been allowed to assist a surgeon during an emergency operation on a patient who was about to die on something she had swallowed.
"I watched one of those TV dramas about a hospital and suddenly I felt like playing one of the roles myself. So I put on a white jacket and a stethoscope and walked around one of the biggest hospital in London. At first I just watched. Once you learn how doctors talk to patients, nurses and others doctors, it's easy to take people in," he said.
One of the patients he treated was Laura Kennan. She had been knocked down by a car and fainted. When she came to in hospital, York was standing over her.
"He looked very professional. He told me his name was Doctor Simon. Then he gave me some sort of injection," she said. And then he suddenly cleared off when a nurse asked who he was. She didn't think there was anything wrong. "I would never have realized he was a fake if a policewoman hadn't showed me his photograph a week later. When the policewoman told me who he really was, I could hardly believe my ears."
Judge Raymond Adams told York that he was " shocked and horrified" that he got away with his deceiving for so long. And they sentenced him to eighteen months in a special prison for criminal with mental disorders.
"I can only hope that this will not lead to further problems. After all, you will have considerable opportunity to study the behaviour of the psychiatrists who will look after you while you are there. If you try to persuade people that you yourself are a psychiatrist after you are set free, I shall make sure that you are given a much longer sentence." Judge Adams warned York.

Question: York was proud of the fact that    _   .

Choices:
- a surgeon let him watch an operation.
- he could perform some duties of a doctor
- he had cheated doctors for so long
- people thought he could become a real doctor

Question: York learned how to behave like a doctor by    _   .

Choices:
- watching other doctors work
- talking to doctors and nurses
- getting some training and experience
- observing doctors while he was a patient

Question: Why was Laura Kennan in hospital?

Choices:
- She had swallowed something and almost died.
- She had to have and emergency operation.
- She had been injured in a road accident.
- She had lost consciousness while driving.

Question: The judge's remark implied that York would be more severely punished if he    _   .

Choices:
- pretended to be a psychiatrist
- tried to get away from prison
- was proud of what he had done
- studied the behaviour of the psychiatrist


A number of times Rosemary edged closer to Gordon , meaning to take his arm, but he edged away from her. She thought that she had offended him deeply, and that he was disappointed because she had pushed him away. She would have apologized if he had given her half a chance. But as a matter of fact, he was scarcely thinking of this any longer. It was the money business that was troubling him now. And the fact was that he would soon have to confess it. What nonsense it made of all he had said! Presently she stopped him, and swung him round to face her. "Gordon, why won't you speak to me?" she said. "Are you still angry with me for what happened just now?"
"No, I was never angry with you. You're not to blame. Something else has been worrying me all the way along, I've only eight pence left. I had just enough money for today when we started out, but that dinner bill upset everything. Can you lend me some money?'
Rosemary was amazed. "What does it matter if you've only eight pence left? How can you let yourself be worried by a thing like that? As though I objected to lending you money, aren't I always telling you that I want to pay for myself when we go out together?'
"Yes, and you know how I hate you paying."
"Oh, how silly you are." She said. "Do you think there's anything to be ashamed of in having no money?"
Gordon's face went bright pink. "Of course there is ! It's the only thing in the world there is to be ashamed of. I can't be a complete human being--I don't feel a human being -unless I've got money in my pocket."

Question: What gave Rosemary the idea that she had hurt Gordon's feelings deeply?

Choices:
- He didn't say he was sorry.
- He pushed her away when she tried to take his arm.
- He didn't say he was sorry.
- He wouldn't let her touch him.

Question: Rosemary made him look at her because    _   .

Choices:
- she wanted to ask him a question
- she wanted to see his face
- she was angry with him
- he had been rude

Question: Gordon felt that if he asked rosemary to lend him some money    _   .

Choices:
- he would lose some of his self-respect
- she would refuse to
- he would have to confess his loss
- she would be angry

Question: It is clear that Gordon had not intended to    _   .

Choices:
- tell her he had a little money left
- accept any money from her
- blame her for making him angry
- have such an expensive dinner


The word I'm going to introduce to you today is-phubbing. Let's see the definition of this term:phubbing n. the act of snubbing someone in a social setting by looking at your cell phone instead of paying attention As you can probably guess, phubbing is a blend of phone and snubbing. The term was coined by a 23-year-old Melbourne resident Alex Haigh. Obviously, he got fed up with how people are always checking Facebook or Twitter on their phones when they are supposed to be interacting with someone face to face. He wanted to put an end to this social phenomenon, therefore he came up with this catchy term.
And it did catch on. The word's earliest media mention dates back to June 2012, and in a little over a year's time, phubbing has already been picked up by almost all the mainstream media outlets one can think of.
Here is a typical example from the British newspaper The Independent. In the article titled The Rise of Phubbing, which was published on August 5, 2013, Tom Chatfield writes, there's an uncomfortable truth at the heart of phubbing: other people are easier to handle when seen on screen. They're less likely to demand unreasonable efforts such as undivided attention or clean shirts.
While the term phubbing has undoubtedly taken off, some people question why it is called phubbing instead of phnubbing. Alex Haigh has not personally addressed the issue, but word has it that phubbing sounds more crispy and thus easier to remember.
Phubbing is indeed a univers al problem that can no longer be ignored. So why do people keep phubbing each other if they know it's rude? Is there anything we can do to stop it? Or maybe we should just be more kind, because sometimes there are good excuses to phub.
I think there is plenty we can do to try and stop phubbing. For starters, we can jo in Alex Haigh in his Stop Phubbing campaign. Remind our friends and family that phubbing is not appreciated. We can also make or download some anti-phubbing posters to spread the word in public places. And don't forget that some phubbers simply do not realize the harmful effect their behavior has on others,so be b rave enough to stop them, even if you are a total stranger.

Question: This passage is mainly talking about   _  .

Choices:
- the rise of phubbing in all the mainstream media outlets
- a new term "phubbing"and its problem
- the campaign of keeping phubbing
- different opinions on phubbing

Question: The author's attitude towards the act of phubbing can be described as   _  .

Choices:
- bearable
- Unacceptable
- reasonable
- understandable

Question: What can we infer from this passage?

Choices:
- People are easier to handle when seen on screen.
- Alex Haigh doesn't like the term "phnubbing"
- More and more people have become phubbers.
- We can phub if we have proper excuses.

Question: The writer suggests we should   _  .

Choices:
- stop phubbing in public places
- not be afraid of the harmful effect
- be brave to support a st ranger phubbing
- remind our friends of Stop Phubbing campaign


Television in the United States is free. To pay for programs, there are many advertisements. Often these advertisements are short plays with actors. The following television advertisement is like many others that Americans see daily.
We see a man and his wife at the breakfast table. They have been married for a long time. They are not speaking to each other. They haven't spoken to each other at the breakfast table for years. The husband is reading his newspaper. We can't see his face. The wife looks very bored as she pours a cup of coffee for him. Today, she is using a new kind of coffee for the first time. The husband picks up his cup. He isn't very interested. He tastes his coffee. Suddenly he puts down his newspaper. Something is different.! Can it be the coffee? He takes another taste. It's wonderful! He smiles. He looks at his wife and says in amazement,
"Doris, when did you cut your hair?"
Doris is pleased. She answers, "Two months ago."
Doris asks, "Herbie, when did your hair begin to turn gray?"
He replies, "A long time ago."
Doris says, "Oh, very handsome."
Now they aren't bored any more. Breakfast is different. Has a new kind of coffee changed their lives?

Question: In the television advertisement, Doris looks bored because   _  .

Choices:
- she doesn't like the breakfast that morning
- she has been married to Herbie for a long time
- Her husband doesn't care much for her
- Herbie isn't interested in the breakfast she cooks

Question: The TV advertisement wants to tell the viewers   _  .      .

Choices:
- to have an immediate try at the new coffee
- to have a good laugh at the good couple
- that a nice breakfast must go with nice coffee
- that advertisements can certainly increase goods production

Question: What does the author mean by saying the last sentence?

Choices:
- What kind of coffee can change people's lives?
- How can a new kind of coffee change people's lives?
- Nice coffee can change one's life.
- A new kind of coffee costs quite a lot.

Question: This text is mainly about   _  .

Choices:
- who pays for TV programs in the United States
- what a TV advertisement is usually like in the USA
- why long married couples dislike speaking to each other
- what made Herbie and Doris not bored any more


A Russian,a Cuban,an American businessman and an American lawyer were on a train traveling across England. The Russian took out a large bottle of vodka, gave each of the men a drink and then threw the rest half bottle of vodka out of the window.
         "Why did you do that?" asked the American businessman.
         "There's too much vodka in my country," said the Russian,"And really we have more than we will ever use."
         A little later,the Cuban passed around fine Havana Cigars. Then he threw his out of the window.
         "I thought Cuba is not a rich country," the businessman said. "But you threw that very good cigars out of the window!"
         "Cigars," the Cuban answered,"are the cheapest in my country. We have more of them than we know what to do with."
         The American businessman sat quietly for a moment. Then he got up,caught the lawyer by the arm and threw him out of the window.

Question: Vodka is a kind of   _  .

Choices:
- treasure
- alcohol
- food
- medicine

Question: The Russian and the Cuban both wanted to   _  .

Choices:
- tell the businessman what their countries are rich in
- prove  that they were not rich
- ask the two Americans to visit their countries
- make the businessman happy

Question: When the businessman said "I thought Cuba is not a rich country.",he meant "  _  ".

Choices:
- Russian is richer than Cuba
- America is not richer than Cuba and Russia
- You shouldn't threw that very good cigar away
- Do you have more cigars than me?

Question: What did the businessman want to say by throwing the lawyer out of the window?

Choices:
- I want to buy some vodka.
- We have too many lawyers in my country.
- I'll go to Cuba and do some business of cigars.
- If you need lawyers,come to America.

Question: Which do you think is the best title for the passage?

Choices:
- Traveling across England
- Four Rich Men
- You're Wasting Too Much
- There's Too Much


When your pet has an emergency, first aid is not a _ for veterinary  treatment. However, before you are able to get your pet to a veterinarian , knowing some basic first aid can help.
Bite Wounds
Approach the pet carefully to avoid getting bitten. Wear a mask for the animal and then check the wound. Clean the wound with large amounts of saline . If these are not available, then regular water may be used. Wrap large open wounds to keep them clean.
Bleeding
Apply firm, direct pressure over the bleeding area until the bleeding stops. Hold the pressure for at least 10 minutes. Avoid bandages that cut off circulation.
 _
Check to see if the animal is choking  on a foreign object. If an animal is not breathing, place it on a firm surface with its left side up. Check for a heartbeat. If you hear a heartbeat but not breathing, close the animal's mouth and breathe directly into its nose--not the mouth--until the chest expands. Repeat 12 to 15 times per minute.
Burns
Wash the burn immediately with large amounts of cool, running water. Apply an ice pack for 15--20 minutes. Do not place an ice pack directly on the skin. Wrap the pack in a light towel or other cover. If the animal has large quantities of dry chemicals on it skin, brush them off. Water may activate some dry chemicals.
Fractures
Symptoms include pain, inability to use a limb  . Wear a mask for the pet and look for bleeding. If you can control bleeding without causing more injury, then do so. Watch for signs of shock. Don't try to set the fractures by pulling the limb. Transport the pet to the veterinarian immediately, supporting the injured part as best as you can.

Question: What's the suitable subtitle for the blank ?

Choices:
- Cutting
- Breathing Stops
- Poisoning
- Suffering Heart Problems

Question: If your pet is burned by chemicals, you should  _  .

Choices:
- wash away the chemicals with saline
- put an ice pack directly on the skin
- bind up the cut with a bandage
- get rid of them before washing

Question: The passage is mainly about  _  .

Choices:
- doing pet first aid
- treating sick pets
- dealing with an emergency
- working as a veterinarian


Joan, super visor   of the town's morals recently accused George, a local man, of having a drinking problem because she noticed his car outside the town's only bar.She reasoned, it was a logical assumption  .George stared at her for a moment and said nothing.Later that evening, he parked his car in front of her house and left it there all night.
Why is it that so many of our logical assumptions are just plain wrong? And why do we want to act as if they must be true? In an age long before the Internet, a young American at a party found himself seated next to the famous Chinese diplomat Wellington Koo.Completely not knowing what to say to someone from such a different culture, this young man turned and asked, "Likee soupee?" After all, he assumed, don't all Chinese speak in broken English? Mr.Koo smiled and nodded.Later when called upon to speak, Wellington Koo delivered a wonderful talk in fluent English, sat down while the applause was still continuing, turned to the young man and whispered, "Likee speechee?"
Do you know why red roses are so popular? Men keep buying them.They assume that all women prefer red roses.But when women are asked what color1 of rose is their favorite, they are more likely to answer that they prefer yellow, white or peach.And when asked what kind of flowers they would prefer to receive, the answer is generally not roses at all.The age-old assumption that most women like red roses best is simply not true.
We all make assumptions.They're too often wrong and can easily get us into trouble.So here is what I've learned: when in doubt, check it out.And if I'm not in doubt, I still check it out.We may think we know.But what we know may not be so.So it's best to check it out.

Question: According to the passage, we can know George is   _  .

Choices:
- clever
- honest
- kind-hearted
- bad-tempered

Question: Wellington Koo's experience is mentioned to show   _  .

Choices:
- his talent in speaking English
- people's assumption can be false
- the Chinese were looked down on
- his humor in doing with difficult situations

Question: Red roses are so popular at the market in that   _  .

Choices:
- women prefer red roses.
- women like the red color1 best.
- they smell pleasant than others.
- men think women would like them.

Question: How is this passage mainly developed?

Choices:
- By giving examples.
- By presenting research results.
- By analyzing causes.
- By making comparisons.


Generational differences and the economy   are shifting   more responsibilities for children from their parents to grandparents, according to a new survey.
More than one-third of grandparents aged 50 and older contribute financially to their grandchildren's upbringing, and 11 percent have a grandchild living with them, the poll   by AARP, the group for 36 million older US citizens, showed.
Forty percent of people who responded to the telephone survey, whose average age was 69, reported spending more than $500 on grandchildren over the past year beyond traditional gifts.Education costs accounted for 53 percent, daily expenses for 37 percent and medical costs for 23 percent.Sixteen percent provided daycare for grandchildren.
"They are the safety net for American families, helping to pay for practical expenses and necessities," said Amy Goyer, AARP's multi-generational and family issues   expert.
"We see many providing daycare services, while growing numbers even have grandchildren living with them," she said, referring to the 16 percent who watch their grandchildren while the parents are at work or school.
Generally nearly 90 percent of the 1,904 grandparents questioned said they play a very or somewhat important role in their grandchildren's lives, and about 70 percent live within 50 miles of the closest one.
The poll conducted by Woelfel Research Inc.also showed that grandparents were increasingly keyed to the younger generation's life issues and preferred ways of communicating.
More than one-third connect with their grandchildren via email or text messaging, while half said they routinely discuss topics ranging from values and spirituality to drug and alcohol use.
Nearly 40 percent said they had discussed dating or sex with at least one grandchild.Some 60 percent said they spoke with their grandchildren at least once a week.
Most of the grandparents said they had five or more grandchildren, while one-fourth said they had grandchildren of a different race or mixed race.

Question: The passage mainly tells us   _  .

Choices:
- the differences between generations are huge
- how Woelfel Research Inc.conducted the poll
- parents are the safety net for American families
- grandparents take more responsibilities for grandchildren

Question: Grandparents discuss with their grandchildren on various topics EXCEPT   _  .

Choices:
- races
- values
- drug use
- spirituality

Question: Which of the following is TRUE about grandparents?

Choices:
- Most of them have grandchildren of a different race.
- One third keep in touch with their grandchildren via email.
- Nearly 40 percent discussed dating with more than one grandchild.
- About three fifths communicate with their grandchildren at least once a week.

Question: What does the author think of the phenomenon mentioned in the passage?

Choices:
- Reasonable.
- Unbelievable.
- Acceptable.
- Not given.


When my friend went to Europe last summer, instead of snapping photographs of the Louvre or the Eiffel Tower or Stonehenge, she brought back 32 rolls of ... cathedral ceilings. Ceilings. For the 10 years I've known her I had never suspected that she was this passionate about stained glass.
Still one of the best things about such pictures -- despite their obvious narrow appeal -- is that they can't help but tell us a great deal about the people who took them.
So I shouldn't have been surprised when I got the roll of film back from my 5-year-old son's first camping trip. I opened the envelope, naively expecting to see pictures of the nightly campfire, the sun setting over the forest, and possibly even a deer or two.
Instead, I saw an off-center picture of tennis shoes. Not even his tennis shoes, mind you, but a pair someone had lost and left in the cabin. Mystery shoes. And that's not all.
As I went through the stack, I found that my son had also taken a picture of his sleeping bag, a penny he found in the gravel next to the car, a leaf, an orange sock, a close-up of his father's ear, a burned hot dog, his thumb, a piece of gum, and many other similar things.
There was barely one sign of nature in the whole stack. I couldn't help thinking that if he'd wanted pictures of assorted junk, it would've been cheaper had he spent the weekend in our back-yard.
AT LEAST that is what I thought until I showed the photographs to my ceiling-snapping friend, the mother of three teenagers, who said simply, "There's nothing wrong with these."
But of course, this is just the type of answer you'd expect from someone who photographs ceiling.
Then she told me about the time her daughter went to Yosemite Valley and returned with rolls of photographs of the hotel, restaurant, and gift shop. She also told me about the time her son took his camera to a Major League Baseball game and returned with 24 pictures of cloud formations.
I had a feeling she was just trying to make me feel better.
Then again, to a 5-year-old boy, finding a penny is more exciting than seeing a squirrel. And why would he waste good film on something like, say, some endangered water buffaloes, when he could take a picture of cool tennis shoes? Or his shiny new green sleeping bag?
Face it: Things like beautiful sunsets and campfires can't compare to a bag of extra-large marshmallow.
So I did what any good mother would do: I marked the date on the back of the pictures and slid them into our family vacation photo album -- right after the five pages of ice sculptures I took last year on our cruise to the Bahamas.

Question: Which of the following proverbs best displays the author's final thought?

Choices:
- Every dog will have its day.
- Every man has his hobby-horse.
- If a thing is worth doing, it's worth doing well.
- You can take a horse to the water but you cannot make him drink.

Question: Who might have taken a picture of the back seat of the family car in his or her trip mentioned in this passage?

Choices:
- The author's friend.
- The author's son.
- The author.
- The author's friend's daughter.

Question: The author changed her mind on her son's picture taking because  _   .

Choices:
- her friend persuaded her to do so
- her son's pictures finally struck her
- she realized the truth by herself inspired by the surrounding examples
- it suddenly occurred to her that she herself had also taken unique pictures before

Question: What can we infer from this passage?

Choices:
- Age and gender play an important role in one's vision of the world.
- The author's friend is a better mum in terms of educating children.
- The author will allow her son more freedom to choose in his future life.
- The author will take vacation pictures of different kind from her past ones.


Billy's favorite color is orange. But he can't see what orange looks like. Billy is blind.
A month after he was born, his mother noticed that his eyes weren't quite as big as a normal baby's."Billy would never be able to see." the doctor told his mother. After that Billy's mother began talking to him, describing things she saw outside the window. She described everything to him.
Billy does not only depend on his mother's descriptions to learn about the world around him. He sees with his ears and his hands, too. He has perfect hearing. When people make phone calls, he can tell the numbers they dial .
Billy loves computer science. He began teaching himself computer programming when he was just seven years old. His dream school would be Stanford University. He gets top grades in his classes, making that a real possibility.
"You can't let excuses get in the way of your dreams, and if you do that you can't move forward and reach your goals, "said Billy.

Question: From the passage, we know that  _

Choices:
- Billy can't hear.
- Billy can't see.
- Billy can't walk.
- Billy can't talk.

Question: How did Billy's mother help him?

Choices:
- By teaching him how to draw.
- By asking teacher for advice.
- By describing everything to him.
- By sending him to his dream school.

Question: When did Billy begin teaching himself computer programming?

Choices:
- When he was7 years old.
- When he was in Seven Grade
- When he was high school
- When he was at university


A woman wears a face mask to protect her from polluted air in prefix = st1 /Lanzhou,China, in December.
A new study showed air pollution might put people more at risk for heart disease than scientists had thought. Kristin Miller, a doctoral student at the UniversityofWashington, said chances of getting the disease were related to not only which city a woman lived in, but also where in the city. The study found that the effects of air pollution were often larger within cities than between cities.
The new findings make experts suspect that current pollution limits may be inadequate. Scientists examined rates of heart attack, stroke   and other cardiovascular   events in women with long-term exposure to air pollution.
The study involved women over the age of fifty who had no sign of cardiovascular disease at the start of the research. The study followed the women for as long as nine years to see how they would develop cardiovascular problems.
The researchers also examined levels of fine particles (,) in the air in 36 areas across the country. That information came from the Environmental Protection Agency. The extremely small particles came from industrial smoke and traffic, along with things like wood-burning fireplaces in houses.
In the study, every ten-microgram increase in the risk of a cardiovascular event. But it was related to a seventy-six percent increase in the risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
But just how do particles in the air damage the cardiovascular system? The particles may cause the lungs to swell and release chemicals from the pollutants into the blood. The chemicals then could damage the heart.

Question: The passage mainly talks about  _  .

Choices:
- the effects of pollution on women
- how to protect women from air pollution
- how air pollution damages a person's heart
- the relationship between air pollution and heart diseases

Question: The case of the woman wearing a face mask shows   _  .

Choices:
- people are paying more and more attention to their health
- the woman is afraid of getting heart disease
- Lanzhou city is more heavily polluted than other cities
- air pollution is becoming more and more serious

Question: We can learn from the passage that   _  .

Choices:
- air pollution is more serious than scientists thought
- the control of air pollution is effective in some cities
- people throughout a city have the same risk of getting heart diseases
- air pollution affects women more than men


Sons who have fond childhood memories of their fathers are more likely to be emotionally stable in the face of day-to-day stresses, according to psychologists who studied hundreds of adults of all ages. "As our study shows, fathers do play a unique and important role in the mental health of their children much later in life," psychology professor Melanie Mallers of California State University said.
              For this study, 912 adult men and women between the ages of 25 and 74 completed short daily telephone interviews about that day's experiences over an eight-day period. The interviews focused on the participants' psychological and emotional distress   (i.e.whether they were nervous, sad, etc.) and if they had experienced any stressful events that day.
              The participants were also required to answer questions such as, "How would you rate your relationship with your mother during the years when you were growing up?" and "How much time and attention did your mother give you when you needed it?" The same questions were asked about fathers.
              People who reported they had a good mother-child relationship reported three percent less psychological distress compared to those who reported a poor relationship, according to Mallers. Men who reported having a good relationship with their fathers during childhood were more likely to be less emotional when reacting to stressful events in their current daily lives than those who had a poor relationship, according to her findings.
              Also, the quality of mother and father relationships was significantly associated with how many stressful events the participants faced on a daily basis. In other words, if they had a poor childhood relationship with both parents, they reported more stressful incidents over the eight-day study when compared to those who had a good relationship with their parents.
              Mallers explained why healthy or unhealthy relationships may have an effect on how people handle stress as adults. "Perhaps having caring parents equips children with the experiences and skills necessary to more successfully navigate their relationships with other people throughout childhood and into adulthood," she said.

Question: What do we know about the study from the passage?

Choices:
- It paid close attention to the effect of fathers on their children.
- 912 children and adults took part in the study.
- It lasted as long as several months.
- It was funded by the California State University.

Question: In the interviews, people were asked about all of the following things EXCEPT   _  .

Choices:
- their psychological distress
- their emotional distress
- their childhood stressful events
- their childhood relationships with their parents

Question: What can be concluded from the passage?

Choices:
- Parent-child relationships have a lasting effect on children.
- Adults with good childhood relationships with their parents are sure to be happy.
- The mother-child relationships is more important than the father-child one.
- The quality of parent-child relationships determines how people handle stress as adults.

Question: Which of the following statements is TRUE about the findings of the study?

Choices:
- People with a good relationship with others suffered less distress.
- Men with a good mother-child relationship were more likely to be emotionally stable than women.
- Women were more skilled at getting along with their parents than men.
- People with good childhood relationships with their parents suffered less stress.


Yang Qunhui, 28, a graduate of Chengdu University of Information Technology, Sichuan Province, gave up her job with a monthly salary of 20,000 yuan ($3,014) at a famous company, but has started her own restroom-ad business with five other graduates, becoming a "restroom queen."
The company, opened in May, is now the only one of its kind in Chengdu.
It has two goals: to find suitable restrooms to place ads and to find clients  who are willing to put their ads in them.
"We are now trying to find restrooms to place the ads. A larger area means more ad sources," said Yang.
Yang got the idea to run the company one year ago when she looked for toilet repairing information on the Internet but finally noticed companies in Beijing and Shanghai doing restroom ads.
"It's so interesting," she said. "Everyone has their dream. Mine is to start my own business and do something I like."
After some research, Yang found the advantages of restroom ads. They are low-cost, making it easier to find clients. "Most private companies are middle or small-sized ones. Cheap ads are an good choice."
Another advantage, she said, is that people tend to remember words and messages they've seen while sitting or standing in the loo.
Yang said sitting on a toilet, one usually feels bored and even an old newspaper helps kill the time.
"Most people think an ad is effective as long as it is read, however, the ad works only when it is remembered by readers," she said.

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

Choices:
- Yang accepted a job with a monthly salary of 20,000 yuan instead of starting her own restroom-ad business.
- Yang opened the company as soon as she graduated from Chengdu University of Information Technology.
- The restroom-ad company that was opened by five graduates is now the only one of its kind in Chengdu.
- One of the company's goals is to find clients who are willing to put their ads in the restrooms.

Question: Yang has started her business in order to   _  .

Choices:
- do something she likes
- become a famous boss
- make money for her future
- make herself known to all

Question: This passage mainly tells us that   _  .

Choices:
- a young woman called Yang Qunhui has started her restroom-ad business.
- restroom ads have advantages including low price and easy words.
- many people think restroom ads are effective because they can kill the time.
- people tend to remember lots of things while sitting or standing in the loo.

Question: The author's attitude towards restroom ads is   _  .

Choices:
- positive
- negative
- doubtful
- not clear


A new collection of photos brings an unsuccessful Antarctic voyage back to life.
Frank Hurley's pictures would be outstanding----undoubtedly first-rate photo-journalism---if they had been made last week. In fact, they were shot from 1914 through 1916, most of them after a disastrous shipwreck , by a cameraman who had no reasonable expectation of survival. Many of the images were stored in an ice chest, under freezing water, in the damaged wooden ship.
The ship was the Endurance, a small, tight, Norwegian-built three-master that was intended to take Sir Ernest Shackleton and a small crew of seamen and scientists, 27 men in all, to the southernmost shore of Antarctica's Weddell Sea. From that point Shackleton wanted to force a passage by dog sled  across the continent. The journey was intended to achieve more than what Captain Robert Falcon Scott had done. Captain Scott had reached the South Pole early in 1912 but had died with his four companions on the march back.
As writer Caroline Alexander makes clear in her forceful and well-researched story The Endurance, adventuring was even then a thoroughly commercial effort. Scott's last journey, completed as be lay in a tent dying of cold and hunger, caught the world's imagination, and a film made in his honor drew crowds. Shackleton, a onetime British merchant-navy officer who had got to within 100 miles of the South Pole in 1908, started a business before his 1914 voyage to make money from movie and still photography. Frank Hurley, a confident and gifted Australian photographer who knew the Antarctic, was hired to make the images, most of which have never before been published.

Question: What do we know about the photos taken by Hurley?

Choices:
- They were made last week
- They showed undersea sceneries
- They were found by a cameraman
- They recorded a disastrous adventure

Question: Who reached the South Pole first according to the text?

Choices:
- Frank Hurley
- Ernest Shackleton
- Robert Falcon Scott
- Caroline Alexander

Question: What does Alexander think was the purpose of the 1914 voyage?

Choices:
- Artistic creation
- Scientific research
- Money making
- Treasure hunting


Have you ever stood side by side with an elephant and touched its ear or its long nose? A marvelous opportunity is offered here for you to experience working with these giant animals. The daily highlight is the walk from the elephant orphanage down to the river to bathe the elephants. Imaging what an amazing fun it is to watch an entire herd splashing  around and rolling in the river just feet in front of you!
This opportunity is available through a programme designed for visitors and volunteers to work in the world-famous government-run elephant orphanage in Pinnawela, Sri Lanka. The orphanage is regarded as one of the largest centers of its kind in the world, with one of the most successful captive breeding  programmes for Asian elephants.
Pinnawela Orphanage is situated in the hills of central Sri Lanka. It was established in 1975 by the Sir Lanka Wildlife Department. The orphanage's 24 acres  are a home for the many baby elephants found in the jungle without their mothers. In most of these cases the mothers had either died or been killed. Baby elephants cared for by the orphanage are released into the wild when they reach a certain age.
The volunteers' working hours are quite short so there is plenty of time to sightsee and explore. The volunteer work consists mainly of the day-to-day aspects of running the orphanage, rather than more specialized research-based work.
The volunteers' main duties are cleaning the elephant homes in the morning (hard, muddy work!) and bathing some of the smaller elephants. Some elephants are overly large or have not been tamed or trained to a satisfactory level. However there are still enough opportunities to have full hands-on contact safely.
While the mahouts are bathing the larger elephants, you will have a chance to relax by the river, chat with the mahouts and watch the elephants play and interact with humans and each other. It is an  ly beautiful sight. Being around these serene animals in such a beautiful setting can have a very calming effect!
If you are interested in such an experience, contact us for more information.

Question: How many main duties does the passage list for the volunteers?

Choices:
- Two.
- Three.
- Four.
- Five.

Question: The passage's goal is to_.

Choices:
- describe the elephant orphanage in Pinnawela, Sri Lanka.
- attract more tourists to come for sightseeing
- get volunteers for Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage
- call on people to care for baby elephants

Question: Mahouts are probably people who_.

Choices:
- train elephants
- bathe elephants
- care for elephants
- drive elephants


I live in north Celebes which is near Philippines. Since early December 2010 most tropical regions have been frequently hit by rain. Just like my hometown, tropical regions only have two seasons, including the dry season that usually starts from April to September and the wet or rainy season which usually happens from October to March. But, it could be _ Sometimes the rainy season can come a month earlier or later. It can be prolonged even more than 4 months and so can the dry season. Even during the dry season, rain can occur several times in certain areas.
The prolonged dry season in tropical areas usually causes a lot of losses. It will be very harmful to local farmers, because most of the tropical areas sre regions of the developing countries. Sometimes agricultural and plantation crops will be damaged because of so much dry land and the fact that the river used to flow the water for rice fields are also dry. Rain is very important for plants because rain contains many nutrients that plants are in great need of.
What's more, if the prolonged rainy season arrives and then floods usually occur in certain areas of low lands. Even for the capital city of Jakarta floods have struck several times during the prolonged rainy season. In addition to floods, the rainy season can cause many diseases. During the dry season, diseases are usually caused by mosquitoes such as dengue fever. While in the rainy season, people who have the weak immune will be more easily attacked by some diseases such as flu, fever, diarrhea, and much more.
If you live in the other places and want to travel to the tropical regions, make sure that you have known much about the season and the effect for these months in which you want to travel as tourists. Only in that way, can you at least prepare to deal with tropical weather.

Question: We can learn from the passage that in the wet season,   _

Choices:
- the capital of Jakarta is flooded every year
- more crops will die after being flooded for so long.
- mosquitoes will spread more diseases among the crowd.
- people with weak immune might be attacked by some diseases

Question: The main purpose of this passage is to introduce   _  .

Choices:
- some interesting facts of tropical regions
- some knowledge about tropical regions to travelers
- some knowledge about how to live well in different regions.
- some differences between dry and wet seasons in tropical regions.


The International Voluntary Service runs a number of Youth Exchanges throughout the year.Youth Exchanges give small groups of 4-5 young people the opportunity to take part in volunteering trips abroad for an average of two weeks.These young people are joined by 4-5 young people from 3-4 other nationalities and are a wonderful intercultural experience in a safe environment.
Example Youth Exchanges:
Youth Exchange 1
Location:Ireland
Other nationalities:Ireland,Spain,Italy,Hungary
Theme:Focuses on the topic of community reconstruction and community activities--exploring how local issues facing our communities are connected to global issues.The group will also learn about the eco-village as an example of a community and take part in team-building activities.
Youth Exchange 2
Location:France
Other nationalities:Bulgaria,Italy,France
Theme:Organic gardening & continual living.This project will take place in a natural park,where the group will take part in gardening activities and games/workshops about continuous development.
Youth Exchange 3
Location:Macedonia
Other nationalities:Serbia,Turkey,Ireland
Theme:Foster social inclusion and motivate personal development of young people through sports and outdoor activities.Promote outdoor activities as a tool to help inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities.
Youth Exchange 4
Location:Italy
Other nationalities:Italy,Bulgaria,Greece
Theme:A sociaI-environmental project that intends to promote social inclusion and continuable development,regarded as a process of civil rights and active citizenship.Over 10 days, the group will participate in activities to raise awareness about the effect of our behavior on the environment.

Question: What do you focus on when travelling in France?

Choices:
- Gardening work.
- Civil rights
- Developing social inclusion.
- Rebuilding communities

Question: If you are interested in protecting the environment,you can take part in  _  .

Choices:
- Youth Exchange 1
- Youth Exchange 2
- Youth Exchange 3
- Youth Exchange 4

Question: Which nationality are Youth Exchanges most popular with?

Choices:
- Spain.
- Italy
- Ireland
- France


Spring is the time to go out and enjoy the weather and scenery.Here are some events to attend in March of 2012 in Oregon!
Oregon Country Fair(OCF), 9 am to 7 pm on March 8 - 10
OCF first started in 1969, and it's blossomed into an outstanding example of what a non - profit should be. OCF is an event of shopping & atmosphere, and food ranging from Indian & Afghani cuisine to Italian & France cuisine.Wonderful craft & music never stop.From the time you get there until the time you leave, everyone has a smile on their faces, and they wave and say hello.For tickets, go and visit www.Oregoncountryfair.org.
30thAnnual Seaside Beach Volleyball Tournament, 8 am to 6 pm on March 12 - 14
The Annual Seaside Beach Volleyball Tournament is an amateur tournament that draws amateur volleyball players to the small town of seaside, as well as AVP Team players who are the best volleyball players.In the past years, it has drawn more than 700 teams playing on over 80 volleyball courts.Just go west, and you can't miss it.It is about 20 miles south of Astoria.To learn more about it, visit the website www.Seasideor.com.
Hood to Coast Relay, 3:30 am to 6:45 pm on March 26 - 27
The Hood to Coast Relay is a 200 - mile - long relay that consists of 15, 000 runners and 4, 100 volunteers.It's the largest relay in the world, which goes from Mt.Hood to Pacific Ocean in Seaside, Oregon.People of the Oregon coast fear Hood to Coast, because local towns and streets are flooded.There are audiences cheering riders on, and many people set up stations to give riders water.If you would like to get the race route maps, visit the website www. Hoodtocoast. com.
Other event information
To learn about other events, visit the website www. Aadfv. Blogspot. com.

Question: OCF covers the following EXCEPT   _  .

Choices:
- music
- dishes
- dance
- artworks

Question: When was the first Seaside Beach Volleyball Tournament held in Oregon?

Choices:
- In 1982.
- In 1986.
- In 1988.
- In 1992.

Question: If Lisa wants to learn more about an outing in Oregon, she may visit   _  .

Question: Locals of the Oregon coast are afraid of the relay because   _  .

Choices:
- the relay will last a long period
- they have to offer food and water
- the weather is bad during the relay
- too many people will go there


London is the capital of the United Kingdom and the largest city in the European Union. It is the world's largest finacial center and one of the most important cultural centers and its influence on politics, education, entertainment, media, fashion, and the arts contributes to its status as a major global city. Central London is the headquarters of more than half of the UK's top 100 listed companies(the FTSE 100 ) and more than 100 of Europe's 500 largest companies. The city is a major tourist destination for both domestic and overseas visitors. London hosted the 1908 and 1948 Summer Olympic Games and will host the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.
London contains four World Heritage Sites: the Tower of London, the historic settlement of Greenwich ;the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew; and the site comprising the Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey and St.Margaret 's Church.
 _ On July 2007, it had an official population of 7,556, 900 within the boundaries of Greater London making _ the most populous municipality in the European Union. Since the 2001 the Greater London Urban Area has been the second largest in the EU after Paris with a population of 8,278,251, and the metropolitan area is estimated to have a total population of between 12 million and 13 million, the largest population area in the EU. The public transport network, administered by Transport for London, is the most intensive in the world. Heathrow Airport is the busiest airport in the world by international passenger traffic and the air space is the busiest of any city in the world.

Question: Which statement is True ?

Choices:
- Central London has 50 of the UK's top 100 listed companies.
- By the year of 2015, London will host the Summer Olympic Games.
- Three are 300 languages spoken within the city.
- The metropolitan area of Paris is the largest one in the EU.


In 1974, after filling out fifty applications, going through four interviews, and winning one offer, I took what I could get ----- a teaching job at what I considered a distant wild area: western New Jersey. My characteristic optimism was alive only when I reminded myself that I would be doing what I had wanted to do since I was fourteen ------- teaching English.
School started, but I felt more and more as if I were in a foreign country. Was this rural area really New Jersey? My students took a week off when hunting season began. I was told they were also frequently absent in late October to help their fathers make hay on the farms. I was a young woman from New York City, who thought that "Make hay while the sun shines" just meant to have a good time.
But, still, I was teaching English. I worked hard, taking time off only to eat and sleep. And then there was my sixth-grade class ---- seventeen boys and five girls who were only six years younger than me. I had a problem long before I knew it. I was struggling in my work as a young idealistic teacher. I wanted to make literature come alive and to promote a love of the written word. The students wanted to throw spitballs and whisper dirty words in the back of the room.
In college I had been taught that a successful educator should ignore bad behavior. So I did, confident that, as the textbook had said, the bad behavior would disappear as I gave my students positive attention. It sounds reasonable, but the text evidently ignored the fact that humans, particularly teenagers, rarely seem reasonable. By the time my boss, who was also my taskmaster, known to be the strictest, most demanding, most quick to fire inexperienced teachers, came into the classroom to observe me, the students exhibited very little good behavior to praise.
My boss sat in the back of the room. The boys in the class were making animal noises, hitting each other while the girls filed their nails or read magazines. I just pretended it all wasn't happening, and went on lecturing and tried to ask some inspiring questions. My boss, sitting in the back of the classroom, seemed to be growing bigger and bigger. After twenty minutes he left, silently. Visions of unemployment marched before my eyes.
I felt mildly victorious that I got through the rest of class without crying, but at my next free period I had to face him. I wondered if he would let me finish out the day. I walked to his office, took a deep breath, and opened the door.
He was sitting in his chair, and he looked at me long and hard. I said nothing. All I could think of was that I was not an English teacher; I had been lying to myself, pretending that everything was fine.
When he spoke, he said simply, without accusation, "You had nothing to say to them."
"You had nothing to say to them". he repeated." No wonder they are bored. Why not get to the meat of literature and stop talking about symbolism. Talk with them, not at them. And more important, why do you ignore their bad behavior"? We talked. He named my problems and offered solutions. We role-played. He was the bad student, and I was the forceful, yet, warm teacher.
As the year progressed, we spent many hours discussing literature and ideas about human beings and their motivations. He helped me identify my weaknesses and strengths. In short, he made a teacher of me by teaching me the reality of Emerson's words: "The secret to education lies in respecting the pupil."
Fifteen years later I still drive that same winding road to the same school. Thanks to the help I received that difficult first year, the school is my home now.

Question: It can be inferred from the story that in 1974    _   .

Choices:
- the writer became an optimistic person
- it was rather difficult to get a job in the USA
- the writer was very happy about her new job
- it was easy to get a teaching job in New Jersey

Question: According to the passage, which of the following is most probably the writer's problem as a new teacher?

Choices:
- She didn't like teaching English literature.
- She didn't ask experienced teachers for advice.
- She took too much time off to eat and sleep.
- She had blind trust in what she learnt at college.

Question: What is the writer's biggest worry after her taskmaster's observation of her class?

Choices:
- She couldn't ignore her students' bad behavior any more.
- She migh t lose her students' respect.
- She couldn't teach the same class any more.
- She might lose her teaching job.

Question: Which of the following gives the writer a sense of mild victory?

Choices:
- Her talk about symbolism sounded convincing.
- She managed to finish the class without crying.
- Her students behaved a little better than usual.
- She was invited for a talk by her boss after class.

Question: The students behaved badly in the writer's classes because

Choices:
- They were eager to embarrass her.
- They didn't regard her as a good teacher.
- She didn't really understand them.
- She didn't have a good command of English.

Question: The taskmaster's attitude towards the writer after his observation of her class can be described as   _   .

Choices:
- cruel but encouraging
- sincere and supportive
- fierce but forgiving
- angry and aggressive


When looking for love, people may go to some extreme lengths. They might go on blind dates set up by family and friends. They might write personal ad to place in newspapers. Or they might use a computer to help them in their search for a soul mate by joining an online dating service. Some people have even tried to find their perfect match through game shows on television. Many of these TV dating shows, including The Bachelor andWho Wants to Marry Multimillionaire?, have proved to be popular, with millions of viewers watching each week to find out which of the contestants  will find true love.
Of all these game shows, perhaps the one with the most unexpected ending was Mr. Right, which was shown in England in 2002. On the show, a bachelor, thirty-five-year-old Lance Gerrard-Wright, dated fifteen women to find the one who was his ideal partner. The host of the show was Ulrika Jonsson, an English celebrity   originally from Sweden. For seven weeks on the show, Lance took turns going on dates with each of the women, taking them to expensive restaurants and romantic locations. He even met the women's families and introduced them to his own. Then at the end of each episode , he would choose between one and three of the contestants with whom he had felt the least compatible , and say goodbye to them.
At one point during the series, one contestant volunteered to leave because she said she didn't find him attractive. After two dates she said she had had enough, and she couldn't see it working, "He wasn't my cup of tea." In another episode the woman he was on a date with burst into tears when he called her by another girl's name. "You called me by another girl's name. I can't believe you did that. I really liked you," she said in tears.
But in the final episode, the woman he eventually chose decided she didn't want to marry him after all. "I think you've chosen me because you have to choose someone," she said. Maybe this was because she already knew he had fallen in love with the show's host!
After leaving the show, Gerrard-Wright and Jonsson were seen dining together and attending parties around London more and more often. Finally, on May 1, 2003, Gerrard-Wright proposed to Jonsson on the steps of St. Paul's Cathedral. And she accepted his proposal right away, although she had to make sure that her two children from previous relationships--an eight-year-old son, Cameron, and a two-year-old daughter, Bo. agreed to the marriage. Luckily, they did. Gerrard-Wright said, "In the end the show did work for me. I grabbed an opportunity to get a girlfriend and I did. Ulrika's amazing"
The happy couple finally got married at Jonsson's home in Sweden on the island of Varmdo. They wanted to keep the ceremony small, so only forty people were invited, including family and friends. There was some gossip at the time that Jonsson's friends who did not receive invitations to the wedding felt upset. But the bride and groom did not let that ruin their wedding day.
Has Ulrika Jonsson finally found Mr. Right? Only time will tell. But none of the guests at the wedding could deny the happiness in the couple's eyes as the bride and groom left the wedding ceremony with the music of Stevie Wonder playing in the background, "Seen a lot of things in this old world. When I touched them, they did nothing, girl. Ooh baby, here I am, signed, sealed, delivered, I'm yours."

Question: What is this passage mainly about?

Choices:
- how a famous couple met and got married
- the best way to meet a husband or wife
- why the show Mr. Right was a big hit
- how to act on a date with a stranger

Question: What happened after seven weeks of doing the show?

Choices:
- All of the women won prizes.
- Lance asked one of the women to marry him.
- One of the women on the show started to cry.
- Ulrika asked Lance to marry her.

Question: Which of the following did NOT happen during the series?

Choices:
- Lance went on dates with several women.
- Lance took the women to some very good restaurants.
- Lance and Ulrika started dating each other.
- The women met Lance's family.

Question: Why did some of Ulrika's friends feel upset?

Choices:
- They didn't agree with the marriage.
- They weren't asked to attend the wedding.
- There weren't enough guests at the wedding.
- They didn't like Lance.

Question: In Stevie Wonder's song, what is he comparing himself to?

Choices:
- A blind man
- A groom
- A letter
- A baby


Not having done physical exercise for some time, I found myself a little low-spirited and couldn't study efficiently, so I decided to do some running the next day. At 6:15 the next morning, my alarm clock rang. Unwilling to rise from my bed, I turned it off and went back to sleep. However, 5 minutes later, I struggled to get up. After washing and brushing, I had my sneakers on and went out.
Wow! The air was so fresh that I couldn't help breathing it deeply. I stretched  my arms and legs, then started to run. I found all things around me were so attractive. Look, the branches were waving, as if they were welcoming me; the blossoming flowers were bowing, with shyness, just like girls. Listen, the wind was whispering, as if to say "come on, girl". What's more interesting was those two birds, perching in the tree. They were scared and flew away when I passed them. "Hey, chaps, relax." I shouted without stopping running. "Let's enjoy the beautiful morning together!" Then miracle  happened. The two little creatures seemed to understand what I said. They turned back and twittered  around me. "Are you singing for me?" I asked. They twittered again and again, sounded like "Yes". I was delighted to hear that. Ah, what a wonderful morning and how beautiful life is!
Actually, there are a lot of charming things around us. Helen Keller wrote in her famous article Three Days to See, " _ ". Indeed, many of us ignore the beauty around us, just because we are familiar with them. They always complain that life is boring. But, I just want to say, if you live each day with appreciation of things around, you'll find life is very charming. So, let's enjoy life from now on.

Question: According to the passage, the writer went running with the purpose of   _  .

Choices:
- seeing the beauty of nature
- making herself more active
- talking with birds
- breathing fresh air

Question: Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

Choices:
- The writer rose immediately after the clock went off.
- The writer enjoyed the singing of the two birds.
- The writer did some warm-up exercises before running.
- The writer felt refreshed after doing some running in the morning.

Question: The purpose of the writer in writing this passage is to tell us that   _  .

Choices:
- the nature in the morning is very beautiful
- fresh air is beneficial
- we should appreciate the beautiful things in life
- physical exercise is useful


Surtsey was born in 1963. Scientists saw the birth of this island.It began at 7:30 am . on 14th November . A fishing boat was near Iceland.The boat moved under the captain's   feet . He noticed a strange smell.He saw some black smoke .A volcano   was breaking out . Red hot rocks,fire and smoke were rushing up from the bottom of the sea . The island grew quickly.It was 10 metres high the next day and 60 metres high on 18th November. Scientists flew there to watch.It was exciting.Smoke and fire were still rushing up. Pieces of red hot rock were flying into the air and falling into the sea. The sea was boiling and there was a strange light in the sky. Surtsey grew and grew. Then it stopped in June 1967. It was 175 metres high and 2 kilometres 1ong.And life was already coming to Surtsey. Plants grew.Birds came.Some scientists built a house.They wanted to learn about this young island.
A new island is like a new world.

Question: When did scientists fly there to watch the birth of the island?

Choices:
- Before the volcano broke out.
- On 14th November 1963 .
- About four days after the volcano broke out .
- In June 1967.

Question: The best title of the text is  _  .

Choices:
- New Discovery .
- The Birth of An Island.
- A Captain and An Island .
- How Does A Volcano Break Out.


You may think that light pollution isn't something extraordinarily important. You may believe that every other type of pollution has a larger impact on the environment than light pollution does. But light pollution is serious.
Light pollution, or "sky glow", is the glow  you can see at night above cities and towns. Light pollution is a problem that has been accompanying man ever since he started his first fire some 15,000 years ago. Light pollution is the light  that comes from streetlights, buildings, parking lots and any other source of light that is reflected or directed into the atmosphere.
Urban light pollution means that one-fifth of the world's population can no longer see the Milky Way  with the naked eye . Many city kids, even if they did look through the orange smog above their heads, would probably see only a handful of stars. We have lost our view of the stars, and we have _ our  night-time environment as well. Astronomers are calling for the dark places on Earth to be preserved as national parks.
Lots of people find the ever-brightening night annoying, and animals that are programmed to prefer the dark may avoid a brightened habitat. Sea turtles can get lost searching for a beach to lay eggs, and their hatchlings may confuse over-lit beachfront resorts  for the ocean horizon, wasting precious energy needed to find the sea and escape predators . Because their necks aren't yet long enough to see things far away, baby turtles rely on the mirror image of the moon to guide them to the sea, to begin their new life. A car may even hit a particular turtle, which was thinking the light from a nearby city was moonlight reflecting off the ocean waves. Birds that live in and around cities can die because of sky glow, too. The bright lights can blind them, leading to countless collisions with buildings and other tall structures.
Reducing light pollution is not difficult.Light pollution is the easiest type of pollution to end. people can help reduce much sky glow by using lighting only when necessary. The stars above us are priceless heritage-- for not only for astronomers but for all humans. More of our children should be able to look up at night and see the Milk Way is not just a candy bar.

Question: All the following statements are false EXCEPT  _  .

Choices:
- Light pollution does not have as large an import on the earth as other types of pollution do
- Light pollution exists everywhere on the eafth
- People in some parts of the world cannot see the Milky Way with their naked eyes as a result of light pollution
- Loght pollution came into existence with modem technology

Question: Beacuse of light pollution,the sea turtles hatchlings may  _

Choices:
- find the sea easily
- cscape predaton
- be misled by bright lights from beachfront resorts
- find the way to the sea with the help of bright lights


In many countries today, laws protect wildlife. In India the need for such protection was realized centuries ago.
  About 300 B.C. an Indian writer described forests that were somewhat like national parks today. The killing of game animals was carefully governed. Some animals were fully protected. Within the forest, nobody was allowed to cut trees, burn wood, or trap animals for their furs. Animals that became dangerous to human visitors were trapped or killed outside the park, so that other animals would not become uneasy.
  The need for wildlife protection is greater now than ever before. About a thousand sorts of animals are in danger of extinction, and the speed at which they are being destroyed has been putting on. With mammals, for example, the speed of extinction is now about one sort every year; from A. D. 1 to 1800, the speed was about one sort every fifty years. Everywhere, men are trying to solve the problem of saving wildlife while caring for the world' s growing population.

Question: The report says that in Indian forests of long ago  _  .

Choices:
- hunters were given permits to hunt game
- only dangerous animals were to be killed
- the killing of game animals was controlled
- no killing of animals was allowed

Question: According to the report, men trying to save wildlife are thinking about  _  as well.

Choices:
- the animals in national parks
- stricter laws against hunting
- the trees in the forests
- the needs of people

Question: The word" extinction"in this report most properly means"  _  " .

Choices:
- falling down
- dying out
- growing up
- going away


Nervous suspects locked up in Britain's newest police station may feel relieved by a pleasant yellow color on the door . If they are close to confessing a crime , the blue on the wall might _ .
Gwent Police have abandoned colors such as greys and browns of the 20th-century police cell and have used color psychology to decorate them .
Ystrad Mynach station , which recently opened at a cost of PS5 million has four cells with glass doors for prisoners who suffer from claustrophobia . Designers have painted the frames yellow , which researchers say is a calming color . Other cells contain a royal blue line because psychologists believe that the color is likely to encourage truthfulness .
The station has 31 cells , including 12 with a "live scan" system for drunken or disturbed prisoners , which detects the rise and fall of their chest . An alarm alerts officers if a prisoner's breathing stops and carries on ringing until the door is opened .
Designers and psychologists have worked for years on color . Blue is said to suggest trust , efficiency , duty , logic , coolness , thinking and calm . It also suggests coldness and unfriendliness . It is thought that strong blues will stimulate clear thought and lighter , soft colors will calm the mind and aid concentration .
Yellow is linked with confidence , self-respect and friendliness get the color wrong and it could cause fear , depression and anxiety , but the right yellow can lift spirits and self-respect .
Ingrid Collins , a psychologist who specializes in the effects of color , said that color was an " energy force " . She said : " Blue does enhance communication but I am not sure it would enhance truthful communication . "
Yellow , she said , affected the mind . Red , on the other hand , should never be considered because it could increase aggression . Mrs. Collins praised the designers for using colors in the cells . Gwent is not the first British force to experiment with color to calm down or persuade prisoners to co-operate , In the 1990s Strathclyde Police used pink in cells based on research carried out by the US Navy .

Question: Which of the following helps alert officers if someone stops breathing ?

Choices:
- Scanning equipment .
- Royal blue lines .
- Glass doors .
- Yellow frames .

Question: The passage is mainly concerned with   _   .

Choices:
- the relationship between colors and psychology
- a comparison of different functions of colors
- the use of colors in cells to affect criminals' psychology
- scientific ways to help criminals reform themselves in prison


The latest fashion in kitchen is the food steamer. All the stores are selling them; everyone wants one. Steaming is one of the simplest and healthiest ways of cooking food.However, that cooking time is usually longer than with other methods. In case you're thinking of buying a steamer, I've done a survey about the steamers available on the market to help you decide which will suit you best.
*Folding Steamer
The simplest and least expensive is the folding stainless-steel  version.
Advantages: This is a good, basic design which sits inside a variety of different shapes of pans with the water under it; a ring in the center allows for easy lifting and it's easy to clean.
Disadvantages: It only holds small dishes. Also, if you put too much water in the pan, it will boil up through the vegetables and they will be watery. If you put too little water in and let it get dry, you will burn the pan and get strange-smelling vegetables.
*Steaming Pan
This is a three-layered black Teflon-coated version with a lid and two double-handled steamers, which sits on the oven ring. The brand I bought is called Nutritious Living.
Advantages: This is an excellent steamer, lightweight, easy to clean, and of all the steamers I've tried, this cooks the fastest. Fish and chicken can be cooked on the bottom with rice or vegetables on the top. It's easier to store.
Disadvantages: Water can boil away until the pan is dry, but if you make sure you fill the pan up to the suggested level and do not overcook the food, this should not happen.You cannot see the food cooking from the top. It doesn't supply a dish for cooking rice.
For serious users of steamers, I recommend having one of each version. If you just want to try it, get the folding stainless-steel type.

Question: Why did the author carry out the survey?

Choices:
- To inform people of different steamers
- To run an advertisement for steamers
- To find out a suitable steamer to buy
- To learn how to cook with steamers

Question: What can we learn about the folding steamer?

Choices:
- It comes in different kinds of shapes and sizes.
- It is designed for large families.
- It is able to clean itself.
- It is easy to take out.

Question: The Nutritious Liuing steamer  _  .

Choices:
- is more difficult to store
- provides a dish to cook rice with
- cooks different foods at the same time
- cooks fish and chicken faster than vegetables

Question: According to the author, you should  _  .

Choices:
- use steamers to save cooking time
- buy a steamer with dishes supplied
- do a survey before choosing a steamer
- buy a folding steamer if you want to try


Signing up for a digital TV service provides you with access to over 200 channels from all over the globe. However, television today is dominated by adult language, making it hard for concerned families to find channels suitable for young eyes. Therefore, most movie channels are automatically removed form the list of TV channels for an entire family. The following are some good ones based on popularity on a global scale.
Discovery Channel
Discovery and its many channels can be considered as the founding father of informative channels on television. What National Geographic does in a scholastic  manner, Discovery tries to do in an entertaining manner--educating the masses about anything and everything.
Fox Family
Finding a movie channel that broadcasts pictures suitable for teenagers and kids alike is very difficult unless your service operator offers you Fox family movies. This channel screens most movies before it broadcasts them, ensuring that no movie shows unacceptable material for young eyes.
Nickelodeon
A channel very similar to Cartoon Network, it mostly shows US programs. However, their shows are sometimes a bit more mature for younger kids and better suited to kids aged 5 and up.
ABC Family
ABC started the ABC family channel in an attempt to introduce family-centered shows and serials to the public in the USA. The need for this channel was felt after ABC observed the lack of proper family type US channels.
Living
If travelling is a family hobby and better living is the motto then there is no better channel than Living. Kids can see never-seen-before sights, learning about new places while adults can practice their cooking and learn amazing things about motorbikes.

Question: According to the text, most channels offered by a digital TV service   _  .

Choices:
- can keep people away from TV violence
- are welcomed by families with small children
- are concerned about the proper use of language
- are unsuitable for the whole family to watch together

Question: Which of the following can best describe Discovery Channel?

Choices:
- Relaxing.
- Touching.
- Commercial.
- Professional.

Question: If people want to know about what a traditional family is like, they can choose   _  .

Choices:
- Fox Family
- Nickelodeon
- ABC Family
- Living