The round-the-clock availability that cell phones have brought to people's lives may be _ amily life, a new study suggests. The study, which followed more than 1300 adults over 2 years, found that those who consistently used a mobile phone through out the study period were more likely to report negative "spillover" between work and home life--and, in turn, less satisfaction with their family life.
Spillover(,) actually means that the line between work and home began to become unclear. Work life may invade home life--when a parent is taking job-related calls at home, for instance--or family issues may start to take up work time. For example, a child may call Mom at work, telling her "the microwave exploded", explained Noelle Chesley, an assistant professor of society at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and the author of the study. The problem with cell phones seems to be they are allowing for ever more spillover between work and home.
This may be especially true for working women, the study found. Among men, consistent use of mobile phones seemed not to allow more work issues to creep  into family time. But for women,  the spillover tended to go in both directions--being "connected" means that work cuts into home time, and family issues come into work life.
Cell phones seem to be opening more lines for stressful exchange among family members. But there may be ways to control the spillover, according to Chesley. Employers, she said, should look at their policies on contacting employees after working hours to make sure their expectations are "reasonable". For their part, employees can decide that cell phones go off during family time,  Chesley said.

Question: What is the main idea of this passage?

Choices:
- Cell phones offer 24-hour availability.
- Cell phones get life and work mixed.
- Women don't use cell phones in an effective way.
- Men are better at dealing with family problems.

Question: What is the author's attitude towards round-the-clock availability of the cell phone?

Choices:
- Curious
- Positive
- Subjective
- Objective


It was a warm April day when a big fat envelope came in the mail from the only college I had ever imagined attending. I tore open the packet. My eyes were fixed on the word "congratulations. "I don't remember ever smiling so wide.
Then I looked at my financial package.
The cost of Dream School's tuition , room and board was around $ 40,000- an impossible sum! How could I afford to attend? What good reasons did I have to go there when three other fine colleges were offering me free tuition? My other choices were good, solid schools even if they weren't as famous as my first choice.
In my mind, attending my dream university would be the only way to realize my dream of becoming a world-class writer. My parents understood how I felt. They told me that even though it would be a financial problem, I could go wherever I would be happiest. But as I was always careful with money, I wasn't sure what to do.
One of the schools that _ had an informational dinner one night in the spring. Considering my parents' financial difficulties, I decided to drive the 45 minutes and attend. At first, all I had planned to do was smile politely, eat free food, listen quietly. But I surprised myself.
At dinner the president of the university talked about the wonderful activities on campus  including guest lectures and social gatherings. He also made it perfectly clear that free food would be offered at all future events. He continued with explanations of professors, class sizes, activities, and sporting events on campus. As he spoke, I began to realize that this school, though not as good as my first choice, might be the best one for me. It seemed small yet with many great programs. It seemed challenging yet caring.
As the president ended his speech, we clapped politely and pushed back our chairs. As I walked out that door, a feeling of comfort washed over me. Looking at the campus that night, I realized that I would be spending the next four years right there.
In all honesty, my university is not as well-known as my "dream"university. However, it turned out to be the right choice of schools for me.

Question: How did the author feel when he started to read the letter?

Choices:
- He was lost in his dream.
- He was full of joy.
- He was worried about the money.
- He was uncertain which school to go to.

Question: We can learn from the passage that the parents were   _  .

Choices:
- honest
- supportive
- strict
- decisive

Question: What does the author mainly want to say?

Choices:
- You should consider comfort in your choice of schools.
- You should try your best to attend your dream school.
- Your second-choice college may actually by your best fit.
- Your choice of schools should be based on their fame.


Americans often say that there are only two things a person can be sure of:death and taxes.Many people feel that the United States has the worst taxes in the world.
Taxes are the money that people pay to support their government.There are generally three levels of government in the United States:federal,state,and city;therefore,there are three types of taxes.
Salaried people who can earn more than four to five thousand dollars per year must pay a certain part.It depends on their salaries.The federal government has a two-level income tax:that is,15 or 28 percent.$17 850 is the cut off.The tax rate is 15 percent below $17 850 and 28 percent above.
The second tax is for the state government:New York,California,or any of the other forty-eight states.Some states have an income tax similar to that of the federal government.Of course,the percentage for the state tax is lower.Other states have a sales tax,which is a percentage charged to any item which people buy in the state.Some states use income tax and sales tax to raise their revenues(=annual income).
The third tax is for the city.This tax comes in two forms:property tax(people who own a home have to pay taxes on it) and excise tax ,which is collected on vehicles in a city.The cities use this money for education,police,public works,etc.
Since Americans pay such high taxes,they often feel that they are working one day each week just to pay their taxes.People always complain about taxes.They often say that the government misuses their tax dollars.They all believe that taxes are too high in this country.

Question: In the United States,taxes are collected to provide revenues for    .

Choices:
- the federal government
- the state government
- the city government
- the three levels of government

Question: How much money does an American earning $40 000 per year pay to the federal government as income tax according to the passage?

Choices:
- 28% of his income.
- 15% of his income.
- $17 870.
- $5000.

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

Choices:
- Different levels of the governments have different types of taxes in the United States.
- All the states have a sales tax which is used to support poor people.
- The tax of the states is similar to that of the federal government.
- All the states use both taxes to raise their income every year to build schools.

Question: What tax does an American have to pay to the city if he owns a car?

Choices:
- Property tax.
- Excise tax.
- Income tax.
- Sales tax.

Question: After reading the passage,we might feel that Americans seem to be    .

Choices:
- satisfied with their taxes
- proud of their taxes
- unhappy about their taxes
- very angry at their taxes


Long long ago, there was a man who was good at shooting arrows.He asked the king to declare him as the greatest archer  of the country.The king was about to do so when an old servant of the king said,"Wait,sir.I know an old man who lives in the forest.He is a much greater archer.Let this young man go to him and learn from him for at least three years."
The man could not believe what the servant said,but he went and found the old man and he was! For three years he learned from him.Then one day,when he thought he had learned everything,the thought arose in him:"If I kill this old man,then I will be the greatest archer."
The old man had gone to cut wood and he was coming back carrying wood on his shoulder.The young man hid behind a tree,waiting to kill him.He shot an arrow.The old man took a small piece of wood and threw it.It struck the arrow and the arrow turned back and wounded the young man very deeply.The old man came,took out the arrow and said. "I knew that some day or other you were going to do this.That's why I have not taught you this secret.There is no need to kill me.My Master is still alive,and I'm  nothing before him.You must be  with him for at least thirty years.And he is very old,so go fast! Find the old man!"

Question: The young archer wanted to kill the old man because  _  .

Choices:
- he could then become the greatest archer
- he had nothing more to learn from him
- the old man refused to teach him everything
- the king's old servant ordered him to do SO

Question: What do you think would most probably happen next?

Choices:
- The young archer died from the wound soon after.
- The king declared the young man the greatest archer.
- The young archer found the old man's master and killed him.
- The young archer set off to look for the old man's master.

Question: What lesson can you learn from the story?

Choices:
- Always use a piece of wood to protect yourself from an arrow.
- You must never try to become better than your teacher.
- The older a man is,the better archer he usually becomes.
- There's always someone better than you in this world.


Have you got any wonderful plans for your coming winter vacation?  Here are some wonderful films for you to kill time.
 _
Verona De Tessant (Maya Rudolph) and Burt Farlander (John Krasinski) are in their early thirties and struggling to meet daily needs and build fulfilling lives as an artist and a salesman.
When they learn they will soon become parents, they are faced with the challenge of how and where to raise a child and build a happy family. With a baby on his way, the young couple, look at their lives and are puzzled about what they really want.
 _
Lynn was married to Pual, but they broke up and Lynn took their daughter Alice while Paul got their son Dylan.
Years later, now Dylan is getting married, and Lynn is attending the wedding, with her younger son Elliot and Ben. Elliot is a drug addict and Ben keeps everything to himself. Dylan hasn't spoken to Lynn in years, and Lynn is fearful of Pual and his wife Patty. At last, all this has put Lynn in a depressed situation, and she's not sure just how she's going to get through the day.
 _
Also named as Life is Beautiful, the film is a black comedy and also a best medicine that heals the scar left by war. This movie has some kind of characteristics as natural and active. On the 7th Oscar Award Ceremony , the movie won three great awards.
It is not a sad movie from the very beginning , but when the father uses a great way to hide his murder from his son, all people are impressed by this moving deed. Under the protection of the father, the son has lived a happy life.
 _
The film is an American film directed by Frank Darabont and starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. The film tells the story of Andy, a banker who spends nearly two decades in Shawshank State Prison for the murder of his wife and his wife's lover despite his claims of innocence. There he makes friends with Red. Andy manages to escape from the prison by digging a tunnel with the rock hammer over the years. When Red is later released , he remembers Andy's advice. He then visits the place Andy mentions before he escapes. There, he finds money and a note left by Andy, telling him to get to Zihuatanejo.

Question: This passage aims to   _

Choices:
- make comments on films for a cinema
- recommend several films for fun
- introduce films for a film corporation
- advertise several films for a website

Question: Which film might best help a newly married couple to figure out their new roles in future life?

Choices:
- La Vita e bella
- Another Happy Day
- Away We Go
- The Shawshank Redemption.

Question: What is the ending of The Shawshank Redemption?

Choices:
- Andy killed his wife and his wife's lover.
- Andy became famous for helping Red.
- Red felt cheated by Andy in a way.
- Red and Andy got reunited happily.


How words came into being is unknown. All we assume   is that some early men invented certain sounds,in one way or another,to express thoughts and feelings,actions and things,so that they could talk with each other. Later they agreed upon certain signs,called letters,which could be put together to show those sounds,and which could be written down. Those sounds,whether spoken or written in letters, are called words.
The power of words,then,lies in their associations--the things they bring up to our minds. Words become filled with meaning for us by experience;and the longer we live,the more certain words bring back to us the happy and sad events of our past;and the more we read and learn,the more the number of words that mean something to us increases.
Great writers are those who not only have great thoughts but also express these thoughts in words which have powerful effects on our minds and feelings. This clever use of words is what we call literary style  .Above all,the real poet is a master of words. He can express his meaning in words which sing like music,and which by their position and association can move men to tears. We should therefore learn to choose our words carefully and use them correctly,or they will make our speech silly and common.

Question: We learn from the text that language might have begun with  _  .

Choices:
- expressions
- actions
- signs
- sounds


These days,when about 10.3 million.Americans are jobless and countless mole worry they will be,lovers of yoga are eager to keep peace by twisting their bodies.
    "People want to do something relaxing and physically active.My experience is that attendance In classes gone significantly up in the past few months,"said yoga instructor David,who turned to teaching yoga when his advertising jobs dried up in the recession of  2001.He admitted his private custoIlll~I'8 have fallen off a bit,but "generally,my long--term private clients are financially well-off and eager to recommend me to their friends."
    "We've  added yoga classes,"said Nicole Moke,spokeswoman for the fitness centers."We add classes every January."
    And if the attack of hard times should fall upon their weft-heeled member ship?
    "We've  added a lot of meditation classes.Our members.seem to be very excited about that",she added.
    Callfornia-hased Yoga Works agrees that business is successful."In our experience attendance is up year over year,"Marketing Director Terri  Seiden said.
   "We expect to see this trend continue.In difficult times yoga goers are more unwilling than ever to give up their practice,"she said from her office in Santa Monica,California.Seiden said Yoga Works opened a new studio in January and has plans for more."We are hiring more teachers and studio staff,"she said.
  So is yoga a recession-proof shelter from the storms of economy?
   "We don't say yoga is recession-proof but it does work,"Seiden said."Yoga is one way that people Can take care of multiple needs--it is a complete workout for your mind and body, a form of stress relief,entertainment and there is a sense of community as well.''

Question: From the passage we can see_.

Choices:
- the jobless are eager to practice yoga
- people want to hunt for jobs by practicing yoga
- those practicing yoga don't worry about employment
- those practicing yoga want to seek peace in the hard times

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

Choices:
- Meditation classes have been added to attract customers.
- Some yoga instructors will lose their jobs in the hard times.
- The well-heeled membership will be affected in the hard times.
- People practice yoga because they are afraid of being jobless.


When 15-year-old Louisa Ball takes a nap, she sleeps for days on end, and no amount of shaking can fully wake her up. The British girl has a rare condition called Sleeping Beauty Sickness. Doctors don't know what causes it or how to cure it --only know that it strikes teenagers and goes away by itself after eight to 12 years.
Louisa's mum, Lottie, told NBC News that the girl had flulike symptoms just over a year ago. Shortly afterward, she had her first period of long sleeping.
She was eventually diagnosed with Kleine-Levin Syndrome, whose victims worldwide may number no more than 1,000. The victims live normally for weeks or months at a time, with normal sleep patterns and normal energy levels. Then, with little warning, they'll go to sleep for days or weeks at a time. So far, Louisa's longest period in bed has been 13 days. Victims will wake briefly, but be _ and not fully awake. Louisa's parents force her awake so she can use the bathroom and eat.
Now, Louisa's friends can tell when a period is coming on. She stops talking and she may be annoyed easily. That's when she knows she has to get home to her bed. Louisa has slept through family vacations, the dance recitals  she loves to perform in, and school tests. Now it becomes increasingly difficult to catch up on missed schoolwork.
But just as doctors don't know the cause, they also don't know why it ends as mysteriously as it began. The illness is unrelated to narcolepsy , whose victims are constantly tired and drop off for brief periods of sleep at any time.
It's so dramatic that some people have accused Louisa of making the false symptoms to get attention. Her father, Richard, thinks that's absurd.

Question: Which is TRUE about Kleine-Levin Syndrome according to the passage?

Choices:
- The victims usually sleep for days or weeks at a time.
- There are usually many warning signs before it attacks the victims.
- The victims are usually tired and in a bad mood.
- There are more than 1, 000 victims in the world.

Question: We can learn from the passage that  _  .

Choices:
- doctors have found the cure for Sleeping Beauty Sickness.
- some people don't believe in the truth of Louisa's symptoms.
- Kleine-Levin Syndrome has no effect on Louisa's study and life.
- the narcolepsy victims sleep longer than those with Kleine-Levin Syndrome.

Question: What can we learn about Louisa?

Choices:
- Louisa is fond of dancing.
- Louisa can still manage finish her schoolwork without difficulty.
- Louisa is a British girl who likes sleeping.
- Louisa's longest sleeping period is 8 years.

Question: What is the best title of the passage?

Choices:
- What is Narcolepsy
- How Louisa Overcame the Difficulty
- Rare Illness Turns a Girl into a "Sleeping Beauty"
- The Latest Research on Kleine-Levin Syndrome.


My mom has eyes in the back of her head. She also taught me from an early age to be suspicious of strange men, especially when they give you presents. One day, a "nice man" bearing flowers managed to steal 20 euros from her purse, while she was holding it in her hands. "He said he was collecting for a church charity so I pulled out a euro," she explains, "He said 'no, no, that's too much' and offered to look in my purse to find a smaller coin. He must have slid out that 20 euro note at the same time. I did not even notice until an hour later. I felt so stupid."
According to neuroscientists, the key requirement for a successful pickpocket is not having nifty   fingers, it's having a working knowledge of the loopholes   in our brain. The most important of these loopholes is the fact that our brains are not set up to multi-task. Most of the time that is a good thing -- _ allows us to filter   out all but the most important features of the world around us. But a good trickster can use it to against you. This kind of trick involves capturing all of somebody's attention with other movements. Street pickpockets often use this effect to their advantage by manufacturing a situation that can not help but overload your attention system. Other strategies are more psychological. Pickpockets tend to hang out a "beware of pickpockets" signs, because the first thing people do when they read it is check they still have their valuables, helpfully giving away where they are. And in my mom's case, the thief's best trick was not coming across like a pickpocket. "He was a very nice guy and very confident. Not someone that would cause you to suspect," she says. Apollo Robbins, a stage pickpocket, said smart move, like moving your hand in an arc   motion rather than a straight line, is another popular strategy employed by tricksters.
At last, it should be pointed out that most thefts are opportunistic. The skill level of most thieves is far less than you think. But they are opportunistic enough to keep up with new technology.

Question: According to the passage, all of the following are pickpocket strategies except   _  .

Choices:
- having nifty fingers
- hanging out "beware of pickpockets" sign
- displaying confidence
- moving hand in an arc motion

Question: In the author's opinion,   _  .

Choices:
- people's brains have many loopholes
- thieves are more skillful than opportunistic
- his mom's losing money is nothing but a by-accident experience
- signs reminding people of pickpockets can play a negative role in protecting valuables

Question: What will the author probably talk about next?

Choices:
- Mom's another suffering
- Pickpockets concerning new technology
- Pickpockets' tricks
- Apollo Robbins' stage pickpockets


Dear Mr. King,
Your grocery store is outstanding in many ways. I enjoy the selection of produce and fresh bakery items. I have been a long time Supermart shopper and hope to continue for many years. I have found, however, that I must make a separate shopping trip to one of your competitors because there are many items your store does not carry. This becomes inconvenient for me, as my time is valuable, and I do not like to make two trips. Your low prices and excellent customer service keep me coming back to Supermart, but I would be a more satisfied customer if I could find all the items I need in one place.
Specifically, I have never been able to purchase nacho cheese soup at your store. I can find other flavors   of soup, but your store does not carry nacho cheese soup, a common ingredient   in many of my recipes. In addition, I can only find large wonton wrappers, while many other stores carry both large and small and offer a more varied selection for their customers. Another example is Regent Brand Chili Seasoning. Though it is not a leading brand, it is still common on the shelves of other grocery stores in this area and is superior in flavor to its competitors.
I sincerely hope to continue a relationship with your store, and I hope that you will consider the possibility of expanding your goods to be more competitive.
Yours truly,
Bob Watson

Question: According to Bob, the grocery store   _  .

Choices:
- meets all his needs
- is outstanding in every way
- offers good customer service
- lacks convenient transportation

Question: From the letter, we can learn that the author is   _  .

Choices:
- a very picky reporter
- a competitor of the store
- a responsible nutritionist
- a regular customer of the store


Everyone, please think of your biggest personal goal. For real - you can take a second. You've got to feel this to learn it. Take a few seconds and think of your personal biggest goal, okay? Imagine deciding right now that you're going to do it. Imagine telling someone that you meet today what you're going to do. Imagine their congratulations and their high image   of you. Doesn't it feel good to say it out loud? Don't you feel one step closer already, like it's already becoming part of your identity?
Well, bad news: you should have kept your mouth shut, because that good feeling now will make you less likely to do it. Repeated psychology tests have proved that telling someone your goal makes it less likely to happen. Any time you have a goal, there are some steps that need to be done, some work that needs to be done in order to achieve it. Ideally, you would not be satisfied until you had actually done the work. But when you tell someone your goal and they acknowledge it, psychologists have found that it's called a "social reality". The mind is kind of tricked into feeling that it's already done. And then, because you felt that satisfaction, you're less motivated to do the actual hard work necessary. So, this goes against the conventional wisdom that we should tell our friends our goals.
Peter Gollwitzer wrote a whole book about this and in 2009, he did some new tests that were published.
    It goes like this: 163 people across four separate tests - everyone wrote down their personal goals.Then, half of them announced their commitment to this goal to the room, and half didn't. Then everyone was given 45 minutes of work that would directly lead them toward their goals, but they were told that they could stop at any time. Now, those who kept their mouths shut worked the entire 45 minutes, on average, and when asked afterward, said that they felt that they had a long way to go to still achieve their goals. But those who had announced it quit after only 33 minutes, on average, and when asked afterward, said that they felt much closer to achieving their goals.
So audience, next time you want to tell someone your goal, what will you say? (Silence) Exactly - well done.

Question: What is the article mainly about?

Choices:
- The importance of having personal goals.
- Tips on achieving your personal goals.
- Studies on why people tend to keep their personal goals secret.
- Why it's not necessarily wise to announce your personal goals to others.

Question: According to the article, when you tell your friends your goals,   _  .

Choices:
- you feel more pressure to try to make them happen
- they feel jealous of your satisfaction and stand in your way
- you make yourself believe that you are close to achieving them
- it becomes easier for you to make them come true thanks to the support of others

Question: What did Peter Gollwitzer find in his tests?

Choices:
- Writing down personal goals inspired people to work hard to achieve them.
- Those who didn't tell others their goals were more likely to achieve them.
- Those who kept working hard tended to feel that they were closer to realizing their goals.
- Those who made their goals public worked harder than those who kept them secret.


It's a warm summer afternoon. You're cooking up the catch of the day over a campfire. Suddenly, a few raindrops fall on your arms, and before you know it, the sky is opened up. Then you hear what sounds like thunder in the distance. What should you do? Your tent is close by and would offer shelter from the pouring rain. There's a campsite picnic shelter a few minutes down the path. And then you remember that your car is parked down the road. What's your safest choice to make sure you and your families are safe?
It's a common question for many hikers and campers, especially when they are camping during summer months. Heading to your car is almost always the safest choice. Your tent and a picnic shelter will keep you dry, but they offer little or no protection against lightening. Your car, on the other hand, will keep you dry and protect you from lightening strikes. Protecting yourself against possible lightening strikes is very important; lightening kills an average of 62 people in the US each year. If you keep all of the windows and doors closed in your car, you'll be able to return to your campsite safely.
Of course, if you're backpacking , not car camping, and you're deep in the woods, your car won't be a good choice. So, what should you do if your car is far away and there's no other safe shelter nearby? First, you'll have to make sure that tree limbs or other objects don't fall on you or your campsite. Then you'll have to get in a safe position to avoid lightening, or flash flood conditions. What else should you do?

Question: The passage aims to tell us   _  .

Choices:
- what's camping
- how to camp safely
- car camping is the safest way when camping
- how to survive a storm when camping

Question: To avoid lightening in a storm, you'd better   _  .

Choices:
- go into your tent quickly
- cook up the catch of the day over a campfire
- get into your car and return to your campsite
- run into a campsite picnic shelter at once

Question: Which of the following is TRUE?

Choices:
- Campers like car camping best.
- Young people like backpacking best.
- Lightening is a danger for campers.
- Camping during summer months is the most popular.


Healthy relationships are fun and make you feel good about yourself. The relationships that you make in your teenage years will be a special pan of your life. They will teach you some of the most important lessons about who you are. This may help you understand different kinds of relationships, what makes each relationship special, and how to communicate in a positive way.
    What makes a relationship healthy?
    Communication and Sharing: The most important part of any healthy relationship between two people is being able to talk and listen to each other. You and the other person can find out what your common interests are. You can share your feelings with the other person and trust that he or she will be there to listen to you and support you. In healthy relationships, people don't lie. Communication is based on honesty and trust. By listening carefully and sharing your thoughts and feelings with other people, you show them that they play an important part in your life.
    Respect and Trust: In healthy relationships, you learn to respect and trust important people in your life. Disagreements may still happen, but you learn to stay calm and talk about how you feel. Talking calmly helps you to understand the real reason for not getting along. It makes it much easier to figure out how to fix it. In healthy relationships, working through disagreements often makes the relationship stronger. In healthy relationships, people respect each other for who they are. This includes respecting and listening to yourself and your feelings so you can set boundaries and feel comfortable. You will find that you learn to understand experiences and feelings of others as well as having them understand your experiences and feelings.
    How do I know that I have a healthy relationship with someone?
    You know that you are in a healthy relationship with someone because you feel good about yourself when you are around that person. Unhealthy relationships can make you feel sad, angry, scared, or worried.
    Healthy peer relationships involve an equal amount of giving and taking in the relationship. In unhealthy relationships, there is an unfair balance. You may often feel that you are giving the other person more attention than that he or she gives to you.
    You should feel safe around the other person and feel that you can trust him or her with your secrets.  In a healthy relationship, you like to spend time with the other person, instead of feeling that you have to spend time with him or her.

Question: The lessons you learn about the relationships in your teenage years may help you understand the following EXCEPT   _  .

Choices:
- different kinds of relationships
- different kinds of people and occasions
- how to communicate in a positive way
- what makes each relationship special

Question: To have a healthy relationship, you shouldn't   _  .

Choices:
- talk and listen to each other
- have common interests
- disagree and quarrel with each other
- take as much as you give

Question: When disagreements happen, you learn to stay calm because   _  .

Choices:
- talking calmly helps you to understand the real reason for not getting along
- talking calmly makes it much easier to figure out how to fix them
- working through disagreements often makes the relationship stronger
- all of the above

Question: Which of the following relationships is healthy?

Choices:
- You feel upset when you are around someone.
- You like to talk to someone and listen to him or her.
- Giving without taking.
- You feel that you have to spend time with him or her.

Question: The passage implies that   _  .

Choices:
- it's easy to establish a good relationship with someone
- you don't need to give anything to make relationships healthy
- healthy relationships need money, time, energy and care
- mutual respect and trust lead to strong relationships


Computer technology is still developing rapidly. The computer of the future will continue to increase in value and performance while decreasing in cost. It will become smaller, but faster and more powerful.
It is possible to make some guesses about what the future of the computer will look like, based upon the types of technologies that are being developed now. A lot of progress has already been made in some of these new technologies, but some are still in their earliest stages and may not be ready for use for years. Two of the most interesting areas of computing that are currently being developed are quantum computing   and nanotechnology  .
Quantum computing is one possibility for the future of the computer that could make computers run far faster than even the quickest computers do today. Quantum computers could be able to do what modern supercomputers are unable to do by using transistors that are able to take on many states at the same time.
Nanotechnology could also change the face of computing, by creating computers that could be very powerful, though they are tiny in size. These computers could be incorporated   into everyday objects, including electrical appliances  , clothes and even the human body. We will be able to use computers in new and unimaginable ways. They will become a part of our lives rather than simply being a box that is used only for specific purposes, such as work.
Quantum computing and nanotechnology will be able to play new roles, which will make us live greener lives, as well as enjoy better health and happier lives.

Question: Which of the following can NOT describe the computer of the future properly?

Choices:
- Much smaller.
- Much faster.
- More powerful.
- Less valuable.

Question: According to the text, quantum computing   _  .

Choices:
- has been put in use so far
- can make computers run by themselves
- can reduce the cost of computers
- will work by using transistors

Question: We can learn from the text that nanotechnology will   _  .

Choices:
- create much smaller computers
- be used in electrical appliances and clothing
- change the structure of computers
- make computers just serve specific purposes

Question: The text is mainly about   _  .

Choices:
- what nanotechnology is
- what quantum computing is
- what the future of the computer is
- what future computers can bring us


Money might not grow on trees, but scientists have confirmed that gold is found in the leaves of some plants. Researchers from Australia say that the presence of the particles  in an eucalyptus tree's leaves indicates that deposits  are buried many meters below. They believe that the discovery offers a new way to locate the valuable metal in difficult-to-reach locations.
              Dr. Mel Lintern from Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) said, "We've found a lot of the easy deposits in Australia in this way. Now we are trying to find the more difficult ones that are buried tens of meters below. And the trees are providing us with a method to be able to do this."
              Using the Australian synchrotron - a vast machine that uses X-rays to explore matter in remarkable detail - they found gold in the leaves, twigs and bark of some trees. The amount of the precious metal in an eucalyptus tree's leaves were tiny. "We need 500 eucalyptus trees growing over a gold deposit to have enough gold in the trees themselves to make a gold ring," said Dr. Lintern. However, the presence of the particles pointed to richer deposits buried more than 30m below.
              Dr. Lintern said, "We believe that the trees are acting like a pump. They are bringing life-giving water from their roots, and in so doing, they are taking smaller dissolved gold particles up into the leaves."
              Currently, the metal is found in outcrops ,where the ore  appears at the surface, or it is detected through exploratory drilling.
              But the researchers said that analyzing plants could offer a better and simpler method to detect untapped gold deposits. Dr. Lintern said, "Not only do we believe it is a way of saving the exploration cost, because exploring for these deposits can be quite expensive, it also minimizes the damage to the environment because we are taking a very small sample from the trees themselves, as well as the leaves and twigs on the ground. The plant-analyzing method is certain to work."

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

Choices:
- A new ways to locate metal deposits is found.
- Gold is found in many trees in Australia.
- Gold in trees can lead to hidden deposits.
- Dr. Mel Lintern discovered new gold deposits.

Question: According to Dr. Lintern, what helped them find a lot of the easy deposits in Australia?

Choices:
- The pump.
- The water.
- The tree.
- The machine.

Question: Which of the following is NOT true about the plant-analyzing method?

Choices:
- Expensive.
- Low cost.
- Easy and simple
- environmental.

Question: We can infer that Dr. Lintern   _  .

Choices:
- is not sure of the plant-analyzing method
- is very content with what he has achieved
- is tired of detecting gold deposits in the wild
- is confident of the plant-analyzing method


When we see well, we do not think about our eyes very often. It is only when we cannot see perfectly that we realize how important our eyes are.
People who are near-sighted can only see things that are very close to their eyes. Everything else seems blurry (unclear). Many people who do a lot of work, such as writing, reading and sewing become near--sighted.
People who are far-sighted _ from just the opposite problem. They can see things that are far away, but they have difficulty in reading a book unless they hold it at arm's length. If they want to do much reading, they must get glasses, too.
Other people do not see clearly because their eyes are not exactly the right shape. They have what is called astigmatism  . This, too, can be corrected by glasses. Some people's eyes become cloudy because of cataracts  . Long ago these people often became blind. Now, however, it is possible to operate on the cataracts and remove them.
Having two good eyes is important for judging distances. Each eye sees things from a slightly different angle. To prove this to yourself, look at an object out of one eye; then look at the same object out of your other eye. You will find the object's relation to the background and other things around it has changed. The difference between these two different eye views helps us to judge how far away an object is. People who have only one eye cannot judge distance as people with two eyes.

Question: We should take good care of our eyes  _  .

Choices:
- only when we can see well
- only when we cannot see perfectly
- even if we can see well
- only when we realize how important our eyes are

Question: . When things far away seem indistinct  , one is probably  _  .

Choices:
- near-sighted
- far-sighted
- astigmatic
- suffering from cataracts

Question: Having two eyes instead of one is particularly useful for  _  .

Choices:
- seeing at night
- seeing objects far away
- looking over a wide area
- judging distances

Question: People who suffer from astigmatism have  _  .

Choices:
- one eye bigger than the other
- eyes that are not exactly the right shape
- a difficulty that can be corrected by an operation
- an eye difficulty that cannot be corrected by glasses


George Bernard Shaw and Winston Churchill disliked each other. It is said that the playwright  once sent Churchill two tickets for the opening night of one of his plays, together with a card, which said, "Bring a friend (if you have one)."
Churchill, however, returned the tickets with a note, which said, "I shall be busy that evening. Please send me two tickets for the second night (if there is one)."
There is no record of whether Shaw ever sent the tickets.

Question: What was Shaw trying to say to Churchill on his card?

Choices:
- Churchill should not go to the play alone.
- Churchill should not bring too many people.
- Churchill may have to waste the two tickets.
- Churchill did not have any friend.

Question: Why didn't Churchill want the tickets for the first night?

Choices:
- He didn't want to take Shaw's insult .
- The theatre would not be as crowded the second night.
- He was busy on the first night of the show.
- He couldn't find a friend to go with him the first night.


A growing number of workers at Google Inc., Facebook Inc. and other employers are trading in their sit-down desks for standing ones, saying they feel more comfortable and energized. They also are _ by medical reports saying that sitting for too long leads to increased health risks.
A standing desk sits high off the floor so a worker can either stand at it or sit on a high stool to use it. Officials at Palo Alto-based Facebook say a number of employees asked about standing desks after news articles were published about the health risks of sitting all day.
The stories cited medical studies that tied excessive sitting to increased obesity and other health problems because of factors including a drop in physical activity. A 2010 study by the American Cancer Society found that women who sat more than six hours a day were 37% more likely to die prematurely than women who sat for less than three hours, while the early-death rate for men was 18% higher. The American College of Cardiology released a study in January that found increased mortality   among people who sat longer at home than those who didn't.
No one seems to compile statistics on the standing-desk trend. But anecdotal reports suggest Silicon Valley is embracing the movement.
Facebook officials say they have seen an upsurge in requests for standing desks to five to eight a week with a total of between 200 and 250 deployed   at the company of more than 2,000 employees. Facebook also is trying out a treadmill station - where a worker can walk or run on a treadmill while tapping at a computer.
Google spokesman Jordan Newman said that 'many employees at Google opt for standing desks, and we offer them as part of our wellness program' though he said he didn't know the exact number.
Greg Hoy, 39 years old, asked for a standing desk shortly after joining Facebook seven months ago as a design recruiter. 'I don't get the 3 o'clock slump anymore,' he said. 'I feel active all day long.'

Question: The passage mainly talks about  _  .

Choices:
- sitting for too long leads to increased health risks
- standing desks have replaced sit-down ones in Facebook Inc.
- more and more workers choose standing desks instead of sit-down ones
- many employees at Google opt for standing desks


Throughout July 1945, the Japanese mainland, from Tokyo on Honshu northward to the coast of Hokkaido, were bombed as if an invasion were about to take place. In fact, something far more threatening was at hand, as the Americans were telling Stalin at Potsdam.
In 1939 physicists in the United States had learned of experiments in Germany showing the possibility of atomic power and understood the coming damage of an atomic bomb. On August 2, 1939, Albert Einstein warned President Roosevelt of the danger of Nazi Germany's advances in development of the atomic bomb. Eventually, the U.S. Office of Scientific Research Development was created in June 1941 and given combined responsibility with the War Department in the Manhattan Project to develop a nuclear bomb. After four years of research and development efforts, an atomic device was set off on July 16, 1945, in a desert area at Alamogordo, New Mexico, producing an explosive power equal to that of more than 15,000 tons of TNT. Thus, the atomic bomb was born. Truman, the new U.S. president, believed that this terrible object might be used to defeat Japan in a way less costly of U.S. lives than an ordinary invasion of the Japanese homeland. Japan's unsatisfactory reply to the Allies' Potsdam Declaration decided the matter.
On August 6, 1945, an atomic bomb, carried from Tinian Island in the Mariana in a specially equipped B-29 was dropped on Hiroshima, at the southern end of Honshu. The combined heat and explosion destroyed everything in the explosion's immediate neighbourhood , produced fires that burned out almost 4.4 square miles completely, and killed between 70,000 and 80,000 people, in addition to injuring more than 70,000 others. A second bomb dropped on Nagasaki on August 9, killed between 35,000 and 40,000 people, injured a like number and ruined 1.8 square miles.

Question: What is the main idea of the passage?

Choices:
- An atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
- After research and development efforts, an atomic bomb was born.
- An invasion was about to take place with the use of the atomic bomb.
- The birth and use of the atomic bomb ended the Second World War.

Question: Albert Einstein warned Roosevelt of   _  .

Choices:
- Nazi Germany' success in making an atomic bomb
- the possibility of atomic power from Nazi Germany
- Japan's unsatisfactory reply to the Allies' Potsdam Declaration
- destruction of everything from the explosion of the atomic bomb

Question: What made the U.S. decide to drop the atomic bombs over Japan?

Choices:
- Truman's becoming the president of the United States.
- The great destruction power of the atomic bomb.
- Reducing the cost of its lives.
- Not being content with Japan's reply.

Question: How many people were killed by the two bombs dropped in Japan?

Choices:
- Between 105,000 and 120,000 people.
- Between 35,000 and 40,000 people.
- Between 70,000 and 80,000 people.
- Between 140,000 and 150,000 people.


Names have gained increasing importance in the competitive world of higher education. As colleges struggle for market share, they are looking for names that project the image they want or reflect the changes they hope to make. Trenton State College, for example, became the College of New Jersey nine years ago when it began raising admission standards and appealing to students from throughout the state.
"All I hear in higher education is, 'Brand, brand, brand,'" said Tim Westerbeck, who specializes in branding and is managing director of Lippmann Hearne, a marketing firm based in Chicago that works with universities and other nonprofit organizations. "There has been a sea change over the last 10 years. Marketing used to be almost a dirty word in higher education."
    Not all efforts at name changes are successful, of course. In 1997, the New School for Social Research becameprefix = st1 /NewSchoolUniversityto reflect its growth into a collection of eight colleges, offering a list of majors that includes psychology, music, urban studies and management. But New Yorkers continued to call it theNewSchool.
Now, after spending an undisclosed sum on an online survey and a marketing consultant's creation of "naming structures", "brand architecture" and "identity systems", the university has  _ a new name: theNewSchool. Beginning Monday, it will adopt new logos, banners, business cards and even new names for the individual colleges, all to include the words "theNewSchool".
    Changes in names generally show significant changes in how a college wants to be accepted. In changing its name from Cal State, Hayward, to Cal State, East Bay, the university hoped to project its expanding role in two mostly suburban counties east ofSan Francisco.
    Beaver College turned itself intoArcadiaUniversityin 2001 for several reasons: to break the connection with its past as a women's college, to promote its growth into a full-fledged university and, officials acknowledged, to put an end to jokes about the college's old name on late-night television and "morning zoo" radio shows.
Many college officials said changing a name and image could produce vital results. At Arcadia, in addition to the rise in applications, the average student's test score has increased by 60 points, Juli Roebeck, an Arcadiaspokeswoman, said.

Question: Which of the following is NOT the reason for colleges to change their names?

Choices:
- They prefer higher education competition.
- They try to gain advantage in market share.
- They want to project their image.
- They hope to make some changes.

Question: It is implied that one of the most significant changes in higher education in the past decade is   _  .

Choices:
- the brand
- the college name
- the concept of marketing
- list of majors

Question: The phrase "come up with" (Line 3, Para. 4) probably means   _  .

Choices:
- catch up with
- deal with
- put forward
- come to the realization

Question: The case of name changing from Cal State, Hayward, to Cal State,East Bay indicates that the university   _  .

Choices:
- is observed by the society
- hopes to expand its influence
- prefers to inform its teaching programs
- expects to enlarge its campus

Question: According to the officials, the name change of BeaverCollege  _  .

Choices:
- turned out very successful
- failed to attain its goal
- got rid of some jokes
- transformed its status


"Colour" and "color1" , "favourite" and "favorite""- Have you ever wondered why Americans spell those words without a "u"? Is it because they are lazy?
Of course not.In fact, the difference in spelling was created by Noah Webster(1758--1843) .He is a teacher who reformed English to make American identity stronger.Linguists celebrated his 250th birthday on October 16,2008.After the Revolutionary War(1775--1783) , Webster believed that Americans should have their own dictionary, rather than rely on British versions.He dropped the British "u" in some words.And he changed "centre" into "center" for children to learn English by spelling words more like they sounded.
Webster wasn't shy about expressing his opinions.In defining  preposterous  (unreasonable) , he wrote: "A Republican government in the hands of females is preposterous."
Webster spent 28 years on the project before completing the 70,000 -word dictionary in 1828 with his American - style spellings.He also added local words.His dictionary was widely used in schools.Linguists believed it helped a new nation achieve unity and cultural independence at a time when most were focused on political freedom.
"He was the shaper of our language and the shaper of American identity," said Joshua Kendall, who is working on a biography about Webster."He at last got us united through our language.

Question: According to the passage, when he worked on his dictionary, Noah Webster did all of the          following EXCEPT   _  .

Choices:
- dropping "u" in all the British words
- changing "centre" into "center"
- adding local words
- voicing his opinion

Question: When did Noah Webster probably begin his project of the dictionary?

Choices:
- In 1758.
- In 1783.
- In 1800.
- In 1828.

Question: Why did Noah Webster create these differences in his dictionary?

Choices:
- Because he wanted to make English simple and easy.
- Because he wanted American English to have its own characteristics.
- Because he wanted to achieve political freedom.
- Because he wanted to show that the USA is stronger than the UK.

Question: Which of the following words can best describe Noah Webster' s work?

Choices:
- Interesting
- Boring
- Unfinished
- Meaningful

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

Choices:
- Webster's dictionary
- American identity
- The shaper of American English
- Spelling differences between American and British English


Where is that noise coming from? Not sure? Try living with your eyes closed for a few years.
Blind people are better at locating sounds than people who can see, a new study says, without the benefits of vision the ears seem to work much better.
Previous studies have shown that blind people are better than others at reaching out and touching the sources of sounds that are close by. Researchers from the University of Montreal wanted to see if blind people were also better at locating sounds that are far away.
Twenty-three blind people participated in the study. All had been sightless for at least 20 years. Fourteen of them had lost their vision before age 11. the rest went blind after age 16. The experiment also included 10 people who could see but were wearing blind-folds.
In one task, volunteers had to pick the direction of a sound coming from about 3 metres away. When the sound was in front of them or slightly off center in front, both groups performed equally well.
When sounds came from the side or the back, however, the blind group performed much better than the blindfolded group. The participants who had been blind since childhood did slightly better than those who lost their sight later.
Recognizing the locations of distant sounds can be a matter of life-or-death for blind people, say the researchers. Crossing the street, for instance, is much harder when you can't see the cars coming.
Still, the researchers were surprised by how well the blind participants did, especially those who went blind after age 16. In another experiment, the scientists also found that parts of the brain that normally deal with visual information became active in locating sound in the people who were blind by age 11. These brain parts didn't show sound-location activity in the other group of blind people or in the sighted people. The scientists now want to learn more about the working of brains of "late-onset" blind people.

Question: The recent study shows blind people are better at telling   _  .

Choices:
- The sources of loud sounds.
- the locations of distant sounds
- the direction of sharp sounds
- the distance of a sound in front of them

Question: Which would be a proper title for the passage?

Choices:
- A Research on Blind People
- Where is That Noise Coming from?
- Hearing Better in the Dark
- What If Living Without Your Eyes?

Question: If people were asked to tell the direction of a sound from the side, who would perform best?

Choices:
- Those who are blind.
- Those who have gone blind since children.
- Those who went blind at age 16.
- Those who are blindfolded.

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

Choices:
- Whether to be able to locate the sounds can be of vital importance for the blind.
- All the volunteers in the experiment are sightless.
- All the participants did equally well when picking sounds from whatever direction.
- The later people become blind, the better they can perform in telling the direction of sound


As winter gives way to spring, students feel like taking outdoor activities. However, do remember that accidents can happen, such as the one that happened at Taihu Lake several weeks ago. Four students from Shanghai were killed and several were injured. There were several reasons for the accident, but if the students had worn life jackets, it would have made a big difference.
Therefore, it is important to take steps to avoid accidents before going on trips whether on land or water. Here are some steps:
Make sure you are physically fit for any activities. You need energy for hiking or boating after a long inactive winter.
Research your route  . Check the weather report so you can pack the correct things so that an unexpected downpour or high winds won't destroy your day.
If you are visiting a different culture, learn some basic knowledge about what's accepted and what is not.
Take plenty of water to prevent your body from losing too much water and be sure to wear the correct footwear to protect your feet. Don't go to faraway areas and never risk going into unknown waters.
Going in a group is safer than going alone. If you have to travel by yourself, leave a note of your travel route, telephone number and how you are traveling. So if there's an emergency, people can get in touch with you.

Question: The accident at Taihu Lake is mentioned to  _  .

Choices:
- warn students against traveling alone
- introduce the topic of the passage
- show the disadvantages of outdoor activities
- remind students of the importance of life jackets

Question: Which of the following statements is NOT true?

Choices:
- People usually take part in fewer activities in winter.
- Cultures play an important role in your traveling.
- People should wear comfortable shoes while traveling.
- People should never go out for activities alone.

Question: Which of the following can be used as the best title?

Choices:
- Be Well Prepared for Outdoor Activities.
- Pay Attention to Unexpected Accidents.
- Do Take Outdoor Activities in a Group.
- Be Sure to Avoid Being Injured When Traveling.


Having spent five years searching for her older brother, Miss Lund was unbelievable to think she had been working in the same building for five months.
         Mr.Philips, 33, and Miss Lund last saw each other almost twenty years ago after their father, also called Stephen, 56, lost contact with his son from a previous relationship.Miss Lund, only five at that time, moved to India with her father and mother Rose, while Steven lived with his mother in Wolverhapton.
    By the time Miss Lund and her parents returned to Leeds, the family had lost all contact with Mr.Philips.On turning 18, Lund started to track down her long-lost half brother, even asking customers at the shop where she worked.But despite checking on Internet sites such as Friends Reunited and MySpace, it wasn't until the pair started working together at Loop Customer Management where she went on asking everyone if they knew a Stephen Philips that she tracked him down in March, 2007.
    She couldn't believe it when she was told someone by that name worked there.After she checked on the Internet database, it suggested he wasn't her brother as his name Steven instead of Stephen.Then a friend came up to her and said Steven's surely her brother.They checked parents' names and it turned out they were related.She wanted to scream but they were at work so they just hugged and chatted.
    Mr.Philips, a father of four children, said he was delighted, adding: "I never thought we would meet again.I can't wait to get to know my sister.We have so much to know."

Question: The relationship between the brother and sister is that  _  .

Choices:
- they have the same father
- they have the same mother
- they have the same parents
- they are just cousins

Question: How long had the brother and sister been working in the same building before they got to know each other?

Choices:
- 5 years
- 13 years
- 20 years
- 5 months

Question: How old may Miss Lund be now?

Choices:
- 5
- 18
- About 23
- About 27

Question: What made Miss Lund finally believe Mr.Philips was her brother?

Choices:
- The names of their parents
- His appearance
- Her friends advice
- Their talk with each other


I'm part of the Roots & Shoots program founded by Dr. Jane Goodall. The program is intended to make and promote positive changes in the world. As Dr. Goodall says, "What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make."
In Bulgaria, where I live, homeless dogs are everywhere. Many people here turn a blind eye to them. But I cannot ignore the life of a street dog whenever I see one wandering in the street, looking for something to eat. That's why I'm no longer a food waster. When I see wasted food, I always think of a hungry dog climbing to garbage bins, searching for food that people have thrown there. When eating in a restaurant, I'm not afraid to take leftover food to feed stray cats or dogs.
A week ago, I saw a homeless dog around the garbage bins. Immediately I knelt down, spoke to her softly and ran my hands over her. I could see that she had had puppies. I couldn't imagine how she could have been able to care for them. Hours earlier, I'd bagged up a plate of leftover fish. As I unwrapped it, she wagged her tail and sniffed at it. She ate all the fish in no time.
It's sad, isn't it? I can't understand why many of us waste so much and think little of it. These homeless animals have taught me that food is precious. Even when I don't have leftovers with me, I'll take the time to get something from the grocery store to feed them.
I know my power is small, so I hope that next time you see wasted food, do turn it into worthy food. You have the power to save a life!

Question: The author uses what Dr. Goodall says to show   _  .

Choices:
- how we can develop our business
- why it is important to be great
- why the program is popular globally
- how we can change the world positively

Question: What can be concluded from the text?

Choices:
- There are few homeless dogs where the author lives.
- The author takes homeless dogs home and raises them.
- Seeing homeless dogs makes the author never waste food.
- People throw food into garbage bins to feed homeless dogs.

Question: The author took the leftover fish with him to   _  .

Choices:
- eat it when he was hungry
- feed a homeless dog he met
- look for more homeless animals
- set an example to those who throw away food

Question: The author wrote the text to ask us to   _  .

Choices:
- value our food
- treat dogs as our friends
- save wasted food for homeless dogs
- raise homeless dogs and cats


Up, Up, and Away!
An adventurer who became the first person to fly across the English Channel on a cluster of balloons has launched a house into the sky just like in the hit movie Up-in reparation for a more ambitious journey and a new record
Fearless Trappe , from North Carolina, stepped into the cartoon themed home before flying above the leon International Balloon Festivel in Mexico more than a week ago.
The 38-year-old Trappe was using the event as a warm-up for his planned trans-Atlantic flight scheduled for next summer ,He aims to complete the 2,500-mile journey in a seven-foot lifeboat carried by 365 huge helium ballooms
The brave man is learning to sail a lifeboat ,in case he meeds to ditch  into the ocean during the danger-filled adventure
He sill fly at between 18,000 feet and 25,000 feet , beating his previous world altitude record of 21,600 feet ,and must fly uninterrupted a distance ten times longer than his previous world record of 230 miles in order to succeed.
The adventurer Trappe ,who holes records for crossing the Alps, flying the most cluster balloons, and the longest distance , has opent his entire carreer ,building up to this ambitious plan.
"I didn't wake up one day and think:'I' going to fly across the Atlantic, '"he said "he said  Every attempt before this was prepared for this fight ,I've been training for a long time"

Question: The adventurer flew across the English Channel to  _

Choices:
- test the balloons
- launch a house
- shoot a hit movie
- prepare for breaking a record

Question: To finish the journey ,he will fly a distance of  _

Choices:
- 2500 miles
- 18,000 feet
- 25,000 feet
- 230 miles

Question: About the ambitious journey ,which is NIT mentioned in the passage?

Choices:
- When he will fly
- How high he sill fly
- How far he will fly
- How long it will take him

Question: How many world records does Jonathan hold?

Choices:
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five


Dear Cassy,
Thanks for reminding me by e-mail that you want to baby-sit our children. In spite of the fact that you are only 15 years old, my wife and I would be willing to consider your application if you can meet a few modest requirements:
1.
three letters from teachers who will prove that you have never failed to follow directions perfectly in class and never failed to hand in the homework on time.
2. Submit a note from two doctors which says that you are in perfect health, have never been sick, and will never be sick.
3. Submit a document   from your physical education teacher or team coach that proves that you can do each of the following: Run two miles in less than nine minutes, climb an oily rope to a height of twenty feet in thirty seconds while balancing a glass of water on your nose, and walk in bare feet over hot coals and broken glass without complaint or injury.
4. Submit letters from at least two mental health experts saying that you have never had a bad thought towards any living being or not living object.
5. Play and defeat five expert chess players with your eyes covered after going without sleep for 48 hours.
6. Wait patiently for two years while we make sure that all your documents are true.
Your loving and trusting friends,
The Smiths

Question: From the letter we can know that    _   .

Choices:
- Cassy wrote to the Smiths twice
- Cassy loves children very much
- Cassy will be in perfect health
- Cassy does very well in her studies

Question: What can we infer from this text?

Choices:
- Their children are hard to baby-sit.
- Their children are well educated.
- Cassy is good at doing many things.
- Cassy won't get the job as a baby-sitter.

Question: Which of the following words can best describe the Smiths?

Choices:
- Humorous.
- Patient.
- Honest.
- Kind-hearted.


Who doesn't love sitting beside a cosy fire on a cold winter's night ? Who doesn't love to watch flames   curling up a chimney? Fire is one of man's greatest friends, but also one of his greatest enemies. Many big fires are caused by carelessness. A lighted cigarette thrown out of a car or train window or a broken bottle lying on dry grass can start a fire. Sometimes, though, a fire can start on its own. Wet hay   can begin burning by itself. This is how it happens: the hay starts to rot   and begins to give off heat which is trapped inside it. Finally, it bursts into flames. That's why farmers cut and store   their hay when it's dry.
Fires have destroyed whole cities. In the 17th century, a small fire which began in a baker's shop burnt down nearly every building in London. Moscow was set on fire during the war against Napoleon. This fire continued burning for seven days. And, of course, in 64 A.D. a fire burnt Rome. Even today, in spite of modern fire-fighting methods, fire causes millions of pounds' worthy of damage each year both in our cities and in the countryside. It has been wisely said that fire is a good servant but a bad master .

Question: The writer considers it    _    to sit beside a fire on a cold winter night .

Choices:
- nice
- dangerous
- unhappy
- painful

Question: Which of the following describes the way how hay begins burning on its own ?

Choices:
- wet hay ---- becomes dry ---- gives off heat ---- burns
- dry hay ---- gets too much heat from the sun ---- gives out heat --- starts to burn
- wet hay ---- begins to rot ---- gives out heat ---- starts to burn
- dry hay ---- gives off heat ---- starts to rot ---- starts to burn

Question: Many big fires are caused    _    .

Choices:
- by cigarette
- by their own
- by dry grass
- by people's carelessness

Question: How many examples did the writer give to show fires can destroy the whole city ?

Choices:
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four

Question: Which of the following statement is not true ?

Choices:
- Fires still cause much damage now although there are modern fire - fighting
- Fires cause less damage in the country than in the city .
- Fire can be man's good friend and also great enemy .
- One should be careful not to throw a lighted cigarette everywhere .


Dear Santa Claus,
My name is Amy. I am 9 years old. I have a problem at school. Can you help me, Santa? Kids laugh at me because of the way I walk and run and talk. I have cerebral palsy. I just want one day when no one laughs at me or makes fun of me.
Love,
Amy
At radio station WJLT in Fort Wayne, Indiana, letters poured in for the Christmas Wish Contest. When Amy's letter arrived at the radio station, manager Lee Tobin read it carefully.  He thought it would be good for the people in Fort Wayne to hear about this special third grader and her unusual wish. Mr. Tobin called up the local newspaper.
The next day, a picture of Amy and her letter to Santa made the front page of the "News Sentinel". The story spread quickly. All across the country, newspapers and radio and television stations reported the story of the little girl in Fort Wayne, Indiana, who asked for such a simple, yet remarkable, Christmas gift--just one day without teasing.
Suddenly the postman was a regular at the Hagadorn house. Envelopes of all sizes addressed to Amy arrived daily from children and adults all across the nation. They came filled with holiday greetings and words of encouragement. Some of the writers had disabilities; some had been teased as children. Each writer had a special message for Amy. Through the cards and letters from strangers, Amy glimpsed a world full of people who truly cared about each other.
Many people thanked Amy for being brave enough to speak up. Others encouraged her to ignore teasing and to carry her head high.
Amy did get her wish of a special day without teasing at  South Wayne High School. Teachers and students talked together about how bad teasing can make others feel.
That year, the Fort Wayne mayor officially proclaimed December 21st as Amy Jo Hagadorn Day throughout the city. The mayor explained that by daring to make such a simple wish, Amy taught a universal lesson. "Everyone, "said the mayor, "wants and deserves to be treated with respect, dignity and warmth. "

Question: Amy's letter showed that   _   .

Choices:
- her school wasn't a good place for students like her
- her schoolmates cannot understand her disability
- she wanted to win Christmas Wish Contest
- she was often ignored in and out of class

Question: The postman was a regular at the Hagadorn house because   _   .

Choices:
- he had to send letters to Amy daily
- he was quite curious about Amy
- he went to encourage Amy frequently
- he was moved by Amy's story

Question: We may infer from Amy's story that   _   .

Choices:
- people are easy to turn their eyes to the disabled
- Amy will still be made fun of by others
- the news media played an important role in helping Amy
- there are few disabled people in Amy's country

Question: The Fort Wayne mayor officially proclaimed Amy Jo Hagadorn Day   _   .

Choices:
- to tell how bad teasing can make others feel
- to encourage people to carry their heads high
- to call on the public to treat everyone properly
- to explain how brave Amy was by making her wish


Shoplifting   is happening in stores or supermarkets throughout the world. However, shoplifting happens more in British stores, according to a recent research, by the UK-based Center for Retail Research.
Napoleon once considered prefix = st1 /Britainas "a nation of shopkeepers", to which so many people dreamed of traveling. Now it seems it is a nation of shoplifters. According to the research,Britainis the most light-fingered country in Europe, with nearly one in every two cases of shoplifting across the continent taking place in British stores. The report said there were nearly 566,000 reported cases of shoplifting inBritainout of a Europe-wide total of 1.27 million. The next worst countries in Europe,FranceandGermany, came well belowBritainwith only 188,000 and 167,000 cases, respectively.Switzerlandlived up to its clean-living reputation, with just 10,198 recorded cases of shop theft, and it is the lowest in Europe.
"The only reason I can think of is the higher level of criminality in Britain," report author Joshua Bamfield said. But the blame forBritain's poor showing does not lie wholly at the doorstep of Britons, Bamfield said, but also with some organized foreign groups traveling in cities such asLondon. "There are traveling groups of thieves, many from places likePolandandRussia, that target large department stores," Bamfield said. "The problem is right across Europe -- the criminals have formed their own European Union."
Bamfield said one factor causing some mistakes on the statistics was also likely to be that retailers in Britainwere more likely to record thefts compared to other nations, such asGreece. "It's a social phenomenon that could happen in any countries", said Bamfield, "The most important thing is how to prevent it rather than accusing of it too much."

Question: By saying "a nation of shopkeepers". Napoleon probably meant that   _  .

Choices:
- Britain was a nation of shoplifters though it was rich then
- Britain should have cared more about its agriculture
- Britain's economy was experiencing a great development
- Britainshould take some measures to reduce the number of shops

Question: According to the passage, in which country are we likely to feel safer when shopping?

Choices:
- Britain
- Germany
- France
- Switzerland

Question: From what Joshua Bamfield said, it can be inferred that   _  .

Choices:
- it's the highest level of criminality that caused Britain's social problem
- Britain's social problem of shop theft came from varieties of sides
- Britain's poor showing does not lie wholly at the doorstep of Britons
- it's traveling groups of thieves that make up the majority of Britain's shoplifters

Question: What's the main idea of this passage?

Choices:
- Protecting ourselves is important when shopping.
- Shoplifting is becoming serious, especially in Britain.
- Shoplifting does great harm to people across Europe.
- Europe is suffering many traveling groups of thieves.


The father's role in the family is important. One researcher says babies cared for by their fathers have greater cognitive   development at one year of age than babies not cared for by their fathers. Another expert reports that by spending time with their pre-school children, fathers can help to develop children's language ability. Researchers also point out that for school-age children, fathers are one link with the outside world.
Fathers who value education have children who do better in school than those children whose fathers don't value education. What's more, fathers who spend quality time with their children may give their children happy memories which may last a lifetime.
While each father is a unique  person who educates children in his own style, good fathers have something in common.
Good fathers attend their children's school activities. They also involve the children in their lives and the adult world by taking them to see the workplace, or by taking them when the car needs to be repaired, etc.
Good fathers expect a great deal from their children, but also accept and support the unique individuals that their children are becoming.
Good fathers rely on explanations and reasoning rather than force.
Good fathers know their time with children is really an investment   in them.
Being an involved father is good for children and good for fathers. Both children and fathers have the opportunity for growth and development. Today's lifestyles are changing. More and more fathers are balancing their personal life, work, and family time.

Question: The passage is mainly about   _   .

Choices:
- how to be a qualified father
- the growth and development of both fathers and children
- the father's role in the growth and development of children
- the changing of the father's role in modern society

Question: According to the passage, we can find that   _   .

Choices:
- fathers are more important than mothers in the family
- all fathers have the same way of educating their children
- fathers' involvement is the most important factor in children's development
- fathers have an important influence on their children from infancy through adulthood

Question: According to the passage, fathers' involvement in their children's lives may NOT result in    _   .

Choices:
- the good fate of their children
- better reading levels of their children
- happy memories which may last a lifetime
- greater cognitive development of their children


Here is some must-know information from a handbook on how people behave in doing business in some countries.
In Brazil
Brazilians are warm and friendly.They often stand close when talking and it is common for them to touch the person on the shoulder.People often greet each other (particularly women)with light cheek kisses . Schedules tend to be flexible,with business meetings sometimes starting later than planned.But to be safe,be on time.Meals can stretch for hours--there's no such thing as rushing a meal in Brazil.Lunches also can start in the mid to late afternoon.Brazilians are social,preferring face-to-face communication over emails or phone calls.
In Singapore
Singaporeans shake hands when they meet and often also greet each other with a small,polite bow.Business cards should be offered and received with two hands.Arriving late is considered disrespectful.So be on time.Efficiency is the goal,so meetings and dealings often are fast-paced.Singaporeans are direct in their discussions,even when the subject is about money.Rank is important and authority is respected.This determines how people interact in meetings.For example,people avoid disagreeing outright with someone of a higher rank.
In the United Arab Emirates
In the UAE,status  is important,so the most senior or oldest should be greeted first with their titles.The handshake seems to be longer than elsewhere.So do not pull away from the handshake.Women should cover themselves when it comes to dress.Men also tend to be covered from neck to elbows and down to the knees.People do not avoid entertaining in their homes, but they also hold business meals at restaurants.Touching or passing food or eating with your left hand is to be avoided.When meetings are one-to-one, if your host offers you coffee,you should refuse.It might seem odd,but it is a cultural tradition.Coffee should only be accepted if it is already set out or presented.
In Switzerland
The Swiss tend to be formal and address each other by last name.They also are respectful of private lives.You should be careful not to ask about personal topics.Punctuality is vital,something that comes from a deep respect for others' time.Arrive at any meeting or event a few minutes early to be safe.They also have clear structure in their companies.Higher-ups make the final decisions,even if others might disagree.Neat,clean dress is expected.The Swiss follow formal table manners.They also keep their hands visible at the table and their elbows off the table.It is polite to finish the food on your plate.

Question: The passage is mainly about  _  .

Choices:
- communication types
- the workplace atmosphere
- customs and social manners
- 1iving conditions and standards

Question: Why do Singaporeans avoid arguing with their boss?

Choices:
- They put efficiency in the first place.
- They dislike face-to-face communication.
- They want to finish meetings as quickly as possible.
- They are supposed to obey the person of a higher rank.

Question: In the UAE, when should you refuse the coffee if it is offered?

Choices:
- When greeting seniors.
- When meeting the host alone.
- When attending a presentation.
- Whendining with business partners.

Question: In which country do people care about where to put their hands at the dinner table?

Choices:
- In Brazil.
- In Singapore.
- In the United Arab Emirate.
- In Switzerland.


It's wonderful to go to another country, complete a volunteer project and feel that you really have a positive influence. But how can you become an international volunteer?
* Plan practically. Contact the organization a few months before leaving and find out if there are materials which are rare and hard to attain for the project. What you often consider plentiful here, such as nails or hammers, is in great need in other parts of the world.
* Do the project together, not on your own. You are a guest in the community. The most successful result is not that you build something and walk away, but that you and the community build something as a team. Share skills and build together.
* Be flexible. Not everything is going to happen as planned. Often the other country doesn't have the right tools, manpower, transportation or funds to get all the needed work done. In a word, they lack infrastructure .
* Contact with the people in the community. Often you will have "downtime" outside of the range of the project. Rather than retreat to the group with whom you traveled, be sure to spend time with the people of the community. Listen to the things about their lives. If you can't speak the language, smiles work wonders. And you will be surprised -- you will find a way to community.
Volunteering is a special and life-long experience for everyone involved. Be prepared that the person who may be changed most is you. It's a joyful, often careful experience which will encourage you to view yourself, your neighbors and your world quite differently.

Question: When you volunteer to join in a project, you are advised to  _  .

Choices:
- build something and walk away
- make good preparation in advance
- avoid involving locals in activities
- depend on yourself to solve problems

Question: According to the author, volunteer will  _  .

Choices:
- reduce challenge in the world
- determine the future of a volunteer
- change a person's opinion of the world
- benefit volunteers most in their learning

Question: What is the passage mainly about?

Choices:
- What prepares you to become a volunteer.
- Where volunteers are needed most in the world.
- Why volunteering is popular with young people.
- How volunteers develop a relationship with local people.


Have you ever wanted to achieve a goal and ended up doing tons of research on how to achieve the goal? As you learn more and more, it feels like you know less and less because when you learn something new, you find that there is a lot to know about those things.
Sometimes, people will get stuck in this needing to gather more and more information. There's nothing wrong with learning a lot, but when you let learning get in the way of doing, you will never get going. When you never get going, you still never start having the things you want. Too much learning can paralyze you in terms of taking action.
A better way to go about achieving a goal is to gather some information and immediately start taking action on the information you have gathered. Many times you will feel unprepared, and that's OK. The best way to learn is to take action and learn from the results you get from those actions.
When you are able to get past the fear of not being perfect and just take the first step, you will be further ahead than the majority of people who are still in the preparation stage. It's good to be prepared especially in situations such as a pilot and crew making sure the plane is ready to take off, but over-preparation in trying to reach a goal won't give you any results. The knowledge and skills you will need will be picked up along the way.
If a baby wants to learn how to walk, it will never be able to do it by sitting there and analyzing how to walk. The best way for a baby to walk is to actually stand up and start walking. Sure it may fall, but with every fall, it will learn what is working and what is not and adjust to _ . By doing this over and over again, it will eventually learn to walk. This is the approach you need to take when you want to achieve your goals as well. It works. Learning more is great but if all you're doing is learning and not taking action, it's time to change. Just take the first step!

Question: The author thinks that learning   _  .

Choices:
- stops us from doing things
- prevents us from achieving a goal
- should be combined with practice
- means gathering more and more information

Question: According to the passage, we'd better learn from  _  .

Choices:
- our experiences
- adequate preparations
- other people who have succeeded
- the information we have gathered

Question: The passage implies that the more we learn,  _  .

Choices:
- the less we will know
- the more we want to explore
- the more likely we are to succeed
- the better preparations we will make

Question: Why does the author mention how a baby learns to walk?

Choices:
- To prove another point is wrong.
- To encourage readers to change.
- To introduce a learning approach.
- To support a conclusion.


By teaching your children fire safety you can make sure they know what to do when a house fire occurs.
Making sure that your children know exactly what is required of them cuts down on the chaos of the emergency situation and helps keep your family safe and secure.
Make sure your children know how to correctly stop, drop, and roll and feel confident in the fact that it works.  It puts out the flames. The usual response to clothing catching on fire is to run around and run about wildly, which only exposes the fire to more oxygen and feeds the flames. Your children should also know to touch door handles before opening the door to see if they are hot. If they are, it means that there's a fire in   the next room, and they should leave the door closed and find another route out of the house.
Make sure your children understand that they should never play with lighters or matches. Fires started by playing with these things are the leading cause of fire-related injuries in children under five years old.  Many children are fascinated by lighters and matches and want to experiment with lighting things on fire to see what happens.
Do regular fire drills to practice your evacuation plan so that your family knows what to do in an emergency. Make sure everyone knows all the possible exit points of the house that they can use; a fire in your home will be a chaotic situation, and it' s best to make sure all members of your family know your evacuation plan well enough so that it is second nature and they don't have to waste time thinking if a fire starts.
Quick, determined response to a fire will save your family members' lives.

Question: What should children do when their clothing catches on fire?

Choices:
- Stop, drop and roll without delay
- Run around quickly to put out the flames.
- Call the firefighter for help at once.
- Feel confident and don't be afraid of fire.

Question: When door handles feel hot, what should children do?

Choices:
- Open the door and see if there is a fire.
- Stay away and find another way out.
- Leave the door open and rush out of it.
- Stay where they are and ask for help.

Question: What should parents do with items like lighters and matches?

Choices:
- Let them play with them.
- Hide them from the children.
- Experiment with them.
- Throw them out of the house.


Good state is when your body and mind are in the best condition for learning. These pages describe that state. Applying this information will increase your learning performance, without using any of the other techniques on this site.
You will learn faster if your cells, body and mind are in good condition, or good "state." Being in good state doesn't just increase your memory and learning performance. Being in good state also helps improve your health and well-being, with resulting benefits in many other areas of your life.The state described on these pages leads to peak condition for performing well in many human endeavors, from flying a plane to playing football.
I've grouped the major contributors to Memletic State into three layers. These are the cell, physical and mental state layers. In summary, the elements that make up each of these layers are:
*         Cell State Layer: Water, Glucose, Oxygen, and Basic Nutrients.
*         Physical State Layer: Health, Fitness, Relaxation, Environment, Sleep and Body Rhythms, and Supplements.
*         Mental State Layer: Health, Fitness, Relaxation, Attention and Concentration, Positive Mental Attitude, and Goals.
Cell state is primary and therefore the innermost layer. You will find it hard to learn without satisfactory functioning of cells. The next layer is the physical state layer. These elements impact how well you breathe, circulate blood, fight off illness and more. The outer layer is the mental state layer. The elements of this layer are within our mind. Notice how cell state layer supports the physical state layer, and the physical state layer supports the next layer out, the mental state layer.

Question: The passage may be taken from  _  .

Choices:
- a newspaper
- a magazine
- a website
- a notice

Question: According to the passage, to get a good lerning state, the most important thing is   _  .

Choices:
- to have enough food and water
- to take exercise every day
- to listen to music every day
- to ask the experts for advice

Question: From the passage, we know that  _  .

Choices:
- many other techniques on learning are introduced.
- good learning state refers to mental and physical statement.
- the writer is sure to have a good learning state.
- "No pains,no gains" belongs to physcial layer.


Every one of us gets so used to punctuation marks that not many of us give them a secondthought.Actually,the ancient Greeks wrote this way.The lack of punctuation marks probably didn't bother good readers,though.As they read,they just put pauses where they fit best. Also at this time,sentences switched directions.A sentence read from leftto right.The next one read right to left,and then left to right again,etc.The ancient Romans sometimes punctuatedlike this:They put somethingthat can separate words in a sentence.The wordpunctuationactually comes from this idea andthe Latin word"punctum"which means a lot.
When the 5th century arrived,there were just twopunctuation marks:spaces and points.The spaces separated words while the points showed pauses in reading.Then in the 13th century,a printer named Aldus Manutius tried to standardize punctuation.He always used a period for a complete stop at the end of a sentence.He used a slash(/)toindicate a short pause.Over time.that slash was shortened and curled,and it became the modern comma .
Since that time,other marks have enlarged the punctuation family.The exclamation mark comes from the Latin word"io".It means "exclamation of joy".The question mark originally started out as the Latin word"questio",meaning"question".Eventually,scholars put it attheend of a sentence to show a question.
Punctuation even keeps changing nowadays.New marks are coming into existence,and old punctuation marks are used in new ways.Take for example the"interrobang".This 1962 invention combines the question mark and exclamation mark for times when writers want both.For example."She did what?!"or"How much did you pay for that dress?!"Obviously,the interrobang is not widelyused or recognized yet,but its invention shows that English is not yet finishedwith its punctuation.

Question: We can learn from the passage that  _  .

Choices:
- ancient Romans didn't use any punctuation marks
- exclamation and question marks came from Latin
- spaces and slashes were already used before the 5th century
- Aldus Manutiusfast started to use commas


D
The year is 2094. It has been announced that a comet   is heading towards the Earth . Most of it will miss our planet , but two pieces will probably hit the southern half of the Earth .
On 17 July , a piece four kilometers wide enters the Earth's atmosphere   with a massive explosion . About half of the piece is destroyed , but the remaining part hits the South Atlantic at 200 times the speed of sound . The sea boils and a huge hole is made in the sea bed . Huge waves are created and spread outwards from the hole . The wall of water , a kilometer high , rushes towards southern Africa at 800 kilometers an hour . Cities on the African coast are totally destroyed and millions of people re drowned .
Before the waves reach South America , the second piece of the comet lands in Argentina . Earthquakes and volcanoes are set off in the Andes Mountains . The shock waves move north into California and all around the Pacific Ocean . The cities of Los Angeles , San Francisco and Tokyo are completely destroyed by earthquakes . Millions of people in the southern half of the earth are already dead, but the north won't escape for long . Because of the explosions , the sun is hidden by clouds of dust , temperatures around the world fall to almost zero .Crops are ruined . The sun won't be seen again for many years . Wars break out as countries fight for food . A year later , no more than 10 million people remain alive .
Could it really happen ? In fact , it has already happened more than once in the history of the Earth . The dinosaurs were on the Earth for over 160 million years . Then 65 million years ago they suddenly disappeared . Many scientists believe that the Earth was hit by a piece of object in space . The dinosaurs couldn't live through the cold climate that followed and they died out . Will we meet the same end ?

Question: What is mainly described in the passage ?

Choices:
- A historic discovery .
- An event of imagination
- A research on space .
- A scientific adventure .

Question: When the first piece hits the South Atlantic , it causes_.

Choices:
- an earthquake
- damages to cities
- an Earth explosion
- huge waves

Question: Why can't the northern half of the earth escape for long ?

Choices:
- Because the land is covered with water
- Because the light and heat from the sun can not reach the earth .
- Because people there can not live at the temperature of zero .
- Because wars break out among countries .


Who we are
Shanghai Super Star provides combination service including translation and tourism and sourcing, focusing on interpreting and translation.
Our professional team offer highly professional business interpreters, assistants, companions and exhibition translators and sourcing for a variety of business requirements as well as tour guides to first-time tourists coming to China.
Why choose us
^ Our professional and experienced business interpreters/translators have more than 5 years' experience and also have professional education background like business, foreign trade, management etc.
^ Our knowledgeable and enthusiastic private tour guides are always ready to help design your unique trip.
^ Our reliable interpreters have solid experience in different industries. So we will be your great choices when you need interpreters for trade shows, trade fairs, exhibitions or you need business assistants for your business trip like supplier meetings, factory visiting, project negotiation etc.
^ We are always ready to help you go through the language barrier and cultural understanding, and stand by your side and consider everything in your position.
^ When you have finished your business trip, you still have professional Chinese team to support you for goods inspection, shipping arrangement or other service you need.
^ We provide one-stop service for personal holidays or business trips within Great China&Hong Kong Area.
From our customers
I had the pleasure of working with Susan on multiple trips to Shanghai. Susan is very professional and likes her job. Having Susan as our translator made the trip enjoyable. I look forward to working with Susan on
our next trip.
--Gary Lennox (USA)
In every respect, Susan did an excellent job as our interpreter. She was always friendly and professional, so everyone felt comfortable working with her. And she had no problem communicating clearly about technical subjects and sensitive business issues. I recommend Susan to any companies doing business in Shanghai and nearby cities.
--Joe Abelson (USA)

Question: Which of the following descriptions about Shanghai Super Star is NOT true?

Choices:
- It serves customers both at home and abroad.
- It can provide business assistants if necessary.
- Interpreting and translation are its main business.
- Its interpreters and translators are all English majors.

Question: The two comments in the passage are intended to indicate    .

Choices:
- Susan is very professional and can meet the needs of different customers
- American customers have a preference for Shanghai Super Star
- Shanghai Super Star enjoys a good reputation among customers
- Shanghai Super Star provides combination service for customers


Humans may be a bad influence on their best friends---at least when it comes to problem-solving. In a task that wasn't very tough, wolves performed must better than dogs. All the animals had to do was pull the lid off a food container, containing a sausage treat.
Monique Udell studies animal behavior at Oregon State University in Corvallis. She tested 10 pet dogs and another 10 dogs from an animal shelter. In one set of tests, a person was nearby but did not encourage or discourage the dogs. Those dogs typically spent 10 to 15 percent of their time gazing at the person. They spent a mere 5 percent of their time or less touching the container.
Udell offered the same challenge to wolves. These animals had been raised and fed by people but still lived outdoors. Here, the wolves didn't look at the nearby person. Instead, they devoted about 90 percent of the time to struggling with the box holding a treat.
When someone walked around the dogs and actively encouraged them to keep trying to open the  box, the dogs did spend more time handling the problem. A few more even managed to open the box. But their success rate still did not match the wolves. The dogs and wolves were also tested when no one was present. But even then, the dogs didn't paw or teat the box much more than they did when a human was present.

Question: What was the effect of encouragement on the dogs?

Choices:
- It made their success rate improve a lot
- It made them seek less guidance
- It made them a little more devoted to the task
- It made them able to compete with the wolves

Question: What is the main idea of the text?

Choices:
- How wolves and dogs differ from each other
- The reason why wolves are dangerous
- Dogs are more relaxed when no one is around
- Wolves beat dogs in problem-solving tests