user: (Q).
Here are some interesting places in America: Lake Placid Lake Placid in New York State has everything you want: great downhill skiing  , great golf courses, and ponds for swimming. It is also a beautiful village with shops, restaurants, and hotels. It is well-known as the place of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics. While many travelers visit here for outdoor activities, others come to this beautiful town simply to get away from cities and enjoy the clean mountain air. Whether you come to Lake Placid for adventure or rest, you'll surely enjoy your stay here. Old Forge Located   in New York State, Old Forge is a deeply-wooded town with many rivers and lakes. It is a place where many people come to spend their summers. Biking, boating, and skiing are all popular sports in Old Forge. And on rainy days, the town's small shops become the best places for people to look for special local gifts. If you are looking for a quiet place to keep away from trouble, Old Forge is a good choice. Leavenworth This comfortable mountain village is just a few hours' drive to the east of Seattle. Many people from Seattle and from the rest of the country come here to enjoy the local shops and delicious German food. Outside of Leavenworth, you will find some of the best views in Washington. High mountains rise from the wooded valleys   and rivers run through the forests. There is no doubt that the environment is what makes Leavenworth such a special place for visitors. Why do people prefer to visit Leavenworth? A) They like the special food there. B) They love doing sports there. C) They can buy cheap things there. D) They enjoy the quiet environment.
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A


(Q).
Dear Florence, We arrived in India last week, and the voyage was the worst experience of my entire life. I'm lucky to be alive! The first part of the journey was terrible, because the ship hit bad weather almost as soon as we left Liverpool. But much, much worse was to come. Later, we were involved in a collision with another boat and we had to abandon ship! We had been at sea for about two weeks and we were in the Mediterranean. There is now a canal between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea called the Suez Canal, which opened last year. Our boat stopped at Port Said, the Egyptian port at the entrance to the canal. I remember looking through the porthole of my cabin and wishing that I could go ashore and visit this fascinating place, but mummy had ordered that I was to stay in the cabin because I was feeling ill. "you must stay here for at least another two days." I remember her saying. How wrong she would turn out to be! The ship left the port and headed towards the canal . I was alone in the cabin and I watched the port disappear into the distance. Suddenly there was a loud bang, followed by the most awful crunching sound, and the ship shook and turned slightly on its side. There was an for a moment, then people started shouting. Mummy came running into the cabin and told me that we had collided with another boat. She took my hand and we ran along the deck towards the lifeboats. There was a lot of shouting and people were running everywhere, but the crew were all acting calmly, helping people into the lifeboats and telling people not to panic. Well, clearly we survived, as did all the passengers and crew of the ship. The other boat wasn't so lucky. It sank and several lives were lost. I will write about the rest of the journey soon. Please give my love to Aunt Claire and Uncle Eric. Your loving cousin, Jane 56.When was the letter written? A) Before the author went to India. B) In the mid - 19th century. C) When the author arrived in Egypt. D) Just after the author arrived in India.
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D


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For thousands of years, people have been debating the meaning of happiness and how to find it.  From the ancient Greeks and Romans to current day writers and professors, the debate about happiness continues. What makes someone happy? In what parts of the world are people the happiest? Why even study happiness? The Greek philosopher Aristotle said that a person's highest happiness comes from the use of his or her intelligence. Religious books such as the Koran and Bible discuss faith as a form of happiness. The British scientist Charles Darwin believed that all species were formed in a way so as to enjoy happiness. People throughout history may have had different ideas about happiness. But today, many people are still searching for its meaning. How do you study something like happiness? You could start with the World Database of Happiness at Erasmus University in prefix = st1 /Rotterdam, The Netherlands. This set of information includes how to define and measure happiness. Some findings are not surprising. For example, the database suggests that married people are happier than single people. People who like to be with other people are happier than unsocial people. But other findings are less expected: People with children are equally happy as couples without children. And wealthier people are only a little happier than poorer people. Positive psychology is the new term for a method of scientific study that tries to examine the things that make life worth living instead of life's problems. Traditional psychology generally studies negative situations like mental suffering and sickness. But positive psychology aims to study the strengths that allow people and communities to do well. There is also an increasing amount of medical research on the physical qualities of happiness. Doctors can now look at happiness at work in a person's brain using a method called magnetic resonance imaging  , or MRI. For example, an MRI can show how one area of a person's brain activates when he or she is shown happy pictures. A... The findings of the database imply that couples without children are   _  . A) as happy as people with children B) less happy than people with children C) happier than unsocial people D) a little happier than wealthier people
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