user: Ques:Read the article and select the best answer. Article: No woman can be too rich or too thin. This saying often attributed to(...) the late Duchess   of Windsor represents much of the strange spirit of our times. Being thin is assumed as such a virtue. The problem with such a view is that some people actually attempt to live by it. I myself have fantasies of slipping into narrow designer clothes. Consequently, I have been on a diet for the better --or worse-- part of my life. Being rich wouldn't be bad either, but that won't happen unless an unknown   dies suddenly in some distant land, leaving me millions of dollars. Where did we go off the track? When did eating butter become a sin , and a little bit of extra flesh unappealing, if not unpleasant? All religions have certain days when people stop from eating and overeating is one of Christianity's seven deadly sins. However, until quite recently, most people had a problem getting enough to eat. In some religious groups, wealth was a symbol of probable high morals, and fatness a sign of wealth and well-being. Today the opposite is true. We have shifted to thinness as our new mark of virtue. The result is that being fat -- or even only somewhat overweight -- is bad because it implies a lack of moral strength. Our obsession with thinness is also fueled by health concerns. It is true that in this country we have more overweight people than ever before, and that in many cases, being overweight correlates with an increased risk of heart and blood vessel disease. These diseases, however, may have as much to do with our way of life and our high-fat diets as with excess weight. And the associated risk of cancer in the digestive system may be more of a dietary problem -- too much fat and a lack of fiber -- than a weight problem. The real concern, then, is not that we weigh too much, but that we neither exercise enough nor eat well. Exercise is necessary for strong bones and both heart and lung health. A balanced diet without a lot of fat can also help the body avoid many diseases. We should surely stop paying so much... Question: In the eyes of the author, an odd phenomenon nowadays is that  _  . Options: A: looking slim is a symbol of having a large fortune B: being thin is viewed as a much desired quality C: the Duchess of Windsor is regarded as a woman of virtue D: religious people are not necessarily virtuous

Ans:B
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Ques:Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Bill Gates and the president of General Motors have met for lunch, and Bill is going on and on about computer technology. "If automotive technology had kept pace with computer technology over the past few decades, you would now be driving a V-32 instead of a V-8, and it would have a top speed of 10,000 miles per hour," says Gates. "Or you could have an economy car that weighs 30 pounds and gets a thousand miles to a gallon of gas. In either case, the sticker price  of a new car would be less than $ 50. Why haven't you guys kept up?"  The president of GM smiles and says, "Because the federal government won't let us build cars that crash four times a day."  Why is that funny (or not funny, as the ease may be)? Human beings love to laugh, and the average adult laughs 17 times a day. Humans love to laugh so much that there are actually industries built around laughter. Jokes, siteoms and comedies are all designed to get us laughing, because laughing feels good. For us it seems so natural, but the funny thing is that humans are the only species that laughs. Laughter is actually a complex response that involves many of the same skills used in solving problems.  Laughter is a great thing--that's why we've all heard the saying, "Laughter is the best medicine." There is strong evidence that laughter can actually improve health and help fight disease. When we look at laughter--what it is, what happens in our brains when we laugh, what makes us laugh and how it can make us healthier and happier, there's a huge amount about it that no one understands yet. Question: What is the writer likely to talk about next? Options: A: What is laughter? B: How do people laugh? C: When is laughter the best medicine? D: Where does laughter take place?

Ans:A
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Ques:Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Do you know how to tell a story? The following are some tips: Who Will Listen? Will you tell your story to children of your own age? Will they be friends or young people you haven't met before? Perhaps you will tell it to younger children.Or, will it be an audience of adults? Will it be just a few people, a small group, or a large audience? Why Are You Telling It? There are many reasons for telling a story.Knowing why you are telling it may be the most helpful reason for choosing a story for a particular audience. Many storytellers choose tales just to entertain  .They tell jokes or silly stories.Others want to teach something, such as how to be kinder to animals, the environment, or other people.One storyteller likes to encourage his listeners to try new things.Some babysitters tell stories to help children feel not afraid of thunder, lightning or scary shadows in their rooms.Others want to make people think or to help people remember.Some like to frighten their audiences with ghost stories. Where Will You Speak? How you tell your story and what story helpers you use depend on where you will be speaking.Will you be talking at an evening party, in your classroom, in a library storytelling program, at a family dinner, at a museum, at a storytelling festival, or during a religious program? Question: The purpose of knowing why you are telling a story is to   _  . Options: A: choose stories suitable for a certain audience B: do something good to animals, the environment or other people C: decide what can help you D: satisfy different listeners

Ans:A
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Ques:Read the article and select the best answer. Article: It was a long week for Amanda at school. She stayed after school to work on a special project  three days in a row. When she got home on Friday, she dropped into the chair with a sigh. "What's going on, Amanda?" her dad asked as he was reading the newspaper. "I have to create a webpage for my technology class, and it is taking a lot more time than I thought it would," Amanda answered. Her dad looked over his newspaper and asked Amanda what the webpage was about. "It's about the difference between newspaper news and Internet news," Amanda said and added, "I have to provide information, examples and illustrations ." "Sounds tough; do you have someone to help you?" her dad asked. "I have a partner named Zach," Amanda replied. "We did research on the Internet today and found some pictures to use." Then Amanda explained to her father the main differences: newspaper news is printed on paper, and Internet news is published online; newspaper news is only available once a day, and Internet news is published almost as soon as the news happens; many newspapers don't even print a daily paper, and Internet news is published around the clock. Amanda's dad asked, "Which type of news do you like better?" "I like Internet news better because I like to learn about the news when it happens," she answered. Her dad said, "I still like newspaper news better because I like to hold the paper in my hands and turn the pages." Amanda dropped into her chair again and said, "You are so old school, Dad." Question: Why did Amanda sigh when she came home? Options: A: She failed to pass the exam. B: She was tired of school life. C: She was worried about her school project. D: She made a mistake in her technology class.

Ans:

assistant: C
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