user: Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Businesses are witnessing a difficult time,which has in turn produced influence on consumers' desire to go green.However,shoppers are still laying stress on environmental concerns. Two thirds of customers say that environmental considerations _ their purchases to the same degree as they did a year ago,while more than a quarter say that they are now even better aware of the environmental effect on what they buy. This may help to influence how shops store goods on their shelves.And the companies should still make efforts to become more environmentally friendly.Two out of three people think it is important to buy from environmentally responsible companies,with about one in seven saying that they had even decided to take their custom elsewhere if they felt a company's environmental reputation was not good enough. Harry Morrison,chief executive of the Carbon Trust,sympathizes:"I understand this situation where survival is very important now.But from environmental considerations,the clock is ticking--we don't have much time.In addition,cutting carbon has an immediate effect as costs drop and a mediumterm benefit for the brand." Larger companies have an extra motivation to look at reducing their carbon footprint,as new rules next year will require businesses to buy carbon allowances to make up for their emissions .Those that have taken early action will have a head start.More than two thirds of consumers are not clear about which companies are environmentally responsible.This suggests that firms that are able to relay clearly their message to the public will be in a pole position to attract shoppers. The Carbon Trust believes that it can help by informing customers about the good work companies are doing."When companies are granted  the standard,they can use a logo  in all their marketing which makes it clear that they are working towards cutting emissions," Mr.Morrison said.                                                  (2010*,C) Question: What's the main idea of the passage? Options: A: Businesses are finding ways to send their message to the shoppers. B: Companies will soon get information about cutting carbon emissions. C: Firms are making efforts to encourage customers to keep goods at home. D: Firms are urged to cut carbon emissions by shoppers' environmental awareness.
A: D


Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: A few days ago we - that's me and the husband - took a cab to the station. Chat with the driver fell to the wrong of cyclists, and the misunderstanding of the road rules. So far as the rules of the road go, there seems to be one basic principle: when you are driving a car you hate bikes, when you are riding a bike you hate cars (and I guess walkers hate everyone). There is an obvious difference of viewpoint built in here. It wasn't until I started to drive a car (almost 20years after I had first rode a bike) that I actually realized that you could not see a cyclist at night without lights. In fact I now want to shout at late night cyclists without lights(like motortists once did at me): "You'll get killed, sunshine, I can't see you." The problem is that cyclists do ride headlong into danger. It's not just not having lights. It's biking on pavements (and so threatening to injure a load of innocent walkers in the process) and biking down one-way streets the wrong way. I admit that I do bike the wrong way down a one-way street sometimes. My feeble  defense is that I try always to do it as if I know I was doing wrong. That is slowly, with an apologetic look on the face, and ready to get off at any minute. I can't bear the guys  (usually, but not always it is guys) who do it as if they owned the place, and at high speed. So cyclists are not entirely innocent. But they are among the disadvantaged groups, because the bottom line is that a car or a lorry can kill a cyclist and not the other way around. Question: When did the writer realize the danger for late night cyclists without lights? Options: A: Not until she became a driver herself. B: Not until she had driven a car for 20 years. C: After she was shouted at by a motorist. D: After she was once knocked down by a group of guys.
A: A


Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Careercast.com is out with its list of best and worst jobs of 2012. It's bad news for the writer of this story, but much brighter for the folks who program the code that keeps this website busy. Using a method that looked at physical demands, work environment, income, stress and hiring outlook, career Website Careercast.com, ranked the top 200 jobs. They also ranked the jobs with the most stress. Not surprisingly, none of the most stressful jobs show up on the best jobs list. At the top is software engineer and at the bottom is the lumberjack. Cutting trees failed to skate above the bottom 10 percent in all ranking categories, except income. "Unemployment for lumberjacks is very high, and the demand for their services is expected to continue to fall through 2016. And while working outside all day may seem like a great job perk , being a lumberjack not only is considered the worst job, but also one of the world's most dangerous," according to Careercast.com. And, for that most dangerous job, a lumberjack earns a little more than $32,000 a year. That's about $56,000 less than the easy job of a software engineer, which has the average salary at $88,000 a year, according to Careercast. Here's a complete look at the best and worst jobs. And, take a look at the most stressful jobs. You may be surprised. Best Jobs                     Worst Jobs             Most Stressful Jobs Software Engineer                   Lumberjack              Enlisted Soldier Actuary                         Dairy Farmer                Firefighter Human Resources Manager         Enlisted Military Soldier       Airline Pilot Dental Hygienist                    Oil Rig Worker         Military General Financial Planner                   Reporter (Newspaper)        Police Officer Audiologist                     Waiter/Waitress         Event Coordinator Occupational Therapist              Meter Reader                Public Relations Executive Online Advertising Manager          Dishwasher              Corporate Executive Computer Systems Analyst ... Question: Which of the following was not considered when Careercast.com ranked the top 200 jobs? Options: A: Hiring outlook. B: Pressure. C: Mental demands. D: Salary.
A: C


Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: The emotions of the athletes in the prize-awarding moments are often some of the most unforgettable images of the Olympics.Yet, a number of people have noticed some strange things.Yes, the gold medal winner is filled with pride and excitement, which is to be expected.Yet often, it seems the bronze medal winner is happier than the silver medalist.It is strange that the 3rd place contestant might be happier than someone who did better (the 2nd place).How can this be so? "What if reasoning can help to explain this interesting effect.               In order to understand our world and our choices, we often imagine how things could have been different.A wife may ask, " Would I be happier today if I had married someone else?" Likewise, a student may think, "If 1 had chosen another major, maybe I would have a better shot at getting into graduate school." In short, " what if thinking allows us to mentally create alternative to our reality.               In the Olympics, the "what ifs" of the winners are different.Clearly, the "what ifs" for the gold medalist involve not being No.1--this thought makes this athlete realize how fortunate he or she is.For the bronze medalist, the "what ifs" involve not being on the medal list at all, producing positive feelings.However, for the silver medalist, the "what ifs" can easily make the athlete ponder how things could have been different if he or she has won the gold medal (e.g.what if I practiced harder, and what if I had not made the small error in my routine).Thus, the "what ifs" that come to mind of the 1st and 3rd place finishers are positive, but the 2nd place finishers have a number of dissatisfying alternatives to reality that can make them feel less happy. Question: In which part of a newspaper would you most probably read the passage? Options: A: Education B: Family C: Life D: Psychology


assistant: A: D