user: I'm taking a test and have to guess the right answer to the question after the article. Article: Some students get so nervous before a test, they do poorly even if they know the material. Sian Beilock, a psychology professor at the University of Chicago in Illinois, has studied these highly anxious test-takers. Sian Beilock says: "They start worrying about the consequences. They might even start worrying about whether this exam is going to prevent them from getting into the college they want. And when they worry, it actually uses up attention and memory resources. I talk about _ as their cognitive horsepower that they could otherwise be using to focus on the exam." Professor Beilock and another researcher, Gerardo Ramirez, have developed a possible solution. Just before an exam, highly anxious test-takers spend ten minutes writing about their worries about the test. The researchers tested the idea on a group of 20 anxious college students. They gave them two short math tests. After the first one, they asked the students to either sit quietly or write about their feelings about the upcoming second test. The researchers added to the pressure. They told the students that those who did well on the second test would get money. They also told them that their performance would affect other students as part of a team effort. Professor Beilock says those who sat quietly scored an average of 12 percent worse on the second test. But the students who had written about their fears improved their performance by an average of five percent. Next, the researchers used younger students in a biology class. They told them before final exams either to write about their feelings or to think about things unrelated to the test. Professor Beilock says highly anxious students who did the writing got an average grade of B+, compared to a B-for those who did not. The research shows that for students who are highly test-anxious, who'd done the writing intervention , all of a sudden there was no relationship between test anxiety and performance. Those students most likely to worry were performing just as well as their classmates who... Question: The result of the research suggests that  _  . Options: A: proper amount of burden may turn out to be a good thing B: avoiding facing the problem may contribute to relaxation C: facing the fears bravely may help one to achieve more D: taking no action before difficulty may result in success
C

I'm taking a test and have to guess the right answer to the question after the article. Article: Next year marks the 150thanniversary of when large numbers of Chinese started working on a huge project in the United States. They help to build America's first transcontinental railroad between 1863 and 1869, connecting the East Coast with the West. People know little about the Chinese railroad workers and what happened to them after the project was finished. Stanford University in California wants to learn more about the lives of these men by reaching out to their families. Bill Yee's ancestors came from southern China. He said, "My great-great-grandfather came to America during the'gold rush'days and he returned to China as a wealthy man. And then my great-grandfather came to work on the railroad and died there." But that did not stop his grandfather from coming to the US on false papers. He operated a laundry. Bill Yee's father continued to run the business and has never returned to China. "Things were pretty bad in some parts of China in the 1860's. They came to America at all costs in order that they no longer had to bear hunger," Bill Yee said. Shelley Fisher Fishkin is helping to direct the Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project at Stanford University. She said, "Many of the Chinese workers who came to work on the transcontinental and other railroads returned to China after their work was done and created families there. Some of them settled in America and created new families, but they had families who they left when they came here and they may have descendants in China." There is a need to create a record of the object and spoken history from the families of the railroad workers. "The US could not have become the modern industrial nation without the railroads. And the railroads would not have come together without the work of these Chinese workers," said Shelley Fisher Fishkin. Question: According to Bill Yee, many Chinese went to America in the 1860's mainly  _  . Options: A: to run their own businesses B: to find their ancestors C: to make a living D: to dig gold
C

I'm taking a test and have to guess the right answer to the question after the article. Article: Who is there among us who hasn't dreamed of having his or her own small (maybe , several years later , even big )business , and having wonderful freedom , both from a boss and from the time clock ; the freedom to make up our own rules for our work , and our own plans --arranging our own hours of work ? That way work would be both painless and fun. Or, so we imagine. Well, in fact it isn't quite as simple as that. Yes , it is true that being the boss has its satisfactions and that you can arrange your working hours freely if you own your own small business . But in those early years of starting your own business, you shouldn't think of a free day, not to mention flying off for a month's vacation. It is not unusual for new business owners to work seventy or eighty hours a week , and if there is a day off , that day might need to be devoted to accounting  . But this negative picture doesn't destroy the beautiful hopes. The possibility of getting something wonderful in return--both material and mental--continues to drive that large number of people who start up small businesses each year in the United States. Question: The expression "negative picture" most probably means "    _   ". Options: A: a terrible experience B: a poor picture C: limited freedom D: unpleasant situations
D

I'm taking a test and have to guess the right answer to the question after the article. Article: How could I turn down an opportunity for a weeklong cruise on a luxury motorsailer in the Andaman Sea? Without a second thought, I packed my bags and jumped on a plane to Singapore, and the following day I found myself looking out the airplane window at the beautiful waters surrounding the island of Langkawi off the coast of Malaysia. The last time I was in Langkawi was in 2001, when it was relatively quiet. Langkawi has come a long way since then; there are 4, 5, and even 6-star hotels, as well as spas, golfing, horseback riding and even a cable car taking visitors to the highest point on the island. At the Langkawi International Airport I met my shipmates and we were driven to Pantai Tengah with a quick pit stop for sunblock and duty-free goodies. Many other shopping opportunities abound since Langkawi was designated as a duty-free zone in 1987 to entice tourists to the island. A luxurious yacht tender picked us up. Phillipe, the first mate, maneuvered the tender between sailboats and as we went around a small island there she was, S/V Blue Gold. This majestic 10-passenger sailboat--all 165 feet of her--had been built in Italy and recently underwent a full retrofit. Once aboard, the crew welcomed us with refreshments and big smiles. Before we got too comfortable and settled into the plush comforts of the boat, Alain, the captain, took us on a tour of Blue Gold's impressive accommodations. The master suite had a king-size bed, with a lounge area and "his & hers" wardrobes. The VIP cabin had a queen-size bed, also with a lounge area. Both had ensuite bathrooms. The first evening aboard was the perfect start to our voyage--a small cocktail party followed by a light meal of seared tuna salad. It was exactly what our jet-lagged bodies craved, and we all slept very well aboard what would become our new home for the next 7 days. In the morning after breakfast, we sailed to Pulau Ta Ngah (also spelled "Pulau Tengah"; pulau means island in Malay). In the 1970s the site had been a Vietnamese refugee transit camp. Not... Question: Where is Langkawi? Options: A: In Pulau Ta Ngah B: In Malaysia C: In the Atlantic Ocean D: In The Arctic


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