user: Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Dreaming is believing, claim researchers of a new study, who found that dreams have an effect on people's behavior, judgment and they might contain important hidden truths as well. "Psychologists' explanations of the meaning of dreams vary widely. But our findings show that people believe their dreams provide meaningful insightinto themselves and their world," said a lead author of the study Carey Morewedge, an assistant professor at Carnegie Mellon University. In six different studies, researchers surveyed nearly 1,100 people about their dreams. One of the studies focused on general beliefs about dreams and involved 149 university students. All students were asked to rate different theories about dreams. The experts found that a surprising majority of the participants supported the theory about dreams revealing  the hidden truths about themselves and the rest of the world. In a second experiment, they surveyed 182 people at a Boston train station, and asked them to imagine one out of four possible situation that could have occurred the night before a scheduled airline trip. Most of the participants said that dreaming of a plane crash would be more likely to affect their travel plans than would just thinking about a crash, or being warned by the government of a terrorism risk. They said a dreamed crash would influence their travel plans just as much as learning about a real crash on their planned route would. Another experiment involved 270 men and women from across the United States. In a short online survey, they were asked to recall one of the dreams they had seen about any person they knew. The findings showed that people were more likely to remember and describe pleasant dreams about a person they liked, rather than a person they disliked. Meanwhile, in most cases they tended to consider an unpleasant dream as more meaningful if it was about a person they disliked. "In other words," said Morewedge, "people attribute meaning to dreams when it corresponds (......) with their pre-existing beliefs and... Question: . What can be concluded from the study? Options: A: Dreams can be a useful tool for learning and problem solving. B: Most people disagree that dreams help them better know themselves and the world. C: A majority of people believes that dreams can predict their future and try to find their meaning. D: When a dream conflicts with people's existing beliefs and desires, they tend to attribute less meaning to it.
A: D


Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: How often do you go on holiday? Going on holiday makes you feel good while you're there-you gain the health benefits for months, new research shows. Jetting off to exotic destinations such as the Maldives cuts your blood pressure, helps you sleep better and bounce back from stress, it found. The benefits last at least a fortnight longer than the vacation and can be felt for months in some cases where it is claimed. Experts say workers should always take their full holiday entitlement each year-as many as one in three don't-to get the benefits. The study compared key health markers in holidaymakers visiting Thailand, Peru or the Maldives, with people who stayed at home and continued working. The average blood pressure of those on holiday dropped by 6% while the workers saw their blood pressure rise by 2% over the same period. The sleep quality of holiday-makers improved by 17% while that of the non-holidaymakers _ by 14%. The study also found the ability of vacationers to recover from stress--known as the stress-resilience test-improved by 29%. There was a 71% fall in stress resilience scores among workers. Test showed a fall in blood glucose levels, reducing the risk of diabetes, trimmer waistlines and enhanced mood and energy levels, with the effects sustained for at least 2 weeks after returning home. The Holiday Health Experiment was conducted by tour operator Kuoni and Nuffield Health, the UK's largest healthcare charity. Question: According to the article, how many people go on holiday? Options: A: Two thirds B: 17% C: One third D: A quarter
A: A


Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Once, looking for stories on the back roads of Ohio,  _ . A beekeeper we'd been told about was away from home when we called on him. An amusement park where we thought we might find a story had shut down for the season. We began to get a little discouraged.          When passing a farmhouse, we found a banner in the front yard. The banner said in huge letters: WELCOME HOME, ROGER! We drove on for a mile or two. Somebody said, " wonder who Roger is ?" We turned around, went back and knocked on the door.           Roger was a soldier on his way home from the Vietnam War. His family knew he was coming, but weren't sure what day he was going to arrive. We asked if they 'd mind if we brought the camera into the house. Roger's mother said it would be all right if we could give her a few minutes to fix her hair. We weren't there more than an hour, talking to those people who were all excited about Roger coming home.           That afternooon I wrote a simple story letting Roger represent all the soldiers coming home from war. We sent the film with the story to New York, and the anchorman put it on the Evening News.           Rarely has any of our stories caused such a reaction from viewers. There were dozens of calls from people moved by it, and hundreds of letters came in, some of them suggesting that the story be repeated.           That hour with Roger's family made it a good trip to Ohio, after all. I had done a lot of careful planning for the week's work, but in vain. Then along came a banner in a farmhouse yard.           Back at the office, people asked , " How do you find these stories ?"          "Well," I said," you do have to work at it."          All you really have to do is look out of the window. Question: By saying " we were suffering a week-long dry spell", the author means that   _  . Options: A: they were suffering dry weather for a week. B: they were getting nowhere with their work for a week. C: they were having a hard time finding their way for a week. D: they were having trouble in spelling for a week.
A: B


Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: How can you hear your friends' voices when they are far away and you can't make a long--distance call? Besides the web camera system with your computer, we have a new high-tech way to solve the problem and ease your pain of missing them. The Japanese company Combiwith created a system-- . It makes people in pictures speak! The "talking picture" has a special pen. It is actually a pen-shaped scanner. It can scan information in special--made pictures. A connected player will then play the information out loud. First, you need to take a picture and record what you want to say with the company. The company will then make special barcodes  onto your picture(you can't see those codes). Those codes are your voice and your words. When you hold up the pen to scan your picture with barcodes, a player connected to the pen will start to play. It plays things you've recorded. That way the invention makes the "you" in the picture speak! Do you want your friends and families talking out of pictures? Have them make pictures like that, and you can hear them whenever you want, only with the "talking picture" system. The system can play messages for up to 12 minutes. "The pictures would be useful for those who hope to hear the voice of someone living far away," said Mayumi Fuji, a spokeswoman for the company. "Grandparents, for example, longing to know about their grandchildren, would be happy to hear their voice when they see the picture," Fuji said. But it is troublesome to go to the company for taking a special picture first. And, it is much more expensive than using a telephone. The photo with barcodes costs between 17,040 and 17,990 yen (160 and 169 dollars). The larger picture you want, the more you pay. Now, just raise a finger, lonely people can have their loved ones speak out of pictures. But, whether the "talking picture" is practical or not, let's wait and see. Question: What is the attitude of the author? Options: A: Optimistic. B: Uncertain. C: Positive. D: Pessimistic.


assistant: A: B