Ques: Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: A single night of taking the drug Ecstasy can cause serious brain damage and speed up the start of Parkinson's disease , scientists say. Just two or three Ecstasy tablets can permanently destroy brain cells that affect movement and reasoning, according to American research that links the drug to Parkinson's for the first time. A study by a team at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, involving squirrel monkeys and baboons found that both species suffered permanent damage to key cells, which are lost in Parkinson's, after receiving three low doses of Ecstasy at three-hour periods. The study is particularly important because baboons are one of the best animal models for the human brain. George Ricaurte, who led the research, said that the widespread abuse of drug might have caused severe damage. "The most troubling result is that young adults using Ecstasy may be increasing their risk of developing Parkinsonism as they get older." Alan Leshner, a former director of the US National Institute on Drug Abuse, said, "This study emphasizes the multi-aspect damage that Ecstasy causes to users. We've long known that repeated use damages brain cells. But this study shows that even very occasional use can have long-lasting effects on many different brain systems. It sends an important message to young people: don't experiment with your own brain." Janet Betts, a mother whose teenage daughter Leah died after a single Ecstasy tablet in 1995, said, "This comes as no surprise. But people can't see the effects at first, and they say it won't happen to them. We'll see the symptoms later, just as we have with smoking." Question: The article is intended to _ . - explain the bad effects of drugs on people's health - warn young people of the risk of taking the drug Ecstasy - persuade people out of such bad habits as smoking and using drugs - tell us the links between the drug Ecstasy and the animal models
Ans: warn young people of the risk of taking the drug Ecstasy

Ques: Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: If you live in the United States, you can't have a full-time job until you are 16 years old. At 14 or 15, you work part-time after school or on weekends, and during summer vacation you can work 40 hours each week. Does all that mean that if you are younger than 14, you can't make your own money? Of course not! Kids from 10-13 years of age can make money by doing lots of things. Valerie, 11, told us that she made money by cleaning up other people's yards. Lena, 13, makes money by knitting dog sweaters and selling them to her neighbors. Reisa said she had started taking art classes and showing her works to people. People ask her to draw pictures for them and they pay her for them. Jasmine, 13, writes articles for different magazines! Kids can learn lots of things from making money. By working to make your own money, you are learning the skills you will need in life. These skills can include things like how to get along with others, how to use technology and how to use your time wisely. Some people think that asking for money is a lot easier than making it; however, if you can make your own money, you don't have to depend on anyone else. The five dollars that you make will probably make you feel a lot better than the twenty dollars you ask for. Question: Kids can have full-time jobs at the age of _ in the USA. - 17 - 15 - 14 - 13
Ans: 17

Ques: Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: When I was in college,I was always very passionate about music and I was proud to be a member of our band.However,I almost gave up because of my fear of playing solos . One day two years ago my director informed me that he wanted me to be the featured soloist in a piece of music.Of course I was terrified,but he encouraged me that everything would be OK,and that he believed me and knew that I could do it.Up until four days before the concert,I could not make it through the solo.I would always seem to get discouraged before I played it. I decided to ask my director for help thinking that he would tell me that I didn't have to do it and that he was still proud of me.All he said was"You just have to believe yourself."I didn't think trying his advice would hurt,so I started the next morning differently.Instead of wondering how I could mess up,I imagined myself playing through my solo with confidence and I kept on telling myself that I could do it. The strange thing was...it worked!After that day I played the solo without any mistake.When the big concert came,although I was a little nervous,I knew that I could do this.I didn't know what was going to happen,but I realized that the only person that was holding me back from being my best,was myself.I believed myself.I thought things would go a little more differently than they had in the past.Of course,I played the solo wonderfully and I gained acclamation from all the audience. Always do the thing that you fear the most,don't get discouraged if you fail,and just keep on trying harder. Question: The author played the solo wonderfully in the concert because _ . - the director directed him personally on the stage of the concert - he happened to play it well without any mistake - he became confident with the encouragement of the director - the director played the solo together with him on the stage
Ans: he became confident with the encouragement of the director

Ques: Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Men can be beautiful too,right? China is going to host the 18th World University Student Beauty Contest in Guangzhou this December.This year for the first time the contest will include a male section.Students from over 130 countries will compete for Mr and Miss Beauty.The contest is one of the most respected beauty contests in the world.It was copied by the United Nations University (an international university belonging to the United Nations) in 1986. Stick to studying Li Yining,an economics professor at Peking University,said that he would not encourage students to try their luck in the stock market ."They should stress study," Li said in his speech at Beijing Foreign Studies University.When asked,the professor said he expected house prices in Beijing to continue to rise.Li thinks the government should provide more affordable houses for lowlevel income people. Campus cinema Students at over 100 universities will have a digital cinema on campus after the National Day holiday.The 21st Century Digital Film on Campus Project was _ at the end of September.The ticket will cost 3-8 yuan,rather than 30-40 yuan at cinemas in town.Students often download movies online or watch DVDs.Now they can enjoy original films in the digital cinema.The digital cinema will show a variety of films besides Hollywood blockbusters . Getting practical All 12,000 graduates from vocational school in Shanxi Province have landed a job,according to the provincial government.In the past five years, it is estimated that over 95 percent of the professional school graduates have found jobs.However,the number for university graduates is 70 percent.Some employers said that they prefer professional school graduates who learned something more practical in school and expected lower salaries than university students. Question: What can we infer from the passage? - In Shanxi Province,the professional school graduates are less popular with employers than university graduates recently. - The digital cinema will only show Hollywood blockbusters. - The graduates from universities can put what they learned into practice more easily. - No men competed in the World University Students Beauty Contest before this year
Ans:
No men competed in the World University Students Beauty Contest before this year