Read the article and select the best answer. Article: I once had a house guest from Cuba. During his visit, I happened to throw an old broken blender in the trash. The next day it was sitting on my counter - in working order. In his world, people simply cannot afford to replace an item which doesn't work properly. They take the time and figure out how to fix it. In Cuba, they are still driving cars from the 1960's, mainly because they do not have a choice. In contrast, the U.S. is a "throw-away society." Statistics show that each American produces six pounds of trash per day. I believe a combination of factors has contributed to this phenomenon. "Planned obsolescence " is not a secret. It is a manufacturing philosophy developed in the 1920's and 1930's, when mass production became popular. The goal is to make a product or part that will fail, or become less desirable over time or after a certain amount of use. This pressures the consumer to buy again. Planned obsolescence does keep costs down. Instead of making an expensive product that will last a long time, businesses produce more affordable, disposable items. Some electronic items have become so inexpensive that it is cheaper to replace them than to repair them.[:&&Z&X&X&K] Busy people often value their time and convenience more than money. If a car starts to have mechanical problems, replacing it with a newer, more reliable model may be more appealing than tolerating it being in the garage for a week. In addition, advertising trains consumers to want what is new and improved. It convinces them that the more they have, the happier they will be. Unlike people in many developing countries, we live in a world of abundance. A study by Dr. Timothy Jones of the University of Arizona also found that in the U.S., 40-50 percent of all food ready for harvest is wasted. Abundance and waste soon became closely associated in the American way of life. Question: Which of the following is NOT true about the "throw-away society" in the U.S.? Options: A: People prefer to buy a new blender rather than repair the broken one. B: A large quantity of food has been wasted. C: People believe that the more they have, the happier they will be. D: People all hold the belief that money comes first.
D

(Question)
Read the article and select the best answer. Article: There is a famous story about British poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. He was writing a poem when he was interrupted by a knock at the door. This was an age before telephones. Someone was delivering a message. When Coleridge got back to his poem, he had lost his inspiration. His poetic mood had been broken by the knock on his door. His unfinished poem, which could otherwise have been a masterpiece, would now never be more than a fragment. This story tells how unexpected communication can destroy an important thought, which bring us to the cellphone. The most common complaint about cellphones is that people talk on them to the annoyance of people around them. But more damaging may be the cellphone's interruption of our thoughts. We have already entered a golden age of little white lies about our cellphones, and this is by and large a healthy, protective development. "I didn't hear it ring" or "I didn't realize my phone had shut off" are among the lies we tell to give ourselves space where we're beyond reach. The notion of being unreachable is not a new concept--we have "Do Not Disturb" sign on the doors of hotel rooms. So why must we feel guilty when it comes to cellphones? Why must we apologize if we decide to shut off the phone for a while? Now time alone, or a conversation with someone next to us which cannot be interrupted by a phone, is something to be cherished. Even cellphone devotees , myself usually included, can't help at times wanting to throw their phone away, or curse the day they were invented. But we don't and won't, and there really is no need. All that's required to take back our private time is a general social recognition that we have the right to it. In other words, we have to develop a healthy contempt for the rings of our own phones. A cellphone call deserves no greater priority than a random word from the person next to us,though the call on my cellphone may be the one-in-a-million from Steven Spielberg--who has finally read my novel and wants to make it his next movie. But most likely... Question: What does the writer think about people telling "white lies" about their cellphones? Options: A: It is a way of signaling that you don't like the caller. B: It is natural to tell lies about small things C: It is basically a good way to protect one's privacy. D: We should feel guilty when we can't tell the truth.
(Answer)
C

Ques: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Put an ice cube from your fridge into a glass of water. You have a piece of string 10 centimeters long. The problem is to take out that piece of ice with the help of the string. But you must not touch the ice with your fingers. You may ask your friends to try to do that when you are having dinner together. There is a saltcellar on the table. You must use salt when you carry out this experiment. First you put the string across the piece of ice. Then put some salt on the ice. Salt makes ice melt . The ice round the string will begin to melt. But when it melts, it will lose heat. The cold ice cube will make the salt water freeze again. After a minute or two you may raise the piece of string and with it you will raise your piece of ice! This experiment can be very useful to you. If, for example, there is ice near the door of your house, you must use very much salt to melt all the ice. If you don't put enough salt, the water will freeze again. Question: How many things at least are used in this experiment? Options: A: Three. B: Four. C: Six. D: Seven.
Ans: B

Question: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: It was the last day of my four-month interview to hold the job as a salesman in the World Trade Center -- in simpler words, an end to being perfect for four months. I took the last drop of my coffee, pushed in my chair, and said goodbye to my family -- little did they know, this could have been my final goodbye. I went to room 911, as I had the past three times, to meet my boss, Mr. Clarke. I was just about to have a seat, when suddenly I heard the sound of explosion. Then, the floor beneath my feet began shaking, which was when I began to realize that something had gone completely wrong. "Run! Let's get out of here!" Mr. Clarke cried. Seconds after the first massive explosion, I heard another explosion from way above. My heartbeat seemed to be the drum of a heavy-metal song and all the employees were rushing to get out; the lifts were out of order, and only screaming could be heard up and down the stairwell. All of us were unaware at the time that this was the airplane hitting the tower. Fire then began to swallow the walls and all you could see is gray smoke. Mr. Clarke had fallen and went unconscious. I used all my strength to throw his heavy weight on my shoulders and run down the steps. I then felt myself sinking into the floor. I ran and ran, but I was not going anywhere. The only option left was to jump. With Mr. Clarke still lying in my arms, I closed my eyes and jumped. My boss safely reached the edge of the trampoline a group of firemen held beneath us. However, I landed on the concrete floor and suffered a broken back and neck, which was considered lucky. Question: When the disaster took place, people in the building were _ . Options: A: calm B: excited C: brave D: frightened
Answer:
D