The clock rules our lives. The more we try to save time, the less time we seem to have. In every area of our lives we are doing things faster. And many of us live in towns and cities which are getting noisier and more stressful as each day passes. But now a worldwide movement, whose aim is to slow life down, has started. Its supporters are people who believe that a happier and healthier way of life is possible. The Slow Food movement was founded the day that an Italian journalist, Carlo Petrini, saw that McDonald's had opened a restaurant in a beautiful square in Rome. He thought it was sad that many people today live too quickly to sit down for a proper meal and only eat much fast food. He decided that he had to try to do something about it and so he started the Slow Food movement. Slow Food has become a global organization ever since and now has more than 80,000 members in 100 countries. Slow Food also encourages people to eat local and regional food, to use local shops and markets, to eat out in small family restaurants, and to cook with traditional recipes. The idea of Slow Cities was inspired by the Slow Food movement. The aim of Slow Cities is to improve people's quality of life. Towns which want to become a Slow City have to reduce traffic and noise, increase the number of green areas, plant trees, build pedestrian zones, and promote local businesses and traditions. Now it has spread to other countries all over the world, from the UK to Japan and Australia. There are now 135 Slow Cities in 24 countries across the world that have been named since founding of the organization in 1999. Gao Chun County, in east China's Jiangsu Province, is expected to be named the first "Slow City" in China next year. "Slow Cities are about having a community life in the town," said a local resident. "It is not 'slow' as in 'stupid'. It is 'slow' as in the opposite of 'worried' and 'stressful'." But not everybody is happy. For teenagers, who have to go 25km to Norwich, the nearest city, to buy CDs, living in a Slow City is... What's the aim of the Slow Food movement? A) To call on people to eat out. B) To make people enjoy cooking. C) To drive McDonald's out of Rome D) To encourage people to slow down.
D
(Question)
Men who wear pink shirts to work earn more and are easier to get a higher position than those who prefer traditional shirt colors, such as white and blue, according to a recent survey. Researchers also found that men who wore pink were more likely to get praise from female co-workers and were more confident in the office. A classical pink shirt wearer earns PS1,000 more a year than those who choose other colors, researchers surveyed among 1,500 male office workers. Men who wear pink are also twice as likely to have the Master's degree as those who prefer white shirts, with one in ten pink shirt wearers having a PHD. Stephanie Thiers-Ratcliffe, International Marketing Manager for Cotton USA, who took charge of the study, said, "You can tell a lot about someone by the color he wears. Pink is a color that more and more men have been embracing recently, and it is encouraging that they are not afraid to experiment with that bright color. They spend most of their days at work and their own confidence needs to remain smart. It is good for company standards, but that doesn't mean that they have to wear boring clothes." Pink shirt wearers on the other hand are more likely to have a low-carbon life for half of them prefer to choose public means of transportation to go to work. The report also found men who preferred green shirts were the most likely to be late for work, while white shirt fans were the most punctual . According to the passage, who is the least likely to be late for work? A) Jack who often wears pink shirts. B) Mike who often wears green shirts. C) Tom who often wears white shirts. D) Alan who often wears blue shirts.
(Answer)
C
Ques: Americans like to travel on their yearly holiday. Today, more and more travelers in the United States are spending nights at small houses or inns instead of hotels. They get a room for the night and the breakfast the next morning. Rooms for the night in private homes with breakfast have been popular with travelers in Europe for many years. In the past five to ten years, these bedandbreakfast places have become popular in the United States. Many of these America's bedandbreakfast inns are old historic buildings. Some bedandbreakfast inns have only a few rooms. Others are much larger. Some inns do not provide telephones or televisions in the rooms, others do. Staying at a bedandbreakfast inn is much different from staying at a hotel. Usually the cost is much less. Staying at an inn is almost like visiting someone's home. The owners are glad to tell about the areas and the interesting places to visit. Many vacationists say they enjoy the chance to meet local families. Why do American travelers prefer staying at bedandbreakfast inns? A) They can meet local families. B) The money they spend there is much less. C) It is like visiting someone's home D) All of the above.
Ans: D
The arts, especially music, should be part of every school's lessons at every grade level. Students would be much smarter if they had some musical experience. They could improve their classroom skills, like paying attention and following directions. People develop all these skills when they learn music. Making music also lets children use their imagination. It provides students with a chance to try out their own ideas. Music not only makes children better students, but also gives them something positive to do. In a music program, children can be part of a band instead of joining a gang . Parents can enjoy listening to their children's music instead of seeing them _ a computer or TV screen. In a school band, students get to be part of a team. They can get along well with old friends and make new friends through music. Music builds self-confidence, too. It gives children a sense of achievement and success. Making music is something for them to be proud of, and it lets kids practice performing in front of an audience. Music gives children an opportunity for self-expression, and that helps develop their self-confidence. Once again, music is important because it can make children better students, give them something positive to do, and build their character. That is why music should be offered in every single grade in every school. What's the best title of this passage? A) Music is a must as a course at school B) Music builds children's self-confidence C) Music makes students much smarter D) Learning music and making music
A