Ever tried taking smart drugs to perform better in exams? They certainly work. Before last summer's exam, a few of my mates, merely out of curiosity, took a considerable amount of Modafinil, a drug normally used for narcolepsy . Guess what? While I was feeling sleepy, bored by revision, my mates were more focused. Modafinil is a smart drug that gives a user a feeling of staying awake for hours. It also sharpens the mind, improves memory and helps problem-solving. But it does more than just keeping you awake. It disturbs your mental system, making you desperate to do what you are doing. You just don't want to do anything else but revise all the time non-stop. A recent study discovers that healthy people use smart drugs, like Modafinil, to get down to and complete tasks they have been putting off, because these tasks seem more enjoyable when taking these drugs. This might sound like what a stressed student desires. However, the pills have a range of side-effects. "At present no evidence shows that these drugs are safe in healthy people," as a medical expert puts it, "Ordering online, though easy, is a dangerous way to obtain drugs. You never know what you're actually purchasing. " In my experience, Modafinil changes people's behaviour too. Over those weeks my friends became different people--in turn aggressive, cold. Even eating became "a waste of time" and so did conversation. A BBC survey found that of those who had tried smart drugs before, 92% would do so again. My friends say they'd happily do so without considering the practice a form of cheating. I admit I was curious--but not enough to try it. Seeing the strange behaviour of other users, I feel a little bit upset and scary. Modafinil may promise to change your grades, but it might also change the way you act. Don't say you haven't been warned! Taking the smart drug can lead to _ . A) cheating in the exam B) dropping out of school C) youth crime D) drug addiction
D
(Question)
Why Doesn't Anybody Copy Apple? Apple's products are the envy of the world. They have been spectacularly successful and are widely imitated, if not copied. The minute Apple crystallizes a product, everyone knows how to compete. This idea that the basis of competition is set by Apple and then the race is on to climb the path of improvement is unquestionable. When Apple releases a product that defines a category or dramatically changes the structure of an industry, it becomes obvious what needs to be built. But what I wonder is why everyone wants to copy Apple's products but nobody wants to copy being Apple? I can think of two reasons. Firstly, Apple is not worth copying because it's not successful; secondly, Apple's success cannot be copied because it is a magical process. There is a great deal of evidence for the first hypothesis. The idea of Apple being successful is not something reflected in its stock price. Being valued lower than the average company in the S&P 500 indicates that to whatever degree Apple was successful in the past, it's not seen by the vast majority of observers as successful in the future. Why should one bother copying Apple if it results in being punished with a low valuation? If one works really hard at innovation and then that innovation becomes commoditized very quickly, why should one bother? When innovation practitioners are asked what makes Apple successful,the answers regarding the cause of this success border on the mythical.The climax of this hypothesis is the "chief-sorcerer"theory of success which places one magician,like Steve Jobs,in charge of casting all the right spells What about Apple's own opinion of what makes it tick? Tim Cook refers to a great team and integration of hardware, software and services as unique Apple advantages. It's a better explanation. Integration is something that can take a long time, but it is possible with great effort. A few companies are starting to make moves in that direction, but efforts are half-hearted. There is no "move the Earth" panic... We can infer from Para.5 that _ . A) other companies are dedicated to integration B) Apple itself is fully aware of its unique advantages C) Apple will hold the leading position in this industry D) other companies don't have a great team as Apple does
(Answer)
C
Question: It's that time of year when people need to lock their cars. Is it because there are many criminals stealing cars? Not indeed. Rather, it's because of good-hearted neighbors who want to share their harvest. Sharon recently had a good year for tomatoes. She and her family had eaten and canned so many that they'd begun to feel their skin turn slightly red. That's when she decided it was time to share her blessings. Eventually she found a neighbor willing to have the tomatoes."Feel free to take whatever you want,"Sharon told her. Later that day, Sharon found that her garden had indeed been harvested. She thought it a good way to help someone and the food didn't go to waste. A few days later, the neighbor knocked at the door, holding a loaf of bread:"I want to thank you for all of the tomatoes, and I have to admit that I took a few other things and hoped you wouldn't mind."Sharon couldn't think of anything in her garden that had been worth harvesting and said so."But you did,"the neighbor said."You had some of the prettiest zucchini." Sharon was confused. She hadn't even planted any zucchini. But her neighbor insisted that there were bright green zucchini. Sharon's curiosity got the better of her and she had to go to see where the zucchini had grown. When the neighbor pointed at the long green vegetables, Sharon smiled."Well, actually, those are cucumbers that we never harvested, because they got too big, soft and bitter." The neighbor looked at Sharon, shock written all over her face. She hesitated a few times, and then smiling, held out the bread, part of a batch she had shared all over the neighborhood,"I brought you a loaf of cucumber bread. I hope you like it." Why did Sharon want to share the tomatoes? A) Her family's skin became red. B) Her neighbors did the same thing. C) There were too many to consume. D) It was good for neighborhood relationships.
Answer:
C