Science can't explain the power of pets,but many studies have shown that the company of pets can help lower blood pressure and raise chances of recovering from a heart attack,reduce loneliness and spread all-round good cheer. Any owner will tell you how much joy a pet brings.For some.an animal provides more comfort than a husband/wife.A 2002 study by Karen Allen of the State University of New York measured stress 1evels and blood pressure in people-half of them pet owners-while they performed 5 minutes of mental arithmetic or held a hand in ice water.Subjects completed the tasks alone,with a husband/wife,a close friend or with a pet.People with pets did it best.Those tested with their animal friends had smaller change in blood pressure and returned most quickly to baseline heart rates.With pets in the room,people also made fewer math mistakes than when doing in front of other companions.It seems people feel more relaxed around pets,says Allen,who thinks it may be because pets don't judge. A study reported last fall suggests that having a pet dog not only raises your spirits but may also have an effect on your eating habits.Researchers at Northwestern Memorial Hospital spent a year studying 36 fat people and their equally fat dogs on diet-and-exercise programs;a separate group of 56 people without pets were put on a diet program.On average,people lost about 11 pounds,or 5% of their body weight.Their dogs did even better,losing an average of 12 pounds,more than 15%of their body weight.Dog owners didn't lose any more weight than those without dogs but,say researchers,got more exercise overall-mostly with their dogs--and found it worth doing. We 1earn from the text that a person with heart disease has a better chance of getting well if _ . A) he has a pet companion B) he has less stress of work C) he often does mental arithmetic D) he is taken care of by his family
A
The government employs many people to help take care of our society. However, these professionals cannot help out everyone just by themselves. They need our help! Consider Volunteering! What Exactly is Volunteering? Volunteering is when we regularly go and do nice things for other people. Volunteers may help out in local retirement homes, or in hospitals. Some volunteers work with poor people and other volunteers help teach orphaned children to read. There are many types of volunteers who help those who need help the most. Volunteering Teaches Mature Thinking Volunteering is something that really helps us as individuals. It gives us a chance to stop complaining about our own lives, and realized exactly how lucky we are. We are able to see the people who really need help. Volunteering also teaches us more about responsibility, patience, empathy , and above all, compassion . Doing Our part! Volunteering gives us a chance to do our share of the work of making this society the best it possibly can be. It helps us feel good about ourselves when we can help those who really need our help. When we can make someone else feel special, it helps us remember what life is really about. Ways to Start Volunteering There are many places that you can go to try to start volunteering. Here are just a few places you can go and what you can do at each place. 1) Hospital-ask if you can go and visit people who are really sick. Sometimes all they need is just someone who will talk with, or someone to give them hope. 2) Orphanage-the children living here really need someone to play with them. 3) Food Shelter --many food shelters can really use more people willing to just organize the shelters and help distribute the food to those who need it. Whatever you decide to do, just do the best you can. Remember that giving can be its own reward! Volunteers mainly help all of the following people EXCEPT _ according to the passage. A) patients in hospital B) children without parents C) poor people D) people who live alone
D
Q: Rescuers have found the bodies of over 130 people killed in two ferry disasters in Bangladesh.The accidents happened during a storm that hit the country on April 21st.Hundreds more are missing or feared to be dead. The two ferries sank in different rivers near the capital city of Dhakfi as strong winds and rain hit the South Asian country.The government has since banned all ferries and other boats from traveling at night during the April-May stormy season. One of the ferries,MV Mitali,was carrying far more people than it was supposed to.About 400 passengers fitted into a space made for just 300,police said.The second ferry carried about 100 passengers. "The number of deaths is certain to rise."said an official in charge of the rescue work."No one really knows how many people were on board the ferry or how many of them survived." Ferries in Bangladesh don't always keep passenger lists,making it difficult to determine the exact number of people on board.Besides the ferry accidents,at least 40 people were killed and 400 injured by lightning strikes.falling houses and trees and the sinking of small boats.Storms are common this time of year in Bangladesh,as are boating accidents.Ferry disasters take away hundreds of lives every year in a nation of 130 million people.Officials blame these river accidents on a lack of safety measures, too many passengers in boats and not enough checks on weather conditions. Ferries are a common means of transport in Bangladesh.It is a country covered by about 230 rivers.Some 20,000 ferries use the nation's Waterways every year.And many of them are dangerously overcrowded.Since 1977, more than 3,000 people have died in some 260 boating accidents. _ passengers was MV Mitali designed to carry? A) 500 B) 100 C) 400 D) 300
A: D
(Q).
Hundreds of years ago, life was much harder than it is today. People didn't have modern machines. There was no modern medicine, either. Life today has brought new problems. One of the biggest is pollution. Water pollution has made our rivers and lakes dirty. It kills our fish and pollutes our drinking water. Noise pollution makes us talk louder and become angry more easily. Air pollution is the most serious kind of pollution. It's bad to all living things in the world. Cars, planes and factories all pollute our air every day. Sometimes the polluted air is so thick that it is like a quilt over a city. This kind of quilt is called smog. Many countries are making rules to flight pollution. Factories must now clean their water before it is thrown away, and they mustn't blow dirty smoke into the air. We need to do many other things. We can put waste things in the dustbin and do not throw them on the ground, there will be less pollution. Rules are not enough. Every person must help to fight pollution. What is the biggest problem in today's life? A) Water pollution B) Air pollution C) Noise D) Pollution
(A).
D