In the United Sates elementary education begins at the age of six. At this stage nearly all the teachers are women, mostly married. The atmosphere is usually very friendly, and the teachers have now accepted the idea that the important thing is to make the children happy and interested. The old authoritarian methods of education were discredited rather a long time ago--so much that many people now think that they have gone too far in the direction of trying to make children happy and interested rather than giving them actual instruction. The social education of young children tries to make them accept the idea that human beings in a society need to work together for their common goods. So the emphasis is on co-operation rather than competition throughout most of this process. This may seem curious, in view of the fact that American society is highly competitive; however, the need for making people sociable in this sense has come to be regarded as one of the functions of education. Most Americans do grow up with competitive ideas, and obviously quite a few as criminals, but it is not fair to say that the educational system fails. It probably does succeed in making most people sociable and ready to help one another both in material ways and through kindness and friendliness. The American educational system emphasises _ . A) material wealth B) competition C) co-operation D) personal benefit
C
American Watersports Tuesday-Saturday Located on the beach of the Sea Gardens Beach Resort, there are fun things to rent for the whole family. They offer rentals for kayaks, jet skis, and even parasail! Enjoy the water up-close or from a bird's eye view! No matter what activity you're enjoying, be sure to protect yourself and your family from the sun's powerful rays and apply plenty of sun block! 15thStreet Boat Company Monday-Saturday 15thStreet Boat Company offers rental boats of all kinds. They're sure to have what you are looking for, whether it's a small boat for a quick and simple outing or an extravagant boat with comfortable seats with a stereo and high tech navigation. You can rent a boat for half a day or a couple of days, or even weeks at a time. If you want it, they've got it. It's fun for everyone! Coconut's Watersports 9am-5pm Monday through Sunday Coconut's Watersports is open 7 days a week for your convenience and offers tons of water fun for the whole family. Jet Ski activities last 30 minutes or 1 hour and can make stops along the way. You must be at least 14 years of age to ride alone and can be as young as 3 to ride along with an adult. Everybody is required to wear a life jacket and a license is required to operate the Jet Ski. Bathing suits and shorts are recommended. Jet Ski Tours of Miami Thursday-Sunday 10am-7pm Jet Ski Tours of Miami includes onsite parking, indoor restrooms, lockers, and life jackets for participants. You may choose a one or two tour and each Jet Ski can hold up to 3 people. You must be at least 18 years old in order to ride. As long as you are accompanied by an adult, there is no age limitation for any passenger. There is a restaurant nearby to eat at. The tour visits 6 different islands and passes by Bayside and Hard Rock. You may even catch a glimpse of dolphins or a manatee resting in these fabulous Florida waters. What will you do to satisfy your son's curiously about marine animals? A) You would like to rent a boat to ride with him. B) You prefer a luxury boat with comfortable seats with a stereo. C) You'd like to choose American Watersports. D) You prefer the tour to Bayside and Hard Rock.
D
Q: Among rich countries , people in the United States work the longest hours. They work much longer than in Europe. This difference is quite surprising because productivity per hour worked is the same in the United States as it is in France, Spain and Germany, and it is growing at a similar speed. In most countries and at most times in history, as people have become richer they have chosen to work less. In other words they have decided to "spend"a part of their extra income on a fuller personal life. Over the last fifty years Europeans have continued this pattern, and hours of work have fallen sharply. But not in the United States. We do not fully know why this is. One reason may be more satisfying work,or less satisfying personal lives. Longer hours do of course increase the GDP . So the United States has produced more per worker than, say,France.The United States also has more of its people at work,while in France many more mothers and older workers have decided to stay at home.The overall result is that American GDP per head is 40% higher than in France,even though productivity per hour worked is the same. It is not clear which of the two situations is better.As we have seen, work has to be compared with other values like family life, _ often get lost in interest.It is too early to explain the different trends in happiness over time in different countries. But it is a disappointing idea that in the United States happiness has made no progress since 1975, while it has risen in Europe. Could this have anything to do with trends in the work-life balance ? Which of the following would be the best title for the text? A) Americans and Europeans B) Staying at Home C) Work and Productivity D) Work and Happiness
A: D
*Question*
When most people turn 21, they spend too much time partying and having fun. But when Adele turned 21, she did something completely different. After going through a tough breakup , the British singer turned her pain into glory and recorded one of the most moving albums of the year. The album,21, which was _ in January, has already hit the charts in 14 countries, according to the Billboard magazine. It also noted that Adele made history as the first artist since the Beatles to have two top five singles and two top five albums in the charts at the same time (Adele's first album,19, was released in 2008. Each album is named for her age when she wrote it). Now, after touring around the world for almost a year, the DVD of her live concert, released on November 29, is Adele's latest work. Having topped the pre-order list ofAmazon. comfor over a month already, this one seems set to stay on top for a while. Born in north London, Adele sang her way up honestly: In 2006, she was signed by England's XL Recordings on the strength of a three-song demo a friend of hers had posted on MySpace;within two years she had won the BRIT Awards 'Critics' Choice prize and been tipped by the BBC as the "Sound of 2008". In 2009 she got the best new artist Grammy Award, and went on a world tour in support of the album19with a sold-out show in Los Angeles. According to Adele herself, much of the inspiration of her music comes from one single breakup. That's probably what has made the singer's success-that emotional certitude , according to Dickins. "The key to great singers is believing every single word they sing, " he said. "And I think you believe every word that comes out of Adele's mouth. You can feel her life force through her voice. " When she wrote album19, she is at the age of _ . A) 21 B) 18 C) 20 D) 19
**Answer**
D