As a little boy I read a book with a picture showing a man reading while floating in the Dead Sea. What a miracle! How would it feel to lie back in water so thick with salt that it was impossible to sink? Fed by the Jordan River and smaller streams, the Dead Sea is the lowest point on the earth's surface, and its water is ten times saltier than the Mediterranean. As evaporation is its only outlet, salt and other minerals become super-concentrated. Earlier this year, I drove down the long, steep hill to realize my dream. The shoreline was a broad area of bare salt-mud, but the water edge was out of sight. It seemed as if somebody had pulled the Dead Sea's plug . Eli Dior, an Israeli official, explained the problem "The Dead Sea is drying up. Every year, the surface falls about one meter, and as the water level falls, shallow areas are left high and dry." Over the last half-century, the five neighboring countries have used up almost all the water flowing into the Dead Sea to meet human and agriculture needs. Result the Dead Sea is being emptied. With population in the neighbouring countries to double at least in the next 50 years, there is little hope of restoring the water being used in this area. No country has a drop to spare for the Dead Sea, where they know it will just evaporate. To dream of opening the dams and restoring natural balance is unrealistic. Yet one ambitious high-tech dream may turn out to be not only the solution to the Dead Sea but also a ticket to peace around its shores. The "Red-Dead" is a proposed $5 billion project to bring sea water some 240 kilometers by pipeline and canal from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea. The Red-Dead may be the only solution, but even if the project is carried out successfully, the Dead Sea will be 10 to 20 meters lower than now and two thirds of its current size. Whatever the future holds, the Dead Sea's magical mix of sun, mud, sea and salt will surely survive. Many might complain that the Dead Sea is half empty--but for me the Dead... According to the passage,the Dead Sea is drying up mainly because _ . A) nearly no water flows into the Dead Sea B) the water is evaporated in the Dead Sea area C) much water is drawn from the Dead Sea D) there is low annual rainfall in the Dead Sea area
A
When I was young, my father used to grow carnations ----- a kind of flower which was red, pink and white. He took care of them with much love and devotion. Every day he came back home from work, he would enjoy watching them. Everyone who saw them admired them for their beauty. And he used to tell us, "No one should touch my flowers." One day, my younger sister Clemence, who loved dad very much, wanted to help him. So she cut the carnations from their stems one by one and arranged them on the ground. She believed that dad would be very pleased to see them that way. When mom and I realized what my sister had done, we became completely speechless. However, my sister had no idea why no one showed her any appreciation. When my dad arrived, he went straight to see the flowers as usual. Seeing his flowers lying on the ground like dead animals, he was shocked at first. He looked towards the street to see if it was any of the neighbor's children who could have done it. Then he looked at mom in silence. Finally mom, who always taught us to tell the truth no matter what, said, "No bad neighbors did this great job, only your lovely daughter Clemence." Dad's face changed into a smile and then he said, "Do I have a better flower than my lovely daughter?" My younger sister smiled and hugged dad strongly. How did Clemence feel when she had the carnations cut? A) Lucky B) Upset C) Helpful D) Worried
C
Q: How can you help kids cope with stress? Proper rest and good nutrition can improve coping skills, so can good parenting. Make time for your kids each day. Whether they need to talk with you or just be in the same room with you, make yourself available. Even as kids get older, quality time is important. It's really hard for some people to come home after a tiring day of work, get down on the floor, and play with their kids or just talk to them about their day -- especially if they've had a stressful day themselves. But expressing interest in your kids shows that they' re important to you. Help your child deal with stress by talking about what may be causing it. Together, you can come up with a few solutions. For example, he should cut back on after-school activities, spending more time talking with his parents or teachers, developing an exercise plan or keeping a journal. You can also help by predicting potentially stressful situations and preparing kids for them. For example, let a child know ahead of time, but not too far ahead of time, that a doctor's appointment is coming up and talk about what will happen there. Keep in mind, though, that younger kids probably won't need too much advance preparation. Too much information can cause more stress. Remember that some level of stress is normal, Let kids know that it's OK to feel angry, scared, lonely, or anxious and that other people share those feelings, too. When kids can't or won't discuss these problems, try talking about your own concerns. This shows that you're willing to handle tough topics and are available to talk with when they're ready. If a child shows symptoms that concern you and is unwilling to talk, consult a counselor or other mental health experts. Most parents have the skills to cope with their children's stress. The time to seek professional attention is when any change in behavior continues to exist, when stress is causing serious anxiety, or when the behavior is causing significant problems in functioning at school or at home. Why do some parents feel it difficult to spare quality time for their kids? A) Their kids are growing so fast. B) They have too much housework. C) Their kids are losing interest in them. D) They are tired out after work.
A: D
*Question*
Before leaving work, Steve Lee likes to use his cell phone to turn on his heat and air condition system at home. So by the time he gets through traffic into his front door, the temperature inside is perfect. You may wonder what a so-called smart home can do inside. Lee works for a company called Smarthome. com, testing and living with many of his company's home automation gadgets , like this multifunction touch screen that controls devices around the house and even connects to the Internet traffic cameras. "I have cameras, and they follow all the way down the freeway to work, "said Lee with pride, "What's going on at home when you are away? No problem, install some wireless cameras and controllers and from any computer in the world with an Internet connection, you can watch your house. " "You can check on the house, and I can look at the temperature. Believe it or not, if I want to turn on lights ahead of time, I can, "added Lee. We sat in Steve's California kitchen and with the right password, turned on the kitchen counter lights at his boss' house in Wisconsin. Steve did have permission to log on . "If you do know the password and you want to play a trick on your wife, you could turn lights on and off remotely. " This new technology, which can automatically turn on water sprinklers when humidity is low, or turn off a pool pump when it is not in use, is no longer expensive. Several hundred dollars for a basic system is enough and it is not hard to install. Sure the convenience is nice but many people who like the security advantages like making sure kids are safe with the help of camera monitors and bedside alerts. "I can notice that maybe one of my children wakes up in the middle of the night once the light switch is turned on. " What a smart home can't do is get you a snack and you have to leave the couch for that. What can be inferred from this passage? A) Steve's boss trusted him very much. B) Steve doesn't like to play jokes on his family. C) Steve could log on his boss' home because he had been given the key. D) It's expensive and difficult to apply a basic smart home system.
**Answer**
A