After we finished thirteen miles of hiking, we were tired and our muscles ached as we made our way back to New England. The car ride to the airport followed by a two-hour flight left our legs more worse condition than they were when we first came off the mountain we just climbed. When we heard that two seats in first class on our next flight were available for a bit higher price, we jumped at the opportunity. Our spirits lifted immediately. After all, flying first class was a new experience for us, and we would end our adventure in comfort and style. As we boarded the plane, we noticed that the stewardess was working non-stop to ensure the comfort of the first class passengers. She could not walk by a seat without receiving an order. How much she must love her job! She smiled kindly at each one while attending to their needs. As the stewardess walked by our seats near the end of the flight, I looked at her and said, "Thank you and I hope you have a great night." She stopped, bent down, looked at me and said, "Excuse me." I repeated my words and she smiled in a rather funny way, almost as if I had asked her a question that she did not know how to answer. After a few moments she returned to our seats. "I can tell you work with the public," she said. "Why do you think so?" I asked. She answered very quietly, "Because you are the only passenger here to say something nice to me tonight and I really appreciate your kindness." The sense of belonging to the elite group of people in first class disappeared as we heard her words. Our first class seats offered us more than a comfortable ride. We were reminded that without kindness, we would be flying in no class. When the stewardess first heard what the writer said, she _ . A) didn't understand the writer B) knew what work the writer did C) didn't believe her ears D) had a big smile on her face
C
(Question)
Durban -- Canada Monday became the first country to pull out of the historic Kyoto Protocol , inescapably scarring the global anticlimate change efforts. The Kyoto Protocol, which set different duties for all countries to cut emissions , states that different countries should reduce their collective greenhouse emissions accordingly. However, the United States refused to sign the protocol in 2001, and is the only developed country that has not agreed to sign it. The move has cast a shadow over the global community, and has made some other developed nations hesitate to cut their emissions. To add fuel to the fire, Canada, became the first to call it quits, with the deadline of the first commitment period (20082012) approaching. The biggest concern at this moment is whether other developed countries would follow suit. Over the past four years, a drama has unfolded among developed countries over the emissions cuts and offering support to their developing partners. The Umbrella Group, consisting of Japan, Canada, Australia, the United States and other developed countries, hesitated and even backed away from their positions under certain excuses. The first one quoted by Canadian Environment Minister Peter Kent is that emission cuts damage the economy. Still another is requiring China and India to have the same duty of cutting emissions as developed countries. Actually, if emissions in developed countries could fall to the levels in developing countries, it would greatly help the fight against global climate change. In sum, any irresponsible action, in the anticlimate change campaign should be a cause for blame. It is widely hoped that the United States and Canada will see reason and join the rest of the world community in supporting the Kyoto Protocol. Which of the following serves as the best title of the passage? A) Canada Decides to Quit the Kyoto Protocol B) Canada and the US Refuse to Cut Emissions C) Developed Countries Hesitating to Cut Emissions D) Developing Countries Supporting the Kyoto Protocol
(Answer)
B
Ques: Over the years I've been teaching children about a simple but powerful concept -- the ant philosophy .I think everybody should study ants. They have an amazing four-part philosophy, and here is the first part: ants never quit. That's a good philosophy. If they're headed somewhere and you try to stop them; they'll look for another way. They'll climb over, they'll climb under, and they'll climb around. They keep looking for another way. What a neat philosophy, to never quit looking for a way to get where you're supposed to go. Second, ants think winter all summer. That's an important viewpoint. You can't be so naive ( ) as to think summer will last forever. So ants are gathering in their winter food in the middle of summer. An ancient story says, "Don't build your house on the sand in the summer. " Why do we need that advice.'? Because it is important to be realistic. In the summer, you've got to think storm. You've got to think rocks as you enjoy the sand and sun. Think ahead. The third part of the ant philosophy is that ants think summer all winter. That is so important. During the winter, ants remind themselves, "This won't last long ; we'll soon be out of here. " And on the first warm day, the ants are out. If it turns cold again, they'll dive back down, but then they come out on the first warm day. They can't wait to get out. And here's the last part of the ant-philosophy. How much will an ant gather during the summer to prepare for the winter? All he possibly can. What an incredible philosophy, the "all-you-possibly-can" philosophy. Wow, what a great seminar to attend -- the ant seminar. Never give up, look ahead, stay positive and do all you can. What is the second philosophy of ants? A) Think winter all summer. B) Always be realistic. C) Never become lazy in summer. D) Always look ahead.
Ans: D
Ques:According to a new US study, couples who expect their children to help care for them in old age should hope they have daughters because they are likely to be twice as attentive overall. The research by Angelina Grigoryeva, a sociologist at Princeton University, found that, while women provide as much care for their elderly parents as they can manage, men do as little as they can get away with and often leave it to female family members. Her analysis of the family networks of 26,000 older Americans concluded that gender is the most important predictor of whether or not people will actively care for elderly parents. In a paper being presented at the annual conference of the American Sociological Association in San Francisco, she concludes that simply having a sister makes men statistically likely provide less care. Using data from the University of Michigan Health and Retirement Study, a study which has been tracking a cross-section of over-50s for the last decade, she calculated that women provide an average of 12.3 hours a month of care for elderly parents while men offer only 5.6 hours. "Whereas the amount of elderly parent care daughters provide is associated with limitations they face, such as employment or childcare, sons'caregiving is associated only with the presence or absence of other helpers, such as sisters or a parent's spouse ," she explained. "Sons reduce their relative caregiving efforts when they have a sister, while daughters increase theirs when they have a brother." "This suggests that sons pass on parent caregiving responsibilities to their sisters." In the UK, the 2011 census showed that there are now around 6.5 million people with caring responsibilities - a figure which has risen by a tenth in a decade. But many are doing so at the risk of their own health. The census showed that those who provide 50 hours or more of care a week while trying to hold down a full- time job are three times more likely to be struggling with ill health than their working counterparts who are not carers. What's the most important factor to predict if people will actively care for the elderly? A) Gender. B) Education. C) Career. D) Family networks.

Ans:
A