Most people feel lonely sometimes, but it usually only lasts between a few minutes and a few hours. This kind of loneliness is not serious. In fact, it is quite normal. For some people, though, loneliness can last for years. Now researchers say there are three different types of loneliness. The first kind of loneliness is temporary. This is the most common type. It usually disappears quickly and does not require any special attention. The second kind, situational loneliness, is a natural result of a particular situation -- for example, family problem, the death of a loved one, or moving to a new place. Although this kind of loneliness can cause physical problems, such as headaches and sleeplessness, it usually does not last for more than a year. The third kind of loneliness is the most severe. Unlike the second type, habitual loneliness usually lasts more than two years and has no specific cause. People who experience habitual loneliness have problems socializing and becoming close to others. Unfortunately, many chronically lonely people think there is little or nothing they can do to improve their condition. Psychologists agree that one important factor in loneliness is a person's social contacts, e.g. friends, family members, co-workers, etc. We depend on various people for different reasons. For instance, our families give us emotional support, our parents and teachers give us guidance, and our friends share similar interests and activities. However, psychologists have found that, though lonely people may have many social contacts, they sometimes feel they should have more. They question their popularity. Psychologists are trying to find ways to help habitually lonely people for two reasons: they are unhappy and unable to socialize and there is a connection between habitual loneliness and serious illness such as heart disease. While temporary and situational loneliness can be a normal, healthy part of life, habitual loneliness can be a sad and sometimes dangerous condition. What is the best title for the passage? A) How to Get Rid of Loneliness B) Loneliness and Diseases C) Loneliness and Social Contacts D) Three Types of Loneliness
D
Hobbs was an orphan . He worked in a factory and every day he got a little money. Hard work made him thin and weak. He wanted to borrow a lot of money to learn to paint pictures, but he did not think he could pay off the debts. One day a lawyer said to him, "One thousand dollars, and here is the money." As Hobbs took the package of notes, he was very dumbfounded. He didn't know where the money came from and how to spend it. He said to himself, "I could go to find a hotel and live like a rich man for a few days; or I give up my work in the factory and do what I'd like to do: painting pictures. I could do that for a few weeks, but what would I do after that? I should have lost my place in the factory and have no money to live on. If it were a little less money, I would buy a new coat, or a radio, or give a dinner to my friends. If it were more, I could give up the work and pay for painting pictures. But it's too much for one and too little for the other." "Here is the reading of your uncle's will ," said the lawyer, "telling what is to be done with this money after his death. I must ask you to remember one point. Your uncle has said you must bring me a paper showing exactly what you did with his money, as soon as you have spent it." "Yes, I see. I'll do that," said the young man. With the money he got, at first Hobbs _ . A) planned to have a happy life for a few days B) decided to give up his work in the factory C) was to give a dinner to his friends D) had no idea what to do
D
Q: Though war is something people hate, Director Feng Xiaoning often exposes his audience to it. "If we don't impress the audience, who are without the painful experience of war, with the cruel injury to life and human nature war causes, how can we bring them a love of peace and objection to war?" asked the director with a glance in his eyes. After Red River Valley and Lover's Grief over the Yellow River, both of which star Chinese model and actress Ning Jing, Feng drew a satisfactory full stop to his war trilogy last month with Purple Sunset. The film tells a story which took place in 1945, at the very moment when World War II was drawing to an end. A Chinese peasant and a Soviet woman soldier flee into a forest, where they seize a Japanese girl. They follow the girl in the hope that she will take them out of the forest, but instead they arrive in a Japanese base. Humanity prevents them from killing the young, innocent victim of Japanese militarism. This humanity, the longing for peace and eagerness to survive, make the three unite. "If people are touched by justice, tolerance and unselfishness, I think I have achieved my goal," Feng said. Feng admits that there are violent and bloody scenes in the film, such as tanks fighting and Japanese burning Chinese people alive, to show the cruelty of the war. But that's never his personal preference, he says. "Everyone who has watched my films can tell how much I hate war," he said. "I wrote all the things for my war films by myself. Whenever I finished one, I felt as though I had suffered great pain." Feng regards every one of his productions as an opportunity to learn about human nature and humanity. In spite of violent scenes which frighten and sicken the audience, a balance is sought with beautiful scenery. Just like the snowy mountains in Red River Valley and the grand plateau in Lover's Grief over the Yellow River, a beautiful vast grassland appears in this film. "I used to study art, and I appreciate beautiful things," Feng said. "I believe that films... Director Feng Xiaoning shot war film because _ . A) he was deeply interested in such a topic B) he wanted to give the audience the painful experience of war C) he hoped to arouse people's love of peace and objection to war D) he dreamed of becoming a world-famous director
A: C
(Question)
Soon, you' re going to have to move out!" cried my neighbor upon seeing the largest tomato plant known to mankind, or at least known in my neighborhood. One tiny 9-inch plant, bought for $1. 25 in the spring, has already taken over much of my rose bed, covering much of other plants, and is well on its way to the front door. Roses require a good deal of care, and if it weren't for the pleasure they give, it wouldn' t be worth the work. As it is, I have a garden full of sweet-smelling roses for most of the year. Bushes must be pruned in early spring, leaving ugly woody branches until the new growth appears a few weeks later. It was the space available in the garden that led me into planting just one little tomato plant. A big mistake. Soil conditions made just perfect for roses turn out to be even more perfect for tomatoes. The daily watering coupled with full sun and regular fertilizing have turned the little plant into a tall bush. The cage I placed around it as the plant grew has long disappeared under the thick leaves. Now the task I face in harvesting the fruit is twofold. First, I have to find the red ones among the leaves, which means I almost have to stand on my head, and once found I have to reach down and under, pick the tomatoes and withdraw my full fist without dropping the prize so dearly won. I found two full-blown white roses completely hidden as I picked tomatoes in June. But they were weak and the leaves already yellow for lack of light. Here I am faced with a painful small decision: To tear up a wonderful and productive tomato plant that offers up between ten and twenty ripe sweet tomatoes each day or say goodbye to several expensive and treasured roses. Like Scarlett in Gone With the Wind, I' ll think about that tomorrow. What are the requirements for the healthy growth of rose? A) Frequent pruning and fertilizing. B) A lot of care and the right soil. C) Tomato plants grown alongside. D) Cages placed around the roots.
(Answer)
B