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. According to Allen,why did the people do better with pets around when facing stressful tasks? A) They have lower blood pressure. B) They become more patient. C) They are less nervous. D) They are in higher spirits.
C
(Question)
While the rest of the world carried on cycling during the 1950s and 1960s , America forgot how ; even high-school children would drive to school . Recently there has been something of a recovery in cycling , and in many areas it is a very useful way of getting around , especially where bike paths or bike routes have been built . You may well want to buy , hire or borrow a bike . There are two important results of this earlier drop in cycling in the USA . One is that many people do not know how to cycle . That is , cyclists often behave more like walkers than motorists : they ride in the sidewalk or on the wrong side of the road ; they do not care for stop signs or traffic lights ; they ride without lights at night ; they give no signals . The other result is that cycling is regarded by many people not so much as a way of getting from one place to another but as a way of life , a form of exercise , etc . As a result , large numbers of young Americans have ten-speed racing bikes . These are very high and fast and great if you are cycling long distance , riding up mountains or racing . At first , though , you may find them convenient for cycling in town , sightseeing or shopping --they are expensive , uncomfortable and hard to control until you get used to them , and unsuitable for rough stony roads . There are also ordinary bikes around . If you get hold of one of these ,you may find that the brakes work by pedaling backwards . This is perhaps safer than ordinary brakes when it is wet , but it seems to be less effective . This arrangement also means you can't pedal backwards in order to get the pedal in the right place for getting on or getting off . Which of the following does NOT result from the early drop in cycling in the USA? A) Cyclists do not care for traffic lights. B) People ride on the wrong side of the roads. C) Cycling is not considered a way of transportation. D) People have to pedal backwards to stop the bike.
(Answer)
D
Ques:Western teens share their top tunes Have you ever wondered what kind of music kids across the Pacific Ocean are listening to? Are they crazy about Britney Spears? Do they love the Backstreet Boys? Or do they dance to Eminem? Well, nearly 6,000 teens have taken part in a Teens & Music study, conducted by USA Weekend Magazine last autumn. And the results show what type of music is hot and what is not. It comes as no surprise that hip-hop and rap are the most popular types of music among American teenagers. They began in the mid-1970s, with young black kids in New York, taking music onto the streets. Hip-hop and rap are well-known for the breakdancing that goes with them. The word "rap" comes from a 1960s slang word for conversation. It is a rapid, slangy rhyme that is spoken rather than sung. Eminem is among the most popular rappers ever to hit the US. His first album "The Marshall Mathers LP" topped the American music chart in May 2000. Although about a third of teens in the US showed their support for him, almost as many said that his music was so offensive that they couldn't listen to it. Compared with Eminem, actor-rapper Will Smith is more of a star for the kids. He was awarded the Wannabe Award, on April 12 at Nickelodeon's 16th Annual Kids' Choice Awards. It is an award given to a celebrity whom kids most want to be. Pop music, such as Brittney Spears and the Backstreet Boys has always suited the tastes of the general public. It continues to enjoy support among teens and is second most popular after rap. Third is rock -- music with exciting dance beats and simple lyrics that speak loudly of social problems. The melodies are led by electric guitars. Rock became popular in the US in the early 1950s. American singer Elvis Presley and British group the Beatles became world-famous rock artists. The study also showed that jazz is least loved by American teens. It developed in the latter part of the 19th century from a mixture of African work songs and hymns . Jazz tends to be the type of music... Which of the following developed the earliest, according to the text? A) Hip-hop and rap. B) Breaking dance. C) Rock. D) Jazz.

Ans:
D