Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Ask anyone what is the most difficult part of changing their lifestyle habits and they are most likely to say, "Staying motivated." But a 36-year-old professor from Carnegie Mellon University claims it may have the answer in the form of robot weight loss coach that dishes out daily health advice and encouragement. Autom is the work of Intuitive Automata, a company based in Sha Tin which claims to be a pioneer in commercial socially-interactive robots. The robot, which stands around 38 centimeters tall, has a head that swivels , blue eyes, and a touch screen which allows the user to input information daily about exercise and diet Its creators say Autom will have a daily conversation with its user lasting up to five minutes, giving feedback and encouragement.Over time, it will interact more with the user as it gathers more information about them. Cory Krdd, a research team manager with the Federal Emergency Management Agency claims research has shown that people find robots a more reliable source of information than on-screen-based character. In a controlled study in Pittsburgh City Council, 15 dieters were given Autom for six weeks. Another 15 received a touch-screen computer with identical software and 15 were given a paper log.The study found, people using the robot are more likely to stick with their diets longer, in fact twice as long as those using just a paper log. "While not one person among the computer or paper groups continued past six weeks, most who had Autom did not want to give her back at the conclusion of the study," he said. The bottom line is that a robot creates a more powerful and long-lasting relationship with the user than a character on the screen. Autom is expected to go on sale later this year in the United States for around $500.A robot which speaks and understands Cantonese and Mandarin in addition to English according to the demands is also being developed. Question: What can we know about the controlled study? Options: A: The study was led by Cory Kidd. B: The subjects were divided by two. C: Every person with Autom continued past six weeks. D: People using Autom gain more benefits than other people.
A: D

Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Last summer, two nineteenth-century cottages were rescued from remote farm fields in Montana, to be moved to an Art Deco building in San Francisco. The houses were made of wood. These cottages once housed early settlers as they worked the dry Montana soil; now they hold Twitter engineers. The cottages could be an example of the industry' s odd love affair with "low technology," a concept associated with the natural world, and with old-school craftsmanship that exists long before the Internet era. Low technology is not virtual --so, to take advantage of it, Internet companies have had to get creative. The rescued wood cottages, fitted by hand in the late eighteen-hundreds, are an obvious example, but Twitter's designs lie on the extreme end. Other companies are using a broader interpretation of low technology that focuses on nature. Amazon is building three glass spheres filled with trees, so that employees can "work and socialize in a more natural, park-like setting." At Google's office, an entire floor is carpeted in glass. Facebook's second Menlo Park campus will have a rooftop park with a walking trail. Olle Lundberg, the founder of Lundberg Design, has worked with many tech companies over the years. "We have lost the connection to the maker in our lives, and our tech engineers are the ones who feel impoverished , because they're surrounded by the digital world," he says. "They're looking for a way to regain their individual identity, and we've found that introducing real crafts is one way to do that." This craft based theory is rooted in history, William Morris, the English artist and writer, turned back to pre-industrial arts in the eighteen-sixties, just after the Industrial Revolution. The Arts and Crafts movement defined itself against machines. "Without creative human occupation, people became disconnected from life," Morris said. Research has shown that natural environments can restore our mental capacities. In Japan, patients are encouraged to "forest-bathe," taking walks through woods to... Question: The writer mentions the two nineteenth-century cottages to show that _ . Options: A: Twitter is having a hard time B: old cottages are in need of protection C: early settlers once suffered from a dry climate in Montana D: Internet companies have rediscovered the benefits of low technology
A: D

Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: An upper class British lady once declared: " Anyone seen on a bus after the age of 30 has been a failure in life." This may sound arrogant and ignorant. Unfortunately, there are still people thinking that way. Some wealthy folk in the West look down on buses and boast about how many years it has been since they last travelled by one. How sad is that? Our roads are packed with cars and the air is full of the pollution they emit. But still, many car users are unwillingly to get on a bus or a bike or a train to take themselves to work. It's convenient to drive, they'll say. Buses are so unreliable, they'll claim. And trains are expensive - at least in the UK. It's an attitude which may have to change. It doesn't make sense to drive a car in a city where there's a public transport system. Also, these rush hour commuters usually travel alone. As a result, transport authorities in the UK are looking at solutions to city center congestion . One is to increase the number of parking spaces at out-of-town railway stations. More motorists can then leave their cars and travel into the city by train. Light rail or tramways are another environmentally friendly solution. Many cities across Europe have had light rail or tramway systems. The subway in London is used by everyone, rich and poor. It's the quickest way of getting around the city, whatever your bank balance. And then there are the cycle hire plans you find in many modern cities. In London and Paris, you can hire a bike by the hour to get you where you need to go. Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, is often pictured cycling to work. David Cameron, the British prime minister, cycled to the House of Commons before he became leader. Question: Which of the following is NOT the reason why some car users are unwilling to change their way of transport? Options: A: It's convenient to drive around the city. B: They cannot count on buses. C: It costs them much money to take trains. D: Driving cars has little effect on environment.
A: D