(Q).
Read the article and select the best answer. Article: US President Barack Obama is asking Democrats and Republicans in Congress to work together on efforts to create jobs. The president hosted a meeting with top lawmakers from both parties at the White House on Tuesday. President Obama says Republicans and Democrats can work together to improve the economy, even though they disagree on many issues. "And although the parties are not going to agree on every single item, there should be some areas where we can agree." He said. With the US unemployment rate at 9.7 percent, President Obama hopes Congress will agree to incentives for small business to add workers. "A good place to start, and what I hope to spend a lot of time on these discussions today is how we can move forward on the job issue." President Obama said. Mr. Obama also said he hoped for an agreement on ways to reduce the US debt and budget deficit, which are at record highs. He met with House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the top House Republican, House Minority Leader John Boehner, as well as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and other lawmakers. The president said he looked forward to having more such meetings in the future. "My hope is that this is not going to be a rare situation," he said. "And I'm very thankful that everybody here has taken the time to come. I'm confident that if we keep in mind what's best for the American people, we should be able to achieve a lot." Mr. Obama's approval ratings average just below 50 percent in recent polls, down sharply from this time last year. Approval ratings for Congress are much lower, averaging just over 22 percent. Question: Barack Obama hosted the meeting mainly to ask Democrats and Republicans in Congress to _ . Options: A: work together to reduce debt. B: work together to try to create jobs C: discuss why the economy is bad. D: discuss why they don't work together.
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B

(Q).
Read the article and select the best answer. Article: On her first morning in America last summer, my daughter went out to explore her new neighborhood alone, without even telling my wife or me. Of course we were worried; we had just moved from Berlin, and she was just 8. But when she came home, we realized we had no reason to panic. Beaming with pride, she told us how she had discovered the little park around the corner, and had made friends with a few local dog owners. When this story comes up in conversations with American friends, we usually meet with polite disbelief. Most are horrified by the idea that their children might roam around without adult supervision. A study by the University of California has found that American kids spend 90 per cent of their leisure time at home, often in front of the TV or playing video games. Such narrowing of children's world has happened across the developed world. But German parents are generally much more accepting of letting children take some risks. "We are depriving them of opportunities to learn how to take control of their own lives," writes Peter Gray, a research professor at Boston College. He argues that this increases the chance that they will suffer from anxiety, depression, and various other mental disorders, which have gone up dramatically in recent decades. I am no psychologist like Professor Gray, but I know I won't be around forever to protect my girls from the challenges life holds in store for them. And by giving kids more control over their lives, they learn to have more confidence in their own capabilities. Question: Hearing the author's daughter exploring the new neighborhood alone, his American friends feel _ . Options: A: worried B: proud C: doubtful D: terrified
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C

(Q).
Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Thai authorities have been urged to see to it that condominiums , apartment houses and other lodgings available to tourists throughout the country will be of higher quality than today, a leading tourism businesswoman has said. Piyaman Techapaibul, president of the Tourism Council of Thailand, called on the Ministry of Tourism & Sports as well as other government agencies concerned to have those places and accommodations for tourists improved and upgraded to meet international standards because, she said, today's tourists from around the world have more money to spend and prefer quality lodgings as well as quality services and accommodations at those places. "Added by condos and apartment houses currently opening for daily rent, the number of lodgings for tourists throughout the country has increased over the years, but not the qualities. Many of today's tourists are so _ and selective that they'd prefer quality places where personnel should be very responsible and experienced in taking care of them while security should be constantly and effectually maintained," she said. Employees and staff in charge of providing accommodations to tourists should be expert in communicating with the foreigners, service-minded and speak fluent English, according to the council leader. Thailand is seen to receive up to 23.1 million tourists from other countries around the world next year, compared to about 21.7 million, who have reportedly visited the country throughout this year, about 2.6 million of whom from China, while as much as two trillion baht (US$66.6 billion) is expected to be earned from tourist industry by 2015, compared to about one trillion baht (US$33.3 billion) this year. Thailand's most favorite destinations for tourists include the world-famous beach resorts of Pattaya and Phuket, the Andaman Sea archipelagos of Krabi and Surat Thani and the capital city of Bangkok. The council leader made her comments in response to news reports that the government might deregulate businesses of running condominiums and... Question: According to the passage, which of the following statements is not true? Options: A: Piyaman advocated the authorities not to limit the development of the condos. B: Bangkok is one of the most attractive destinations for tourists C: Thailand has earned about one trillion baht from tourist industry this year. D: Staff in condos should speak English fluently.
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A