Fake a book, leave a book. Public bookshelves are appearing across Germany on street corners, city squares and suburban supermarkets. In these free-for-all libraries, people can grab whatever they want to read, and leave behind anything they want for others. There's no need to register, no due date, and you can take or give as many as you want. "This project is aimed at everyone who likes to read regardless of age or education. It is open for everybody," Michael Aubermann, one of the organizers of the free book exchange in the city of Cologne, told The Associated Press. "We installed our other outdoor shelves last year and it's been working really well," said Aubermann, a 44-year-old who works in IT management. The public hook shelves, which are usually financed by donations and cared for by local \ volunteer groups, have appeared independently of each other in many cities across Germany including Berlin, Hannover and Bonn, and also in suburbs and villages. Each shelf holds around 200 books and it lakes about six weeks for a complete turnover, with all the old titles replaced by new ones, he said. While most of the shelves have so far been put up in upscale neighborhoods, Aubermann and the 20 volunteers who help look after the project are planning to put up future shelves in poor neighborhoods, where residents often don't have as much access to literature. So far, the Cologne book group has had few problems .Though a used-book seller once emptied every volume on a shelf to sell at a market. Another time the shelves were filled with material from a religious group. Even commercial book stores and online book retailers seem to support the idea of free book exchanges. Who are allowed to read the books? A) Only educated people B) All the people C) Those who live in upscale neighborhoods D) Those who have reached a certain age
B
(Question)
Our neighbor's son was getting married at an out-of-town church, and my husband and I were invited. We were very glad to get the invitation and immediately rushed out to a store, and I bought a nice pink dress with a jacket. The dress was a little tight, but I had a month to go before the June 30 wedding and I believed it would be easy for me to lose a few pounds. June 29 came and, of course, I hadn't lost a single pound; in fact I had gained two. But I figured a nice new girdle would cure everything. So on our way out of the city we stopped once again at the store. I ran in and told the clerk I needed a large-size girdle. The shop assistant found the box with the described girdle marked "LG", and asked if I would like to try it on. "Oh, no, a large will fit just right. I needn't try it on." The next morning was rather hot, so I waited to get dressed until about 45 minutes before time to go. I opened the box only to find a new girdle in a small size. Since it was too late to find another one and the dress wouldn't fit right without a girdle, a fight broke out in the hotel room between me and the girdle. Have you ever tried to shake 20 pounds of potatoes into a five-pound bag? That's it. Finally my husband, laughing like crazy, got hold of each side and shook me down into it. At last I put on the pink dress, which didn't match my red face well, and was ready to go. Finally we got to the church. I heard one of the people say that they were having a High Mass . I turned to my husband and asked, "What is a High Mass?" He shrugged his shoulders. Unfortunately, I learned that this particular mass would last one hour, twenty-two minutes and eight and one half seconds --- the priest was going to bless everything except my girdle. What had the writer intended to do with the tight dress at first? A) To make herself thinner. B) To buy a large-size girdle. C) To put on some weight. D) To shake herself into it.
(Answer)
A
Ques: Boris Worm of Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, Canada, led the international team that did the study. Professor Worm says species have recently been disappearing from oceans at increasing speed. At this rate, he says, all seafood species could collapse by 2048 and seafood supplies from the world's ocean could be almost gone by then. Other studies have also warned about the dangers of overfishing and the effects on ocean environments. But not everyone thinks the oceans are likely to be empty in fifty years. Some scientists said parts of the world do have problems, but others are doing a good job of protecting fish populations. Government officials in several countries with large fishing industries also questioned the research. The study appeared earlier this month in Science magazine. The researchers say damage to oceans affects not only fish populations but also the productivity of ecosystems. These complex systems help control water quality. The scientists say the loss of different kinds of sea life appeared to increase the risk of fish kills and beach closures from harmful algae growth. The scientists examined the results of thirty-two experiments and observed forty-eight protected areas. They also looked at records of catches worldwide. They studied records from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization for nineteen fifty to two thousand three. And they examined archeological information and other historical records for twelve coastal areas. That research reached back over a thousand years. Boris Worm says the findings were, in his words, "beyond anything we suspected." But he also said the situation is not too late to correct. He said that with good fisheries management, some species could completely recover in three to ten years. Which of the following statements is NOT true? A) It's too late to take action to improve the situation. B) Some species will recover with efforts. C) Boris Worm hopes that people take the warning serious. D) Boris Worm shows great concern about ecosystem.
Ans: A
London--A morning train rides away, across the channel. English kids discuss the Liverpool's football team in a Paris pub. Some Parisians have started to travel to work in London. In the 19th century, Charles Dickens compared the two cities, London and Paris, in A Tale of Two Cities. These days, it might be A tale of One City. As there are few jobs at home over recent years, perhaps 250,000 Frenchmen moved across the channel. With an undersea tunnel, they could travel between cities in three hours. The European Union freed them from immigration and customs. Paris, rich in beauty, is more stylish. But London feels more full of life, and more fun until the pubs shut down. "For me, the difference is that London is real, alive," said Trevor Wheeler, a financial expert. Chantal Jaouen, a professional designer, agrees. "I am French, but I'll stay in London," she said. There is, of course, the other view. Julie Lenoux is a student who moved to London two years ago. "I think people laugh more in Paris," she said. "Both cities have changed _ ," said Larry Collins, an author and sometimes a Londoner. Like most people who know both cities well, he finds the two now fit together comfortably. "I first fell in love with Paris in the 1950s. Things are so much more ordered, and life is better." But certainly not cheaper. In some parts of London, rents can be twice those on Avenue Foch in Paris. Deciding between London and Paris requires a lifestyle choice. Like Daphne Benoit, a French journalism student with perfect English, many young people are happy to be close enough so they don't have to choose. "I love Paris, my little neighborhood, the way I can walk around a centre, but life is too organized," she said. "In London, you can be whoever you want. No one cares." According to this passage, which of the following is TRUE? A) People feel it difficult to find a job in Paris. B) People can't travel to London without a passport. C) Living in France is more expensive than in London. D) People can find any job in London.
D