April 2009, in the state of Georgia, USA, twenty thousand people watched high school students from twenty- eight countries compete with robots they had built. More than ten thousand students and more than five hundred robots took part in the competition. Almost 1,700 high school teams took part in the competition called LUNACY. In January, the organization sent the same robots to each team. The teams had six weeks to build robots that could compete in the LUNACY game. The playing area consisted of six robots, three on each team. Each robot had a trailer connected to it. The robots had to pick up large balls and throw them into the trailers of opposing robots. The robots were moving on a platform where they could move smoothly. A team from the USA won the LUNACY competition. American inventor Dean Kamen started the competition in 1989 to increase young people's interest in science and technology. The organization holds robotic competitions around the world. It offers programs that help young people learn about science, technology, engineering and maths, and at the same time build life skills. Many companies provide support for the organization. Mr. Kamen says the goal is more than building robots. He says the student competitors showed they could solve difficult technological problems and, he says that it is good news because the world needs creative thinkers to solve the increasingly difficult problems of the future. In order to win the LUNACY competition, the robots need to _ . A) have the most trailers connected to them B) throw the most balls into the trailers of the opposing robots C) stand still when throwing balls D) move the trailers as fast as possible to get the balls
B
(Question)
One spring, when I was 10, during one of my father's layoffs, I could tell my mother was dispiriteD.I decided to cheer her up by buying her a special Mother's Day gift. One day after school I rode my bike to the Agins, which, I learned years later, was known for its high-end fashions and style.I introduced myself to Sylvia Agins, telling her I was looking for a Mather's Day present. "Do you think she'd like a purse?" she askeD.I told her.I thought she might. She took out an Italian handbag made of leather. She asked me what I thought, and I told her that my mom would like it. "How much money do you have?" she asked. "Twelve bucks," I said. "You're in luck," she told me. "It's only $11. You have a dollar left over for the card." She gift-wrapped the purse and thanked me for my business, and I rode off home with the package under my arm. When my mother opened the gift the next Sunday morning, she asked in an accusing tone, "Where did you get this?" "I bought it at the Agins. It cost me $11." I said. My mother was shocked into silence. It wasn't until many years later, when I learned that the purse was worth several hundred dollars, that I appreciated just how wonderful Sylvia Agins had been to me. I always felt bad that I never had a chance to properly thank her. "You know, my son, what really amazes me to this day," my mother saiD."Letting you have the purse for just a few dollars was unbelievable enough. But the fact that she let you leave the store with a dollar for the card was a touch of kindness that I'll never forget. " The author bought his mother a purse to _ . A) surprise his mother B) make his mother happy C) show his ability of making money D) thank his mother for buying him a bike
(Answer)
B
Ques: When I was a kid, I was close to my dad, but as I grew older, my dad and I grew further apart. We always had totally different opinions. He thought that college was a waste of time, but for me it was important to finish college. He wanted me to work my way to the top as he had done in his field, but I wanted a different life. There was a time when we did not talk with each other. A few months ago, I heard that my 84-year-old dad was in poor health. When he called and asked whether I could move from Colorado back to Tennessee to help him, I knew he was seriously ill. I am his only child and so it was time to meet my father's requirement. Two weeks after moving back, we bought a boat and started fishing again. Fishing was one of the few things that we did while I was young and that we both enjoyed. It is strange but true that as we are fishing we are able to put things that have kept us apart for so many years behind us. We are able to talk about things that we have never talked about before. Fishing has been healing the old wounds that have kept us apart It is not important how many fish we catch. It is about enjoying the relationship that we have not had for years. I'm 62 and he is 84. When we are on the lake fishing, it is like two kids enjoying life. It is far better to find a way to put the unhappy past behind. I am so lucky to spend the happy time with my father in his last years. Now my heart is filled with love. A smile always graces my lips. For the author,fishing with his old father _ . A) helps cure his father's disease B) is a good way to get close to nature C) makes him realize the importance of exercise D) offers a chance for them to communicate
Ans: D
Ques: There's a whole lot of things that people fill their stomachs with. Some of them keep people alive. Some of them taste good to people. Some of them help people win pie-eating contests. Alcohol does none of these things. Why do people keep drinking it? And what does it do once it gets to their stomachs? There are all kinds of alcohol molecules , but the one that people most often pour down their throat is ethanol . Ethanol is very tiny and it dissolves in water, so it gets into all sorts of places that it's not supposed to. Alcohol heads for the digestive system. Because it dissolves in water, it can get into the water in the bloodstream. Because ethanol, to a certain extent, can pass through cell membranes . It can go almost anywhere. It spreads through the muscles, and is sweated -- unmetabolized and whole -- through the skin. It gets into the heart. It even takes a walk through the brain, and this is the secret of its powers. Alcohol depresses the nerves, and the nerves affect almost every area of the body. Enough alcohol makes people sleep, so people who become unconscious choke on their own vomit . Most worryingly, enough alcohol can shut down those parts of the brain just like any other parts. People become unconscious and their brains simply forget to breathe. Alcohol is broken down in the liver. Alcohol doesn't destroy the liver, but products that the liver breaks the alcohol into do cause damage. A glass of wine per day can not do any harm. Instead, it can prevent heart attacks or can make someone functionally young. And it is kind of nice to know that sometimes, relaxation and cheer can be bottled. All that's needed is to take care how much alcohol is let into a person's brain. How does the author introduce the topic of the text? A) By statement. B) By question. C) By arguing. D) By explaining.
Ans:
B