Eye Facts There are many commonly held beliefs about eyesight that are not proven facts. For example, some people believe that wearing glasses too soon weakens the eyes. But there is no evidence to show that the structure of eyes is changed by wearing glasses at young age. Wearing the wrong glasses, however, can prove harmful. Studies show that for adults there is no danger, but children can develop loss of sight if they have glasses unsuitable for their eyes. We have all heard some of the common myths about how eyesight gets bad. Most people believe that reading in weak light causes poor eyesight, but that is untrue. Too little light makes the eyes work harder, so they do get tired and strained. Eyestrain also results from reading a lot, reading in bed, and watching too much television. However, although eyestrain may cause some pain or headaches, it does not damage eyesight in the long term. Another myth about eyes is that they can be replaced, or transplanted from one person to another. There are close to one million nerve fibers that connect the eyeball to the brain; as of yet, it is impossible to connect them all in a new person. Only certain parts of the eye can be replaced. But if we keep clearing up the myths and learning more about the eyes, someday a full transplant may be possible! From the passage we can conclude that _ . A) doctors are still learning things about eyesight B) wearing wrong glasses is less harmful to adults C) eye transplants have been performed successfully D) people should not wear glasses at young age
A
(Question)
FOR most people, life without plants is unimaginable. They feed us, clean up our air and brighten up our gardens. But what if someone told you that even our smartphones can benefit from plants? Meet the scientists from the Freiburg University of Mining and Technology in Germany. According to reports from Reuters, they have come up with a way to take the important element germanium from plants. The element was first discovered in Germany (hence the name) and was used to develop the first transistor because it can transport electricity very quickly. Nowadays, silicon-germanium alloy plays an important role in making computers, smartphones and fiber-optic cables . Although germanium can be found in soil around the world, it is difficult to extract . In the traditional process, people take the material after zinc mining or burning coal. But the Freiburg scientists decided to fall back on the natural world. Biology professor Hermann Heilmeier is one of the scientists who are using common plants for this uncommon process. "Different energy crops are being planted, for example, sunflowers, corn ... we want to use them for phytomining. In German we call it 'mining with plants'." Others have used this method in the past with metals like gold and copper . But in their study, the Freiburg scientists brought germanium from the soil into the roots and shoots of the plants, harvested them and then took the element from the plants. The process did not cost too much because germanium can be taken after plants are processed for use as biogas . So many of the costs are already covered in existing biogas plants. However, there is still a lot of work to do before we can all experience the benefits. At the moment germanium can only be harvested in very small amounts, just a few milligrams per liter. Now scientists are working on different plants to improve this. "As is so often the case, industry is still waiting because they want to see everything already working. Then they say, 'We'll have it.' But of course we have... Which of the following statements would Professor Martin Bertau agree with? A) Many businesses have already started contributing money to this research. B) Industry and science have stronger and closer connections than is generally expected. C) People from related industries showed no interest in extracting germanium from plants. D) Germanium has to be extracted from plants in large quantities before this type of extraction becomes industrialized.
(Answer)
D
Ques: There have been big changes in the attitudes of most parents over the last few years. Physical punishment is banned in schools in most countries, and in many countries, there are moves to ban all physical punishment of children even at home. However, many parents still believe that they have the right to use some physical punishments to deal with certain misbehavior at certain ages. It's easy to find reasons to allow some physical punishments. One issue is that many parents find it very difficult to abandon physical punishment completely. Parents argue that this was the way they were brought up and that it didn't do any harm to them. They believe that for the child's sake they have the right to discipline the child in any way they consider fit, including using some physical punishments. The other one is that physical punishment can be quick and effective. There is not much point reasoning with a screaming child in the supermarket. However, there are several reasons why we should stop using physical punishment. One point is that most parents are not trained to deal with misbehaving children. They don't have enough resources or choices to handle the situation. As a result, they immediately react by hitting the child even if there are other solutions to the problem. Another point is that unless people are challenged or forced to change their belief, they may keep following negative habits. An example is seat belt use --now most people wear seat belts without thinking, while years ago the idea of using seat belts was strange to most people. In the same way, banning physical punishment will force people to change their habits. In conclusion, parents have to change some of their belief and ideas about how children should be raised. It is possible to avoid the use of physical force, and doing so will help us move closer to the dream of removing violence from our society. Many parents won't give up physical punishment because _ . A) they are disappointed with their children B) they were brought up just in the same way C) they don't want to hurt their children badly D) they don't know what to do with their children
Ans: B
A person steps on what seems like solid ground but discovers with horror that the ground is giving way underfoot. The person struggles desperately but is trapped. There is no escape. Slowly the person sinks deeper and at last is gone. The solid ground was solid only in appearance. It was actually quicksand, which is a deep mass of fine sand mixed with water. How is quicksand formed? Water pushes up from below the surface and is held by the sand. The grains of sand are forced apart by the water. They cannot hold any weight. The subsurface water may have come from a spring, a river, or a stream. Sometimes pools of water near beaches become filled with sand. When the soil under these pools does not allow for good drainage , the sand can become stretches of quicksand. Is it true that a person who steps into quicksand is doomed to die? No, for people have fought their way from quicksand to firm land again. It is panic that creates the condition that can result in death, for the more a person struggles, the worse matters become. Quick movements will make the sand yield for a time, but then it rushes back and settles solidly around the body. People trapped in quicksand should either lie back with arms outstretched, or not move at all. When the weight of the sand around his body has displaced equals that person's weight, the victim will stop sinking. With feet held still, and with slow movements of the arms, as in the backstroke in swimming, people have managed to roll to safety and reach firm ground. The passage mainly tells about _ . A) what solid ground looks like B) the nature of quicksand C) stepping into quicksand D) escaping from quicksand
B