The conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and in life. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and a variety of cups -- plastic, glass, crystal, some plain-looking, some expensive, some fine -- telling them to help themselves to the coffee. When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice-looking, expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress." "What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups and were eyeing each other's cups." "Now consider this: Life is the coffee and the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life, and do not change the quality of life. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee. So, don't let the cups drive you... enjoy the coffee instead." We can infer that _ . A) in our daily life most people want only the best for themselves B) coffee was as important as a cup C) a teacher should have all kinds of cups at home D) whether coffee is nice to drink depends on the cup
A
(Question)
For many in the prefix = st1 /United States, Arab-Americans are an invisible part of the population. Though Arab-Americans as a community have made great contributions to American society in fields from literature to politics to medicine, many Americans know very little about Americans of Arab backgrounds. Arab history in the United Statesgoes back to the late 1800's when large numbers of Arab immigrants first began making their journey to a land known simply as "Amreeka". Historians generally describe Arab immigration to Americain two waves. The first wave took place between 1860 and 1924.The first wave consisted of Lebanese and Syrian, and some Egyptian immigrants. These new immigrants, who were mostly Christian, came toAmericain search of better opportunities. Even the doomed Titanic, which set sail forAmericain 1912,had close to a hundred Arab passengers aboard. The majority of Arab-Americans today are descendents of the first wave of immigrants; they are the third or more generation Americans. The second wave of immigrants followed after World War II, caused by political unrest in the Middle East. This second wave of immigrants consists of mainly Arab Muslims and continues to this day. Arab-Americans make up 3 million of the population in the United States, according to demographers. And quite different from popular belief, 64% of them are American-born. 82% percent of Arab-Americans are US citizens. Arab-Americans are beyond the national average in both education and income. Education is important among Arab-Americans; 82% have high school diplomas, 36% have bachelor's degrees or higher, and 15% have graduate degrees. The average income among Arab-Americans is $39580, which is higher than the USaverage. What would be the best title for the text? A) Arabs in America. B) The Two Arab Immigration Waves to America. C) Arab-Americans, Contributions to America. D) Arab-Americans, Education and Income.
(Answer)
A
Ques: How Many Lies Do the Children Tell You? Mothers who feel their children don' t appreciate them can add another _ to the list: half the time, their children are lying to them. A study designed to expose the truth about lying shows that undergraduates lie to their mothers in 46% of their conversations. Still, mums should feel better than total strangers, who are told lies an astonishing 77 % of the time. Bella Depaulo and a team of psychologists from the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, asked 77 undergraduates to keep a record of all their conversations for a week, and write down whether they lied at any time. DePaulo named lying broadly, as "when you intentionally try to mislead someone", so she would catch the smallest of lies. The students told an average of two lies a day. They said they had been studying when they had been out drinking. One told his parents that a textbook cost $50 rather than $20 so that they would send him extra money. Female students constantly told their plain-looking roommates that they were pretty. "They are everyday lies," says DePaulo. DePaulo and her colleagues conclude that people tend to tell fewer lies to those they feel closest to. College students lied to their best friends 28% of the time but lied to acquaintances 48% of the time. In close relationships, people were more likely to tell "kind-hearted" lies, designed to protect feelings, rather than self-serving lies. Romantic partners lie somewhere between close friends and acquaintances. Students lied to romantic partners about a third of the time. DePaulo thinks that unmarried lovers can expect less honesty than best friends because of the insecurity that comes with romance. Mothers can take heart from one other finding. They may have been lied to, but at least their children talked to them. The students were recorded telling few lies to their fathers because they had little interaction with them. Female students lied to their roommates to _ . A) get money from them B) offer them the services C) gain more security D) make them happy
Ans: D
Question: A severe heatwave sweeping India, with temperatures of almost 44oC, the highest in 52 years, has killed at least 80 people this month, officials said on Sunday. The hot weather, which officials say would continue over northern, north-western and central India in the next 48 hours, also may have some impact on wheat production, exporters and flour-mill associations said. New Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 43.7oC on Saturday, indicating a hot summer in the next two months in the nation's capital and other parts of northern and eastern India. The highest temperature in the past 24 hours was 47oC at Ganganagar city, in Rajasthan state. Summer temperatures have been 4oC-6oC above normal over most parts of northern and central India since March, weather officials said. In the eastern state of Orissa, authorities have decided to shut down schools from next Tuesday, advancing the annual summer holiday. Authorities said they were investigating reports of 53 deaths from various parts of the state. "District collectors have been asked to investigate and submit reports on other deaths," Bhimsen Gochhayat, a government official said. Other deaths were reported from northern state of Uttar Pradesh and central Madhya Pradesh states. India is expected to produce about 82 million tons of wheat in 2009-2010, but there could be a shortage of 1-1.5 million tons due to the heatwave, said Veena Sharma, Secretary General of the Roller Flour Millers Federation of India. "Most of the harvesting is over, but there definitely will be a slight shortage of 1-1.5 million tons due to the extreme weather conditions," she told Reuters. India is relying on an abundant wheat crop to make up for a 14.2% drop in rice output, the major summer-sown food grain, _ by the worst monsoon in 37 years last year. Weather officials say with summer temperatures in India set to remain above average, there were hopes of heavy rains at the start of the monsoon season that will help early sowing of rice, soybeans and lentils. The purpose of the passage is _ . A) to tell a piece of news of a heatwave B) to record the highest temperature in India C) to report the deaths in the heatwave D) to inform people of a drop of rice output
Answer:
A