English is an important global language, but that doesn't mean it's easy to learn. Many experts have tried to make English easier for students to learn--but they weren't always successful. In 1930, Professor CK Ogden of Cambridge University invented Basic English. It had only 850 words (and just eighteen verbs) and Ogden said most people could learn it in just thirty hours. The problem was that people who learned Basic English could write and say simple messages, but they couldn't understand the answers in "real" English! It was also impossible to explain a word if it wasn't in the Basic English word list. For example, if you wanted a watermelon, you asked for "a large green fruit with the form of an egg, which has a sweet red inside and a good taste"! RE Zachrisson, a university professor in Sweden, decided that the biggest problem for learners of English was spelling, so he invented a language called Anglic. Anglic was similar to English, but with much simpler spelling. "Father" became "faadher", "new" became "nue' and "years" became "yeerz". Unfortunately for some students of English, Anglic never became popular. Even easier is the language which ships' captains use: it's called "Seaspeak". Seaspeak uses a few simple phrases for every possible situation. In Seaspeak, for example, you don't say, "I'm sorry what did you say?" or "I didn't understand, can you repeat that?" It's just "Say again." No more grammar! In the age of international communication through the Internet who knows? ... a new form of English might appear. A large number of the world's e-mails are in English and include examples of "NetLingo" like OIC (Oh, I see) and TTYL (Talk to you later). In another fifty years, English might not exist ... we will probably all speak fluent Internetish! Which of the following is likely to be Anglic? A) IOU B) A graet batl. C) Long time no see. D) Two five, no lights.
B
(Question)
Guo Jingming is a best-selling author in China. He was born in Zigong, Sichuan Province on June 6, 1983. He is well-known for his essays and fictions, such as On the Edge of Love and Hurt, City of Fantasy, and Tiny Times. His essays and fictions are especially popular with teenagers. He is also a director and once directed his movie Tiny Times successfully. In June 2013, Guo was awarded the Best New Director at the Shanghai International Film Festival for his first movie Tiny Times. The movie has sold 6.7 million copies. In 2001, Guo Jingming started to gain _ after winning the New Concept Writing Competition's top award. Lots of young people got to know Guo Jingming little by little. A year later, Guo entered the writing competition again and won the top prize for the second time. At the same time, a collection of his prose On the Edge of Love and Hurt was published. In 2003, his first novel City of Fantasy came out. It was the novel that made Guo Jingming famous all over the country. In 2008, Guo was elected to the Chinese Writers' Association. He became the youngest member of the association. Guo's Tiny Times series was published between 2008 and 2012. What happened to Guo Jingming in 2008? A) He was won the New Concept Writing Competition's top award. B) He began to make his first movie as a director. C) His first novel was published all over the country. D) He became the youngest member of the Chinese Writers' Association.
(Answer)
D
Ques: Cooking is an important skill with an interesting history. Every culture has their own types of foods and methods of cooking. Most cities and towns have local specialties and dishes. Families often have special recipes and meals that nobody else knows how to cook. Food comes in almost as many shapes, sizes, and varieties as people do. And behind every meal and every dish there is a cook. In many cultures, especially in the West, cooking has traditionally been a task more often performed by women than by men. Today, however, it would be foolish to say cooking is only for females. Even though people are becoming busier and busier with their jobs, more and more people are cooking, including men. People cook to relax, to save money, to eat healthier foods, or just to eat tastier foods. This activity has become so popular that in the United States there is a television channel that does nothing but teach you how to cook. The internet has made it easier and easier to get all kinds of recipes. Because of globalization more types of spices and ingredients are available to more people at cheaper prices. This has helped contribute to new types of foods, dishes, and styles of cooking. Simply put, cooking is on the rise. In most places you can survive without knowing how to cook. But in my opinion if you don't know how to cook, you had better know somebody else that can cook, or life just won't be as enjoyable. Why is cooking becoming more popular? A) Because people are richer now than they were in the past. B) Because they can control what they eat and be healthier. C) There are many reasons for the increase in popularity. D) Cooking is relaxing.
Ans: C
ROME: The legend of Leonardo da Vinci is covered in mystery: How did he die? Are the remains buried in a French castle really those of the master? Was the "Mona Lisa" a self-portrait in disguise ? A group of Italian scientists believe the key to solving those puzzles lies with the remains, and they say they are seeking permission to dig up the body to conduct carbon and DNA testing. If the skull is undamaged, the scientists can go to the heart of a question that has fascinated scholars and the public for centuries: the identity of the "Mona Lisa." Recreating a virtual and then physical reconstruction of Leonardo's face, they can compare it with the smiling face in the painting. "We don't know what we'll find if the tomb is opened. We could even just find grains and dust," says Giorgio Gruppioni, an anthropologist who is participating in the project. "But if the remains are well kept, they are a biological record of events in a person's life, and sometimes in their death." Silvano Vinceti, the leader of the group, said that _ in charge of the said burial site at Amboise Castle early next week. Leonardo moved to France at the invitation of King Francis I, who named him "first painter to the king." He spent the last three years of his life there, and died in 1519 at age 67. The artist's original burial place, the palace church of Saint Florentine, was destroyed during the French Revolution and remains that are believed to be his were eventually reburied in the Saint-Hubert Chapel near the castle. "The Amboise tomb is a symbolic tomb; it's a big question mark," said Alessandro Vezzosi, the director of a museum dedicated to Leonardo in his hometown of Vinci. Vezzosi said that investigating the tomb could help identify the artist's bones with certainty and solve other questions, such as the cause of his death. He said he asked to open the tomb in 2004 to study the remains, but the Amboise Castle turned him down. The group of 100 experts involved in the project, called the National Committee for Historical and... Which of the following statements is true according to the passage? A) Scholars have the same opinion on DNA testing B) Scientists doubt if the remains are those of da Vinci C) The identity of "Mona Lisa" has already been proved D) Alessandro Vezzosi got permission to open the tomb
B