While astronauts in space get to do many exciting things, they miss out on ordinary things that we all take for granted--being able to walk on firm ground, hanging out with family and digging into a slice of hot steaming pizza. Though not much can be done about the first two things, there may soon be a solution to the third one, thanks to this cool 3-D pizza printer! About a year ago, NASA offered $125 ,000 to Anjan Contractor, a 3-D technology expert, to build a device that would allow astronauts to make pizza on demand. The mechanical engineer promised that his invention would produce pies in large quantities that looked, tasted and even smelled like pizza made in common ovens. Late last year, the engineer presented a video of his first prototype that begins by creating a single slice of dough that is cooked and printed at the same time. Then comes the tomato "sauce" -- a mix of tomato powder, oil and water and finally, a protein slice that resembles cheese. While the video doesn't show the baking process, the inventor says that once the pizza is printed, it can be ready to be consumed in 7 seconds. While the pie in the video looks delicious enough to attract any pizza lover, Anjan Contractor is far from ready for astronauts. That's because he still has to find a solution to make the food container in the printer last for 30 years. Though that may sound unrealistic, actually it is not. Anjan Contractor believes that the only way that is possible is that the water is removed from all the ingredients and then they are reduced to the powder form. This, as you can imagine, will not be so easy. But, while the printer may not be ready for space, it certainly looks ready enough for people on earth. Hopefully, NASA and Contractor will consider selling it to those not fortunate enough to go to Mars! What's the best title of the passage? A) NASA is trying its best to help astronauts eat better B) Astronauts may soon be able to enjoy steaming hot pizza C) NASA is working on making pizza for common people D) A 3-D pizza printer has been used to make pizza
B
(Question)
I'd like to share a little story with you about something that happened when I was four. I remember it clearly. Our loving family dog was nearing the end of his life. My father picked him up and put him in a little bed we had made for him. Our dog, my companion, whom we had cared for, bit my father when he attempted to help him. How could he? Why? I couldn't understand it. I didn't like him anymore. I hadn't thought about that story for a long time but something that happened last week brought it back to me. I went to speak with a friend. When I knocked on the door, I met in an instant an angry look and a few harsh words. When the door was slammed in my face, I stood there shocked, and in a rush, I was reminded of my dog bit my father 20 years ago or so. What brought that story back was that same feeling of betrayal. Both stories taught me something the next day. You see, when I got up in the morning and was told my dog had died, it became clear to me that he must have been in great pain. For him to have bitten a family member, he could not have been himself. Much the same for the other story when I learned that my friend's wife had just left him. We are all beings of our environments, our opinions and feelings. And all of those things can cause you to say and do things that can't be understood by those who are not in the same situation with you. If you meet someone either behaving out of character or acting in a way that doesn't seem to fit the situation, put out your hand and be patient when you think it is least possible for him to do so. You may turn around a story that has a sad ending simply by your actions. What's the author's advice to us? A) Help those in need. B) Look before you leap. C) Learn to understand others. D) Tolerance is a kind of virtue.
(Answer)
C
Ques: Music is often thought of as "easy" or "play time", but it's not that at all. Music plays a very important part in our education. Students who learn music learn a lot of music history at school. This includes "modes ",which were used in churches during the development of music. They are still used today. Students learn about the historical events that were taking place when the music they play was written. They learn what the music was used for. So much of our culture is in music and has been for centuries. Music also helps with science. Students use science to help them discover what sounds good together and what doesn't. Students also need science to understand something called the "overtone series", which is about how music is produced by vibration and why. Students learn a lot about languages. Many songs are written in other languages, including ancient ones. Students must learn to translate these works to understand what they are singing about. Some songs are famous poems or short works set to music. Students learn a huge amount of coordination through music, so parts of the body can work better together. Students must use fine motor skills in order to play an instrument. Singers and players must learn breath control and be in good shape to play. Students learn about art. Some famous pieces were written about important works of art, and students learn about the artists and styles as they're playing the music. Music education also brings higher thinking to our children. It allows them to think about complex patterns (How can I make my part sound better?How do this music and these different parts fit together?). Students have to know absolutely what every other musician does at all times. In that way, it develops teamwork. As one can see, music is very important to education besides bringing us fun. Learning music is helpful to the following subjects EXCEPT _ . A) science B) language C) politics D) history
Ans: C
"Long time no see" is a very interesting sentence. When I first read this sentence from an American friend's email, I laughed. I thought it was a perfect example of Chinglish. Obviously, it is a word-by-word literal translation of the Chinese greetings with a ruled English grammar and structure! Later on, my friend told me that it is a standard American greeting. I was too thrilled to believe her. Her words could not convince me at all. So I did a research on google.com. To my surprise, there are over 60 thousand web pages containing "Long time no see." This sentence has been widely used in emails, letters, newspapers, movies, books, or any other possible places. Though it is sort of informal, it is part of the language that Americans use daily. Ironically, if you type this phrase in Microsoft Word, the software will tell you that the grammar needs to be corrected. Nobody knows the origin of this Chinglish sentence. Some people believe that it came from Charlie Chan's movies. In the 1930s, Hollywood moviemakers successfully created a world wide famous Chinese detective named "Charlie Chan" on wide screens. Detective Chan likes to teach Americans some Chinese wisdom by quoting Confucius. "Long time no see" was his trademark. Soon after Charlie Chan, "Long time no see" became a popular phrase in the real world with thanks to the popularity of these movies. Some scholars refer to America as a huge pot of stew. All kinds of culture are mixed in the stew together, and they change the color and taste of each other. American Chinese, though a minority ethnic group in the United States, is also contributing some changes to the stew! Language is usually the first thing to be influenced in the mixed stew. You can have some other examples than adoptions from Chinese, such as pizza from Italian, susi from Japanese, and deja vu from French etc. There is a long list! Americans do not just simply borrow something from others. They will modify it and make it their own, so you would not be surprised to find a tofu and peanut... The writer himself felt surprised at _ . A) the Chinglish expression "Long time no see" B) "Long time no see" used as standard American English C) so many literal translation of the expressions used in America D) finding out Americans use the expression every day
B