When many people in the west think of China, the animal that they think of is the dragon. For them, the dragon is an aggressive monster that breathes fire. Many popular legends tell how dragons have killed brave knights and eaten beautiful young girls. For Chinese people, however, the dragon is not an evil monster. It's a cultural and spiritual symbol for prosperity and good luck. The dragon's main task is to create harmony and bring rain. Dragons are celebrated in art and architecture, and of course the dragon dance is a very popular ritual . China isn't the only country to have the dragon as its symbol. Wales in the UK, has a red dragon proudly displayed on its flag. Another country in the world with a dragon on its flag is Bhutan, a tiny country between China and India. Almost all countries in the world have an animal symbol representing their countries. This is particularly obvious during sports. The English think lions to be brave and proud animal and the English football teams have three lions on their football shirts. Australia is famous for kangaroos, of course. The national rugby team is more commonly known as the Wallabies, a type of small kangaroo.The South African team is known as the Springboks, a type of African antelope. Likewise the New Zealanders, whether playing sports or not, are commonly known as kiwis. A kiwi is a native New Zealand bird that can't fly. All countries are proud of their symbols, which they feel reflect national characteristics or the beauty and variety of their natural environments. Recently, a Shang hai professor claimed that using the dragon as a national symbol could make western countries have a negative view of China. But in an Internet survey 90% of Chinese people wanted to keep the dragon. Which of the following does NOT use the dragon as its national symbol? A) China. B) Wales. C) Bhutan. D) India.
D
I've ridden a lot of buses in my time. There was the one in India that was so crowded, I had to climb onto the top just to breathe. Neither will I forget the bus in South Africa that was almost taken up by monkeys. No matter how entertaining they were at the time, none can compare to my first ride on what I now call the Leisure Village Local. When I first moved into Leisure Village, I didn't even know bus transportation was provided. Then I had an operation on my left foot and I couldn't drive. As I didn't want to keep making trouble for friends to shop for me, I decided to try out the Leisure Village Local. The next morning, undaunted, I stood with the support of my crutches and waited. Suddenly, the bus arrived. As soon as I boarded the bus, I discovered I was all by myself. Then the bus approached another stop, and four women climbed aboard. They sat next to me and introduced themselves. A few minutes later, we arrived at the Wal-Mart in Middle Island. As soon as we entered, one of my new friends showed me how to operate the motorized shopping cart . Another walked alongside the entire time, waiting to help if something was out of reach. One hour later, another insisted on carrying my bags onto the bus. And the fourth woman carried my bags to my front door when we got back. I thanked them all for their help, and told them I would see them soon. The next day morning, I found a brown paper bag at the front door. Inside was a giant bowl of chicken soup, and a note. "Get well soon." It was signed, "Your guardian angels." I rode the Leisure Village Local two more times later, but didn't see any of my guardian angels. Maybe they're helping someone else, I thought. Or, maybe they flew south for the winter. Which of the following can be the best title for the text? A) An Unexpected Gift B) An Unforgettable Trip Abroad C) A Pleasant Shopping Experience D) A Chance Meeting with Angels
D
Q: It takes years of school to develop math skills, but learning about numbers starts earlier than you might think. Now according to a new study, at three months, babies have already started acquiring a concept of "how much". Previous research had suggested that very young babies can tell when the number of objects in a group has changed. But the babies in these studies were simply reacting generally to the fact that something had changed, they suspected. Researchers of Harvard University studied 36 babies, all three months old. During the tests, each baby wore a hat with sensors . The babies watched a series of images on a computer screen. _ showed the same object, such as a cartoon character. For a while, the number of the objects in the pictures didn't change. Then the images began to display a different object, or a different number of one of the objects the babies had previously looked at. As soon as something changed, the babies' brains responded with a specific pattern of electrical signals, which would be recorded by sensors. By analyzing these signals, the researchers discovered that one part of the brain (near the top on the left side) responded when the object in the image changed. A different part of the brain (lower and on the right side) responded when the number of objects in the image changed. This was not the area of the brain that is involved in attention. That suggests that the babies' brains are doing more than just reacting to a change in what they're seeing - they actually seem to be able to tell number changes from other types of changes. Numbers and amounts are important concepts in our lives. Even though babies are years away from adding, subtracting , multiplying, and dividing, their brains seem to be preparing for a time when they finally will. Why were hats with sensors used in the study? A) To record the images on the computer screen. B) To remind babies of the changes of numbers. C) To record the electrical activity of each baby's brain. D) To help babies concentrate on the computer screen.
A: C
(Question)
When I was 11, I had an enemy, a girl who liked to point out my shortcomings . Week by week her list grew: I was very thin, I wasn't a good student, I talked too much, I was too proud, and so on. I tried to hear all this as long as I could. In the end, I became so angry that I ran to my father with tears in my eyes. He listened to me quietly, then he asked. "Are the things she says true or not? Janet, didn't you ever wonder what you're really like? Well, you now have that girl's opinion. Go and make a list of everything she said and mark the points that are true. Pay no attention to the other things she said." I did as he told me. To my great surprise, I discovered that about half the things were true. Some of them I couldn't change (like being very thin), but a good number I could--and suddenly I wanted to change. For the first time I go to fairly clear picture of myself. I brought the list back to Dad. He refused to take it." That's just for you," he said. "You know better than anyone else the truth about yourself. But you have to learn to listen, not just close your ears in anger and feeling hurt. When something said about you is true, you'll find it will be of help to you. Our world is full of people who think they know your duty. Don't shut your ears. Listen to them all, but hear the truth and do what you know is the right thing to do." Daddy's advice has returned to me at many important moments. In my life, I'veneverhadabetterpieceofadvice. Which do you think would be the best title for this passage? A) The Best Advice I've Ever Had B) NotanEnemy,buttheBestFriend C) My Father D) MyChildhood
(Answer)
A