It is not often realized that women held a high place in southern European societies in the 10 th and 11 th centuries. As wife, the woman was protected by the setting up of a dowry or decimum. Admittedly, the purpose of this was to protect her against the risk of desertion ,but in reality its function in the social and family life of the time was much more important. The decimum was the wife's right to receive a tenth of all her husband's property. The wife had the right to withhold consent, in all transactions the husband would make, And more than just a right: the documents showed that she enjoyed a real power of decision, equal to that of her husband. In no case did the documents indicate any degree of difference in the legal status of husband and wife. The wife shared in the management of her husband's personal property, but the opposite was not always true. Women seemed perfectly prepared to defend their own inheritance(,)against husbands who tried to exceed their rights, and on occasion they showed a fine fighting spirit. A case in point is that of Maria, Vivas, a Catalan woman of Barcelona. Having agreed with her husband Miro to sell a field she had inherited, for the needs of the household, she insisted on compensation. None being offered, she succeeded in dragging her husband to the scribe to have a contract duly drawn up assigning her a piece of land from Miro's personal inheritance. The unfortunate husband was obliged to agree, as the contract says, "for the sake of peace." Either through the dowry or through being hot-tempered, the Catalan wife knew how to win herself, within the context of the family, a powerful economic position. What compensation did Maria Vivas get for the field? A) Some of the land Miro had inherited. B) A tenth of Miro's land. C) Money for household expenses. D) Money from Miro's inheritance.
A
Many people think prefix = st1 /Casablanca is one of the best movies ever made. It was filmed in 1942, during the Second World War, and starred Humphrey Bogart as Rick, and Ingrid Bergman as Ilsa. The movie is set in Casablanca, a place the Germans hope to take from the French. Rick owns a bar there. In the movie, the German army is coming towardsCasablanca. People who live there are trying to escape before they arrive. Rick has two tickets for the last plane out ofCasablanca. His former lover Ilsa arrives inCasablancawith her husband Victor Lazlo. Lazlo is a leader in a secret group, and his escape will help win the war againstGermany. Rick decides to give his tickets to Ilsa and Lazlo rather than use them himself. Rick really loves Ilsa, but he knows that it is more important for Lazlo to get out ofCasablanca. Rick is a very tough character but he is not selfish. He is very good to people who need his help. Some famous lines from the movie are, "Here's looking at you, kid." and "This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship." Many people think that the line, "Play it again, Sam." is in the movie. Actually, the line is "Play it, Sam." Both Rick and Ilsa ask the piano player, Sam, to play the song,As Time Goes By. It was originally recorded in 1931 and became very popular because of this movie. The movie was filmed almost entirely in the Warner Brothers film studios in Hollywood, using special effects. It won several Academy awards and is well worth seeing. If you've already seen it, see it again, Sam! What information is NOT found in the text? A) Facts about the movie. B) Famous lines in the movie . C) The director's other movies. D) The movie's story.
C
Q: Our culture is the system we use to build our identity. All living creatures are part of a culture. Even animals have a culture! So what is culture? It's the way we behave in a group. It begins with each individual family. Within our families we do things to build relationships with each other. This can include routines for doing things. It also includes traditions. Traditions are activities that are repeated on a regular basis. Culture is not limited to individual family groups. The real strength of culture is in larger community groups. These larger groups are called societies. Every society makes rules for itself. It decides how people should act in different situations. Some of these rules are written down. Some are just things that are automatically expected of all members of that society. Often, cultures can be identified by what the people believe. Cultures are also known by what they choose to include in their art. Sometimes a society forms around people who speak the same language. Cultures may also be known for their customs, including the foods they make and the things they do. Our cultures help us understand who we are and what we believe. There are very strong emotions connecting us to our own society. Two different cultures may disagree on something, especially if they both feel strongly about it. When that happens, war is a common result. People are learning better ways to communicate with each other. The more we learn, the more we appreciate the differences in cultures. We can infer from the passage that _ . A) cultural exchanges may help reduce the risk of war B) all disagreements are caused by strong feelings C) differences in culture always cause disagreements D) people haven't tried different ways to communicate
A: A
(Q).
Did you know that reading can keep your mind active and engaged well into old age? Several years ago when I was working as a newspaper reporter, I interviewed a woman who was a resident at a local nursing home. She was 100 years old. She read at least one book per week, mostly novels. She was bright, intelligent and fun to talk with. "I love to read. It helps me keep up with what's going on in the world," she said. "A friend of mine brings me a new book every week. I look forward to her visits and I look forward to the books." "I can't get around much any more," said the 100-year-old woman, "but when I read, I can go anywhere, anytime I want. And no one has to help me!" Reading also sets a good example for younger generations. I have observed that the best readers are those students who see their parents reading. And I'm not talking about only reading novels. Newspapers and magazines are important too. Your actions will communicate a great deal to your children and grandchildren about what you value. But why is reading so important? In this day and age, with television to give us news, and movies and videos to keep us entertained, who needs to read? The answer is everyone. Developing good reading skills does not only mean that you can read a novel or a magazine, it also means being able to read and understand things like a credit card contract or an insurance policy, or the instructions for how to put a new printer to use with your computer. In addition, developing good reading skills means that you can think for yourself. You can read about the advantages and disadvantages of anything from homeschooling to taking a vacation to Ireland. And then you can make up your own mind about what's best for you and your family. The 100-year-old woman loved reading because _ . A) reading helped her meet her friends B) reading could broaden her horizons C) she wanted to escape from the real world D) she taught her grandchildren to read
(A).
B