When English as a foreign language is taught to children at the primary and early secondary levels of education, it is generally taught with a general education aim in mind--that is, it is regarded as a "good thing" for them to learn a foreign language as a part of a broad education. There is usually, however, no immediate and specific requirement for such children to make use of the language in any communicative situation. The purpose of learning the language is essentially a "deferred" purpose, deferred till the tertiary level of education, normally at university, where, it is agreed, a knowledge of English would be helpful in their academic studies. Immediate aims of learning English are defined by the requirements of examinations. Inevitably what is taught to primary and secondary level children is not a communicative knowledge of English language use, but a knowledge of how the rules of English operate. The language system is taught by means of systematic audio-lingual drill and exercise techniques based on habit formation theory of learning and a structural description of English. This may be an effective manner of teaching English usage, but it is less certain that an understanding of how these rules are related to language in use for communicative purpose is an automatic result of this instruction. What the thousands of children succeed in learning in this way is what is necessary in order to pass examinations. Whether such examinations accurately reflect the uses to which English will be put at the tertiary level is another matter altogether. Adults, on the other hand, unless they are learning a foreign language for "pleasure" at evening institutes, as a "cultural" and social experience, are generally highly conscious of the use to which they intend to put it. That use is frequently associated with an academic or professional requirement; without a knowledge of the foreign language, their development in their chosen sphere of work could be restricted or at least adversely affected. What is the main topic of this passage? A) The importance of English learning. B) English learning as a part of a general education. C) English learning and examination. D) Aims and purposes of foreign language learning.
D
(Question)
Islands of Adventure at Universal Orlando in Florida People say that it is the home of the "Harry Potter Theme Park". The Wizarding World is the most popular part of the park. Other popular rides include the Adventures of Spider-Man, Popeye & Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges and the Jurassic Park River Adventure. It is open from Monday to Saturday. $15.95 for children, 3 to 13 years old; $29.95 for ages 14 and over. PI-O Indoor Theme Park in Longueuil The PI-O Indoor Theme Park features(......) 16 rides, a small sea train, a kid-sized bowling alley , a mirror maze , theme rooms which include the Christmas room on-the-sea, and a private reception room. "I wanted to create a safe environment for kids aged 1 to 10," explains owner Jocelyne Pinard. She noted how many competing amusement parks have sections that can be unsafe for young kids -- such as the "ball rooms" full of loose plastic balls. So this is how it is different from other amusement parks. Open seven days a week. The admission fees are $16.99 for individuals and $64 for families. Legoland Windsor Theme Park in London Legoland Windsor is the best choice for young families. The park is designed for children from 3 to 12. There are over 50 rides as well as live shows, workshops, and other attractions aimed at younger children, and especially those who are already fond of building-block toys. The park is open every single day. Adults: $35; Ages 3-15 and 60+: $26. Buy online and save $3 per person. Wonder La Theme Park in India Wonder La is a world-class amusement park. It's modern, clean and green, and has all kinds of attractions. There are over 50 rides, 12 of which are water based and 9 especially for small children. If you love getting wet, don't miss the Rain Disco -- an indoor dance floor with a rain system that provides showers of warm water to the music. Monday to Friday 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. Saturday, Sunday, Holiday and Festival seasons 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. Single adult / child -- $13.50; Family ticket (for any four people) -- $50.00; Children 3 and... Where is the passage most probably taken? A) A science magazine. B) A text book. C) A travel guide. D) A local newspaper.
(Answer)
C
Ques: China's economic growth "hard to predict" The worsening global economic situation makes it difficult for China to predict its growth for next year, a senior official said on Friday. "How fast China's economy will grow next year is uncertain," Liu He, deputy director of the Office of the Central Leading Group on Finance and Economy Work, told China Daily. "To a large , the rate will be decided by the external situation," Liu said during a discussion with Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt and other economists in Beijing. "This year, GDP is estimated to grow at 9.4 or 9.5 percent, down from 10.6 percent last year," he said. "However, the impact of the current financial turbulence on our economy is much less than on the rest of the world." Nicholas Stern, a former UK government advisor, also told China Daily it will take at least one or two years for the world to recover from the recession, which is now spreading from the US and the UK to the rest of the world. "We don't know how long the recession will last, but it is unlikely to be short," he said. Liu said China can use the downturn as an opportunity to restructure its economy, which has relied heavily on government investment, foreign trade and low-cost technology over the past years. "When the economy is experiencing fast growth, companies are unwilling to upgrade their technologies," Liu said. "The slowdown gives such firms the opportunity to enhance their competitive edge through better technologies." (From China Daily 2009-01-11) How many people are mentioned in this passage? A) Only 2. B) No more than 3. C) Not more than 4. D) At least 5.
Ans: D
Although women lead healthier, longer lives, the cruel opinion that they become "old" sooner than men is widespread in the workplace , research shows . A survey of more than 2,600 managers and personnel professionals showed that age discrimination is not only common in the workplace , but is shot through with inconsistencies . Six in ten managers reported being a victim of age discrimination--usually because they were turned down for a job for being too old or too young . Yet more than a fifth admitted that they used ages as an important standard . Although the survey found widespread agreement that older workers were better than younger colleagues when it came to reliability , commitment , loyalty and customer service , these qualities were not necessarily considered to be worthy of advancement . A large number of persons believed that workers between 30 and 39 had the best promotion chances , with only 2 percent giving example of 50 year-olds or above. There was evidence that people were considered old at different ages in different jobs . A young man working in IT said he was considered too old by the age of 28. In fact there was no evidence to suggest that older workers were less valuable to companies than younger workers , in fact the opposite was often true because older workers often brought experience . The findings also suggested that the Government's ideas on age in the workforce may also be out of step with reality. Older workers are better than younger colleagues because they have many advantages except that they are_. A) dependable B) married C) faithful D) helpful
B