*Question*
Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: The computer keyboard helped kill shorthand---a system of rapid handwriting, and now it's threatening to finish off handwriting as a whole. When handwritten essays were introduced on the SAT exams for the class of 2011, just 15% of the most 1.5 million students wrote their answers in cursive .The rest? Block letters. And those college hopefuls are just the first edge of a wave of US students who no longer get much handwriting instructions in the primary grades, frequently 10 minutes a day or less. As a result, more and more students struggle to read and write cursive. At Keene Mill Elementary School in Springfield, all their poems and stories are typed. Children in Fairfax County schools are taught keyboarding beginning in kindergarten. Older students who never mastered handwriting say it doesn't affect their grades. There are those who say the culture is at a crossing, turning from the written word to the typed one. If handwriting becomes a lost form of communication, does it matter? It was at University of Virginia that researchers recently discovered a previously unknown poem by Robert, written in his unique script. Handwritten documents are more valuable to researchers, historians say, because their authenticity can be confirmed. Students also find them more fascinating. The loss of handwriting also may be a cognitive opportunity missed. Several academic studies have found that good handwriting skills at a young age can help children express their thoughts better-a lifelong benefit. It doesn't take much to teach better handwriting skills. At some schools in Prince George's County, elementary school students use a program called Handwriting Without Tears for 15 minutes a day. They learn the correct formation of manuscript letters through second grade, and cursive letters in third grade. There are always going to be some kids who struggle with handwriting because of their particular neurological wiring, learning issues or poor motor skills. Educators often point to this factor in support of keyboarding. Question: What is the author's attitude towards this debate? - Devotion. - Encouragement. - critical. - Objective.
**Answer**
Objective.

*Question*
Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: I was watching Sports center last night when one of those "human interest" stories came on and really caught my attention. The story was about a 27-year-old professional Bass Fisherman named Clay Dyer. At first, they played it off as another guy trying to make the cut on the Bass master tour until they showed a picture of him. No legs, no arm, or rather, he has only 1/3 of his right arm. That's all that he has. It was such an amazing story that I was wondering what this guy could do. Growing up, he learned to play baseball and basketball, but found that fishing was his true calling. And he does it all on his own. He holds the fishing pole under his chin and uses that and his stub arm to cast and reel in the fish. He uses his teeth to help him unhook fish. He ties his own hooks or lures on with his mouth, never really asking anyone else to help. Clay Dyer even knows how to swim. Since his body can't produce enough sweat on its own, he has to take a dip in the lake every few hours to keep cool. He dives in just like anyone else, then somehow treads water with his stub arm, then, with a little help, pulls himself back up into the boat and goes on fishing. Clay Dyer has never looked for others' pity, nor has he allowed his physical disabilities to prevent him from becoming a professional fisherman. His motto for life is "If I can, you can." He refuses to use special equipment, saying, "I want to do it with one hand the way they do it with two." Question: Which word best describes Clay Dyer's personality? - Diligent. - Inspiring. - Faithful. - Stubborn.
**Answer**
Inspiring.

*Question*
Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Long-time exposure to air pollution can lead to physical changes in the brain and cause trouble in learning and memory, and even anxiety. This is suggested by the results of new research on mice. While other studies have shown the harmful effects of polluted air in the lungs and heart, this is the first to show the negative effect on the brain. The team of Laura Fonken, Randy Nelson , from the Ohio State University, the USA, has spread to the brain a previous line of research which found that fine particulate matter floating in the air mainly because of air pollution caused by humans, causes swelling in much of the body, and may be related to high blood pressure problems, and some other diseases. In the research Fonken and his colleagues exposed mice to polluted air for six hours each day, five days a week, over a period of 10 months, almost half the average life length of mice. Polluted air contains fine particles created by cars, factories and natural dust. Fine particles of this kind are tiny, about 2.5 micrometers in diameter , or about one-thirtieth the width of a human hair. These particles can go deep into lungs and other organs. The concentration of this particulate material to which they exposed mice is equal to the concentration at which people can be exposed in some polluted urban areas. After a period of 10 months, the researchers got the animals to have a series of behavioral tests. Both the behavior of mice and the results of neurological tests done to them show that those within the polluted air had more problems in learning and memory, and higher levels of anxiety. The results suggest that long-time exposure to polluted air can have measurable negative effects on the human brain and can cause a variety of mental health problems. This could have important consequences for those living and working in polluted urban areas. Question: What harmful effect of polluted air is mentioned in other studies? - The harmful effect on learning. - The harmful effect on all the organs. - The harmful effect on lungs and heart. - The harmful effect on improving memory.
**Answer**
The harmful effect on lungs and heart.

*Question*
Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Magic is believed to have begun with the Egyptians, in 1700 BC. A magician named Dedi of Dedsnefu was reported to have performed for the pharaoh, or the king. He was also known to have entertained the slaves who built the pyramids. The "Cups and Balls" trick which he was particularly good at is still performed by magicians all over the world today. The ancient Greeks and Romans were also fascinated by the idea of magic. Actually, one of their main interests was the art of deception . This explains why at that time the priests even built magic devices into their temples. These devices made it possible for doors to open by themselves and wine to flow magically out of statues' mouths. This was done mainly to convince people that the priests were powerful. Magic, however, was not well accepted before the 1800s. Magicians were thought of as freaks and were only allowed to perform in a circus . It was in the 19th century that the magician Robert Houdin came along and changed people's views and attitudes about magic. It was also because of Robert Houdin that many magicians were able to add Dr. or MD to their names. Today magicians try hard to find new ways to show their practiced skills. Magic is now entertainment for families all over the world. Question: Which of the following statements is true? - Magic began about 3,700 years ago. - Dedi of Dedsnefu performed magic for kings only. - Robert Houdin was the first magician to perform magic. - The "Cups and Balls" trick has been performed for about 1,700 years.
**Answer**
Magic began about 3,700 years ago.