A study involving 8,500 teenagers from all social backgrounds found that most of them are ignorant when it comes to money. The findings, the first in a series of reports from NatWesl that has started a five-year research project into teenagers and money, are particularly worrying as this generation of young people is likely to be burdened with greater debts than any before. Universitytuition fees are currently capped at PS3,000 annually, but this will be reviewed next year and the Government is under enormous pressure to _ In the research, the teenagers were presented with die terms of four different loans but 76 per cent failed to identify the cheapest. The young people also predicted that they would be earning on average PS 31.000 by the age of 25, although the average salary for those aged 22 to 29 is just PS 17,815. The teenagers expected to be in debt when they finished university or training, although half said that they assumed the debts would be less than PS 10.000. Average debts for graduates are PS 12,363. Stephen Moir, head of community investment at the Royal Bank of Scotland Group which owns NatWest, said. "The more exposed young people are to financial issues, and the younger they become aware of them, the more likely they are to become responsible, forward-planning adults who manage their finances confidently and effectively." Ministers are deeply concerned about the financial pressures on teenagers and young people because of student loans and rising housing costs. They have just introduced new lessons in how to manage debts. Nikki Fairweather aged 15 from St Helens, said that she had benefited from lessons on personal finance, but admitted that she still had a lot to learn about money. According to Stephen Moir, students _ . A) are too young to be exposed to financial issues B) should learn to manage their finances well C) should maintain a positive attitude when facing loans D) benefit a lot from lessons on personal finance
B
Eating foods high in trans-fats(fats present in artificial form in industrially-produced cakes and fast food...) and saturated fats increases the risk of depression, according to a Spanish study, confirming previous studies that linked "junk food" with the disease. Researchers also showed that some products, such as olive oil, can fight against the risk of mental illness. Authors of the wide-reaching study, from the universities of Navarra and Las Palmas, followed and analyzed the diet and lifestyle of over l2,000 volunteers over six years. When the study began, none of the participants had been diagnosed with depression; by the end, 657 of them were new sufferers. "Participants with an increased consumption of trans-fats presented up to a 48 percent increase in the risk of depression when they were compared to participants who did not consume these fats," the head study author said. "The more trans-fats were consumed, the greater harmful effect they produced in the volunteers." The research team found, at the same time, that after assessing the effect of polyunsaturated fats made up of larger amounts of fish and vegetable oils and olive oil, these products are associated with a lower risk of suffering depression. The report, published in the online journal PLOS ONE, noted the research was performed on a European population that enjoys a relatively low intake of trans-fats--making up only 0.4 percent of the total energy taken in by the volunteers. "Despite this, we observed an increase in the risk of suffering depression of nearly 50 percent," said researcher Miguel Martinez. "On this basis we think it of great importance to take this effect into account in countries like the United States, where the percentage of energy _ from these fats is around 2.5 percent." The report pointed out that the current number of depression sufferers in the world is around l50 million people, and has increased in recent years. This rise is attributable, according to the authors, "to great changes in the sources of fats... The study tells us that _ . A) 2.5% Americans suffer mental illness B) l2,000 volunteers in Navarra took part C) a minority of participants became new sufferers D) l50 million Europeans enjoy a healthier lifestyle
C
Q: Just as the stock market rises and falls in response to what people are willing to put their money behind, we have inside ourselves an inner economy that rises and falls in response to our beliefs about what is possible. Sometimes the degree to which we are willing to challenge our belief systems determines the success of our inner economy. For example, imagine that your family of origin had a belief that musical talent was not something they possessed. As a member of that group, you would likely inherit that same belief about yourself. As a result, even if you had a great desire to create music, you might be hesitant to really get behind yourself, fearing that your investment would not pay off. Even if you had the courage to follow your passion, your inner belief that you are not inherently talented would probably be a major drawback to investing your energy in your dream. On the other hand, if you found a way to release that negative belief, a great flood of energy would pour forth, greatly increasing the likelihood of your success. How much energy we are willing to invest in the various ideas, dreams, and visions we carry within is like the money people are, or are not, willing to invest in the various products available for trade on the stock market. And in both cases, belief plays a key role in determining how willing we are to get behind something. One way to open up the possibility for greater success in our inner economies is to understand that belief is not the reliable guide we sometimes think. There are other more reliable things of success that we can put our faith in, such as passion, feeling, and sense. Some of the most successful investors in the stock market are the ones that go against the grain (to be something that one does not like doing), trusting their sense over the common opinion held by common people about what will work. In the same way, we can learn to trust our heart's desires and our sense to guide us, questioning any beliefs that stand in the way of our ability to fully invest... The purpose of the author is_. A) to teach us a lesson B) to give us some useful suggestions C) to tell us that our belief is not reliable D) to encourage us to invest in the stock market
A: B
(Q).
There is a story about the moon cake.During the Yuan dynasty, China was ruled by the Mongolian people. Leaders from the preceding Song dynasty were unhappy about being ruled by foreigners, so they began to organize a secret rebellion. The leaders of the rebellion, knowing that the Moon Festival was drawing near, ordered the making of special cakes. Baked into each cake was a message containing the outline of the attack. On the night of the Moon Festival, the rebels successfully attacked and overthrew the government. Today, these cakes are eaten to commemorate this legend and are called Moon Cakes. For generations, moon cakes have been made with sweet fillings of nuts, mashed red beans, lotus-seed paste or Chinese dates, wrapped in pastry. Sometimes a cooked egg yolk can be found in the middle of this rich tasting dessert. Some people have compared moon cakes to the plum puddings and fruit cakes which are served in the English holiday seasons. Nowadays, there are hundreds of varieties of moon cakes on sale a month before the arrival of the Moon Festival. The leaders ordered the special cakes to be made in order to _ A) prize the rebels B) celebrate the holiday C) plan the attack D) carry the message secretly
(A).
D