Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Large areas of the Amazon rainforest were grassland until just 2,000 years ago when it has been found. Researchers say the find gives new light on the Amazon's history - and show it was a savannah rather than the high forest it is today. They believe much of the area was grassland until a natural shift to a wetter climate about 2,000 years ago let the rainforests form, according to a study that challenges common belief that the world's biggest tropical forest is far older. The arrival of European diseases after Columbus crossed the Atlantic in 1492 may also have sped up the growth of forests by killing the local people farming the region, the scientists wrote in the US journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). "The dominant ecosystem was more like a savannah than the rainforest we see today," John Carson, lead author at the University of Reading in England, said of the findings about the southern Amazon. The scientists said that a shift toward wetter conditions, perhaps caused by natural shifts in the Earth's orbit around the sun, led to growth of more trees starting about 2,000 years ago. The "findings suggest that rather than being rainforest hunter-gatherers, or large-scale forest clearers, the people of the Amazon from 2,500 to 500 years ago were farmers," the University of Reading said in a statement. Carson said that perhaps a fifth of the Amazon basin, in the south, may have been savannah until the shift, with forests covering the rest. In one lake, Laguna Granja, rainforest plants only took over from grass as the main sources of sediments about 500 years old, suggesting a link to the arrival of Europeans. And understanding the forest could help solve puzzles about climate change. The Amazon rainforest affects climate change because trees soak up heat-trapping carbon dioxide as they grow and release it when they rot or are burnt. Brazil has sharply slowed deforestation rates in recent years. Question: What was the effect of the arrival of the Europeans? - The local people died out. - The climate became wetter. - The forests growth sped up. - More people farmed the area.
The forests growth sped up.

Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Our interpersonal skills have a great effect on success in our daily lives. This appears not only in the workplace where we can make more money or enjoy our job more, but also shows itself in marriage, raising a family and the ability to reach goals in almost every area of life. Interpersonal skills come into play when our flight is cancelled and we need to make other arrangements. _ come into play when a marriage is threatened by financial challenges or infidelity . Our communication skills even matter when we are in traffic and we need to make a decision about how to respond to other drivers. Communicating with others becomes inseparable from having a good day, or a bad day not only in how we begin communication, but in how we react to the communications of others who are having a difficult time. It can make a difference in saving a marriage or getting a divorce, celebrating a rise or getting fired, and even having your eggs cooked as the way you like at the local restaurant. Many wise men and women have stressed the importance of dealing with others in a skillful manner. Getting feedback from others can be of great value in improving our interpersonal communication skills. Often, however, others are not skilled at giving feedback. When we get negative results, they rarely include the details we need in order to improve our interpersonal skills. Since life improves so much with greater communication skills, getting feedback and an opportunity to improve would be not only life-saving for pilots, but labor-saving for the rest of us. Contact Alice Aspen March for a free consultation today and see how you might improve your communication skills, or learn more about The Attention Factor. Question: Which of the following is true? - Getting feedback from others can be valueless in improving our interpersonal skills. - Even if we have good communication skills, we will surely not be able to improve our life. - If we pay enough money, we can get some advice from Alice Aspen March. - Many wise people think communicating with others needs skills.
Many wise people think communicating with others needs skills.

Q: Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: WASHINGTON--US President Barack Obama said Thursday that he had known about NBA star Jeremy Lin's talent long before the"Linsanity"phenomenon swept the sport. "I knew about Jeremy before you did because Arne Duncan, my secretary of education, was captain of the Harvard team,"Obama told the famous US sportswriter Bill Simmons in an interview. "When Arne and I were playing, he said,'I'm telling you, we've got this terrific guard named Jeremy Lin at Harvard.'And then when one of my best friends, whose son is a freshman at Harvard, went for a recruiting trip he saw Lin in action, so I've been on the Jeremy Lin bandwagon for a while,"said the president, who is a Harvard Law graduate. Lin, the New York Knicks' point guard, though he was cut twice in December 2011, had had a sudden rise in the past month to high points scoring stardom in Madison Square Garden, the world's biggest basketball stage. He is the first Chinese-American player in the NBA. He has already developed a devoted following among many Asian-Americans and in China, Taiwan, the Philippines and other countries. Clicks to the NYKnicks. Com website _ as basketball fans from around the world search for Lin's news and highlights. "He seems like a wonderful young man. It elevates this great sport all round the world,"said Obama, a Chicago Bulls fan."And what's been encouraging is to see how fast the sport has bounced back recently."But he sounded a note of caution on how much basketball costs to watch. "It's really important for professional athletes and sports owners to just remember you got a whole bunch of folks out here, all across the country, who invest so much in their teams. All they ask is not to be so selfish that you're not looking out for your fans,"Obama said. Question: President Obama learned about Jeremy long before through _ . - news reports - a friend - Bill Simmons - Arne Duncan
A: Arne Duncan

(Question)
Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: "It's really cool to have a dad who flies fighter jets,"thought 11-year-old Casey as she was watching him fly overhead. Living on an Air Force base was not as bad as some people might think. Casey rather enjoyed being around friends who had something in common with each other. They had their own school, bowling area, and movie theatre. She especially loved it when her dad would come home each day and greet her with a new joke and tickles. Today was different, though. When her dad walked into the room, he looked sad for some reason. He just kissed her on the forehead and told her mum that he needed to talk to her. Casey knew something was wrong. When her mum and dad came out of the other room, mum was crying. Dad sat down and began to explain that he has been called to go to Iraq to help with the war effort. Casey was so surprised that she couldn't speak for a moment. She began to feel tears in her eyes. How could she live without her dad for a whole year? Soon, the day came. Her dad was leaving. As Casey and her mom watched him climb up the steps to his cockpit, the tears began to flow and it felt like _ would never end. It was hard for Casey to believe that she wouldn't be seeing her dad for so long. They depended on him for so many things. Who would fix the broken window? Who would greet her with jokes and tickles at the end of the day? And then the thought hit her, " What if he doesn't make it home?" Casey began to sob more than ever. Question: Casey knew something was wrong from all the following EXCERT _ . - her dad's sad look - her dad's joke - her dad's simple kissing - her parents' talking without her
(Answer)
her dad's joke