*Question*
Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Every summer, no matter how urgent work schedule is, I take off one day exclusively for my son. We call it dad-son day. This year our third stop was the amusement panic, where we discovered that he was tall enough to ride one of the fastest roller coasters in the world. We experienced through face-stretching turns and circles for ninety seconds. Then, as we stepped off the ride, in a calm voice, he remarked that it was not as exciting as other rides he'd been on. As I listened, I began to sense something seriously out of balance. Throughout the season, I noticed similar events all around me. Parents found it hard to find new stimulations for cold kids. Surrounded by ever-greater stimulation, their young feces were looking disappointed and bored Facing their children's complaints of "nothing to do", parents were spending large numbers of dollars for various forms of entertainment In many cases the money seemed to do little more than buy relief from the terrible complaint of their bored children. This set me thinking the obvious question: "How can it be so hard for kids to find something to do when there's been such a range of stimulating entertainment available to them?" What really worries me is the strength of the stimulation. I watch my little daughter's &ce as she absorbs bloody special effects in movies. Why do children facing such excitement seem starved for more? Thai was, I realized, the point I discovered during my own adolescence that what creates excitement is not going fast, but going faster. Excitement has less to do with speed than changes in speed. I am concerned about the increasing effect of years at these levels of feverish activity. It is no mystery to me why many teenagers appear uninterested and burned out, with a "been there, done that" air of indifference toward much of life. As increasing numbers of friends' children are advised to take medicine to deal with inattentiveness at school or anti-depressants to help with the loss of interest and joy in their lives--I question the role of... Question: In order to relieve children's boredom, the author would probably suggest _ . - adjusting the pace of life and strength of stimulation - promoting the practice of dad-son days - consulting a specialist in child psychology - balancing school work with after school activities
**Answer**
adjusting the pace of life and strength of stimulation

*Question*
Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: When you are traveling in Thailand,which means of transport is the best choice? You can rent a variety of motorbikes or bikes in Thailand.It seems to be very popular in most of the beaches and islands along the places in the north.The most popular bikes are the little 125 cc Honda Dream which you can get for about 150 baht a day or as little as 3,000 baht per month,making it the cheapest way to tour Thailand for the people from other countries. Sometimes you will have to go somewhere by taxi.When you are in cities in Thailand,especially in Bangkok,always remember to get a taxi that is going on the roads.Some drivers outside hotels refuse to use the milometer .They will ask a price which is several times the price when they use the meter! The quality of the roads in Thailand is generally pretty good,so renting cars is another way to get around.The big car rental companies may offer you slightly older cars at a very reasonable price.It is a little surprising considering that the cost of buying a car in Thailand is more than that in the West.Petrol is also reasonably priced in Thailand,more expensive than American prices,but much cheaper than what is paid in Europe.In the past,Bangkok could be a difficult place to drive in--signs were generally in Thai only,making it a hard job to find exactly where you were by looking around.But now,the situation is improved.In a lot of places,even the farthest corners of the country,street signs are in both Thai and English. Question: Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? - Renting a car to get around Thailand is very expensive. - Tourists can only rent a motorbike in the beaches and islands. - The price of petrol in Thailand is lower than that in Europe. - Cars in Thailand are cheaper than those in the West.
**Answer**
The price of petrol in Thailand is lower than that in Europe.

*Question*
Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Research at the University of Liverpool, UK, has found that Shakespeare's language stimulates positive brain activity. Shakespeare uses a linguistic technique known as functional change that involves, for example, using a noun to serve as a verb.Researchers found that this technique allows the brain to understand what a word means before it understands the function of the word within a sentence.This process causes a sudden peak in brain activity and forces the brain to work backwards in order to fully understand what Shakespeare is trying to say. Professor Philip Davis, from the university's School of English, said: "The brain reacts to reading a phrase such as 'he godded me' from the tragedy of Coriolanus, in a similar way to putting a jigsaw puzzle together.If it is easy to see which pieces fit together you become bored of the game.But if the pieces don't appear to fit, when we know they should, the brain becomes excited.By throwing irregular words into seemingly normal sentences, Shakespeare surprises the brain in a manner that produces a sudden burst of activity -- a sense of drama created out of the simplest of things." Experts believe that this heightened brain activity may be one of the reasons why Shakespeare's plays have such a dramatic impact on their readers. Professor Neil Roberts, from the university's Magnetic Resonance and Image Analysis Research Center, and Professor Davis, together with Dr Guillaune Thierry, from the University of Wales, UK, monitored 20 participants using an electroencephalogram (EEG) as they read selected lines from Shakespeare's plays. "The brain signal is relatively stable when we understand the meaning of a word but when the word changes the grammar of the whole sentence, brain readings suddenly peak.The brain is then forced to retrace its thinking process in order to understand what it is supposed to make of this unusual word," explains Professor Roberts. Question: Based on the research, Shakespeare's plays have a great effect on their reader lies in _ . - language used in plays - characters showed in works - brain activity increased in reading - thinking process when writing
**Answer**
brain activity increased in reading