What makes a house a home? A home is a place of companionship with people in it who love each other, who are harmonious and closer with one another than with in the workplace or with classmates at school. A home is a place that's so magnetic that it's difficult to leave. In a home there is love, sharing and appreciation, and the members help one another. I have seen families on the street. But if they live, sleep, talk, and eat together, they are a family, even if they are poorly off. You don't need a roof to make a home. The truly homeless are some of the rich people who build multi-million-dollar houses and are too busy to really live in them. The truly homeless are those who have turned their home into a hotel lobby. The parents work and the children misbehave. They don't talk and eat together every day. They rarely see each other. The truly homeless people are those with babysitters, caretakers, gardeners and maids. However, people are unaware of this, as they are too busy making money outside the home that they don't live in. This is another way of looking at the rich and the homeless. Who is to be pitied? Control of the computer and the Internet is also important to make a house into a home. If the computer is on all the time, the house turns into an office, even if everyone is at home. Many homes these days are just offices. Human communication has stopped. The computer eats up all the time that one should be giving to others within the home. Using the computer moderately gives us time for play and communication, not with a screen, but with other people. According to the passage, which is NOT mentioned as an element of a home? A) Communication. B) Appreciation. C) Kindness. D) Companionship.
C
(Question)
Humans are naturally drawn to other life forms and the worlds outside of our own. We take delight in the existence of creatures and even whole societies beyond our everyday lives. This sense of wonder is universal. Look at the efforts that scientists have made to find out whether life of some kind exists on Mars, and the popularity of fantasy literature or movies like The Lord of the Rings. This sense of wonder draws us to each other, to the world around us, and to the world of make-believe, but have we gone so far in creating worlds of fantasy that we are missing the pleasure of other worlds that already exist all around us? Human beings, as biologists have suggested, possess an inborn desire to connect with and understand other life forms. However, people, especially in big cities, often lead rather isolated lives. In a study of British schoolchildren, it was found that children by age eight were much more familiar with characters from television shows and video games than common wildlife. Without modem technology, a small pond could be an amazing world filled with strange and beautiful plants, insects, birds, and animals. When we lack meaningful interaction with the world around us, and sometimes even with our families and friends, we seek to understand and communicate with things that exist only in our imaginations or on a computer screen. The world of make-believe is not necessarily bad, but when the world of fantasy becomes the only outlet for our sense of wonder, then we are really missing something. We are missing a connection with the living world. Other wonderful worlds exist all around us. But even more interesting is that if we look closely enough,we can see that these worlds, in a broad sense ,are really part of our own. What is the main purpose of the passage? A) To show us the hidden beauty in our world. B) To warn us not to get lost in the fantasy world. C) To argue against the misuse of the sense of wonder. D) To discuss the influence of the world of make-believe.
(Answer)
B
Ques: Life is not easy in senior high school. You've got the pressure of studies and exams. From time to time, you may feel depressed and frustrated. When depression strikes, you have to take measures to fight it. One of the strangest ways to fight depression is to eat salt, scientists have found. Salt acts as a natural anti-depressant , researchers say. While too much can lead to high blood pressure and heart disease, not enough can cause "psychological depressions", a study has reported. The study, by researchers at the University of Iowa in the US, discovered that when rats are _ in salt, they don't do activities they normally enjoy. The recommended daily salt intake for an adult is four grams, although experts say the body needs only half as much. However, most adults in the developed world consume around ten grams a day, mainly because their diets contain high salt amounts. Today, 77 percent of US salt intake comes from processed and restaurant foods, like frozen dinners and fast food. The minerals in salt are required by the body--in small quantities--to help move liquid in and out of cells. But too much can cause diseases, for example high blood pressure. Today scientists are finding that salt is an addictive substance--almost like a drug. One sign of addiction is using a substance even when it's known to be harmful. Many people are told to eat less salt due to health concerns, but they have trouble doing so because they like the taste and find low-salt foods tasteless. Humans have a long history of eating salt. In the Stone Age, people didn't need to find salt, because they hunted most of their food, and ate a lot of red meat, which has plenty of salt in it. But when people began to farm, about 10,000 BC, they started to eat mainly grains like rice and wheat, and very little meat. Then they had to find another way to get salt. Which of the following statements is true? A) People have trouble reducing salt because they don't know it is harmful toeat too much of it. B) Before 10,000 BC, human beings did not need salt. C) The richer the country is, the more salt is eaten there. D) Taking more than 4 grams of salt a day can be harmful for an adult's health.
Ans: D
Teen Climbing Camp 2010 This 5-day climbing camp is suitable for teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18 who have an interest in rock climbing. The climbing days are designed for beginners and those who have some basic experience in a gym or outdoors. Participants will find themselves challenged physically and mentally. Rock Dimensions camps are designed to be a positive and memorable experience by providing healthy communication between participants, individual goal setting, and challenges that lead to personal growth. Dates Monday, June 29-Friday, July 3 Monday, July 27-Friday, July 31 Locations Climbing Tower at Footsloggers Linville Gorge and Table Rock area Local climbing areas near Boone Responsibilities Participants will meet Rock Dimensions guides at our location each morning and at the end of each day. Rock Dimensions will provide all climbing items, including a safety rope, a helmet and climbing shoes for each participant. Participants are responsible for bringing their own lunch, water, small backpack, appropriate clothing, and personal items like sun cream, etc. Pre-camp planning Participants will receive the following information in their registration packet Medical Form, Responsibility Agreement, Clothing/Equipment List, and Directions. Cost $575/person for the 5-day camp $325/person for the first 3 days Anyone interested in participating in just the last two days of the camp should call to discuss pricing and necessary skills/experience. What of the following do participants need to bring with them? A) A safety rope. B) A helmet. C) Climbing shoes. D) Appropriate clothing.
D